Recipes & Food Styling

Celebrating Maple Tapping Season with Grandma Hinke’s Maple Walnut Cake

Celebrating maple tapping season with Grandma Hinke’s Maple Walnut Cake.

In March 2014, Grandma wrote in the Wausau Daily Herald: “Now that March has arrived, and we hope spring is around the corner, I marvel at the phenomenon of the maple tree. In March, the amount of sap within the tree is ready to be tapped to be cooked down to a delectable syrup. Whoever discovered the method of extracting the sap must’ve had God-given talent with imagination and did many experiments to get it just right. Working with 40 gallons of sap to get one gallon of syrup takes lots of patience – but think of the results and the enjoyment!”

Instead of Grandma’s Maple Butter Frosting (recipe below), the frosting on the cake in the photo is made with 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 stick butter, softened; 1 tablespoon warm milk; and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. 

Maple Walnut Cake

1/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon maple flavored extract

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream butter; add sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and maple flavoring. 

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Starting with the flour mixture, add dry ingredients alternately with the milk to the butter mixture. Stir in the walnuts. Pour batter into greased cake pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool, and then frost with Maple Butter Frosting. 

Maple Butter Frosting 

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons cream

1/2 teaspoon maple flavored extract

Beat the butter, sugar, milk and maple flavoring in a bowl until smooth. Add more milk or sugar as needed to get desired consistency. 

-Elaine Hinke