This cozy cake is a mashup of a cinnamon roll, maple donut, and coffee cake. A moist maple-buttermilk cake batter filled with brown sugar-cinnamon swirls and topped with maple cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans. Tons of flavor and texture in every bite!
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What sets this recipe apart
Flavor: This recipe combines several classic flavors: cinnamon roll, maple donut, and coffee cake, all in one.
No yeast: Unlike maple donuts and cinnamon rolls this recipe is made with cake batter rather than a yeast dough. Just like my cinnamon roll cake!
Perfect for fall: The warm and cozy flavors of this cake make it perfect for fall and winter. This is a great breakfast cake for hosting overnight guests or a dessert for the holidays.
Visual recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Cake batter
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, make the maple-buttermilk cake batter. Spread into pan.
Cinnamon swirl
Combine softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
Assemble
Place small spoonfuls of the cinnamon mixture over the top of the cake batter. Swirl them into the cake batter with a sharp knife.
Bake
Bake for 28-30 minutes. Place the pan on a rack to cool.
Maple frosting
Beat together the ingredients for the frosting. Spread the frosting onto the cake. Top with chopped pecans.
My recipe testing tips and notes
Room temperature ingredients: Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. This helps the cake batter mix together smoothly for even texture and good rise. It also ensures the cinnamon filling and frosting are smooth and creamy, with no lumps of butter or cream cheese.
Swirling: When swirling the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture into the cake batter a few passes is all you need. Too much swirling will blend the cinnamon mixture into the batter rather than creating defined ribbons.
Pecans: I recommend garnishing the cake with chopped pecans for a little crunch in every bite. For even more pecan flavor, you can also stir pecans into the cake batter before spreading it into the pan. Be sure to chop them finely so they’re evenly distributed throughout the cake.
Maple extract: This recipe has been tested with two types of maple extract. A pure or natural maple extract will have a more subtle maple flavor. An imitation maple extract will give a stronger, classic maple flavor (like on a maple donut). Although I don’t typically like to use imitation or artificial flavoring, I do like the bolder flavor it provides in this recipe.
Serving and storage
This cake is best served slightly warm or at room temperature. Pair with a cup of coffee for breakfast or brunch, or serve it as a dessert. It is quite sweet, a little goes a long way.
Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerated for longer storage. Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature before serving, or warm individual pieces briefly in the microwave.
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Recipe
Maple Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2⅓ cups (296g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled or weighed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (134g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (59ml) vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ cup (59ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon maple extract, see note
- 1 cup (236ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup (55g) finely chopped pecans, optional
Cinnamon filling:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
- ⅔ cup (150g) packed light or brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Maple cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2½ cups (300g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon maple extract, see note
- couple pinches salt
- ⅓ cup (35g) chopped pecans, for garnish
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter until smooth and creamy. Add oil and maple syrup and beat until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then maple extract, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture in three additions and the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour (flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Stir in finely chopped pecans, if using. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Cinnamon filling:
- Mix together all ingredients until well combined (I use a silicone spatula). Drop small spoonfuls of filling all around the top of the cake batter.
- Use a thin knife to swirl the filling around and through into the batter. Try to avoid pushing the cinnamon filling too far down into the pan.
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When checking for doneness make sure you're checking the cake portion, not the cinnamon swirls. Peek at the cake around 25 minutes. If it begins to get dark, place a piece of foil loosely over the top. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Maple cream cheese frosting:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Beat in powdered sugar followed by maple syrup, maple extract, and salt. Increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. If desired, you can make the frosting thicker by adding more powdered sugar, or thinner by adding a splash of milk. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake and garnish with chopped pecans.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
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