Maple Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Closeup of maple pecan cake with cinnamon swirls.

This cozy cake is a mashup of a cinnamon roll, maple donut, and coffee cake. A moist and fluffy maple-buttermilk cake batter is filled with brown sugar-cinnamon swirls and topped with maple cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 33

Total Time 1 3

Servings

Calories 438kcal

Author Allison Mattina

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

Maple extract: This recipe has been tested with two types of maple extract. A pure or natural maple extract will have a more subtle 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 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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