Maple Walnut Layer Cake With Fudge Frosting
Save the Children
Save the Children
The Pink Whisk Challenge
The Pink Whisk Recipe Challenge
Save the Children Recipe Challenge
This is what Ruth has to say about her new challenge:
….”Time for The Pink Whisk Challenge…and this one is dedicated to Save the Children and the Hidden Hunger campaign. It’s a great way for us to help spread the word.
I would love for you to donate a recipe. The theme for the challenge is ‘Family Favourites’, recipes you enjoy making and that you love to share, there’s nothing more to it than that – it doesn’t even have to be baking (I hope you realise how much that hurt me to write!)
All recipes gathered for the challenge will be collated and published in a Save the Children e-book which will be sold to raise awareness and funds for the campaign…..”
Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire
Maple Walnut Layer Cake With Fudge Frosting
Maple Syrup Walnut Layer Cake with Fudge Frosting
It’s hard to comprehend that in the twenty-first century children still go hungry and suffer from malnutrition all over the world, and, it’s even harder to believe that this luscious Maple Walnut Cake with Fudge Frosting may make a small difference, as I am submitting this recipe into Ruth’s The Pink Whisk’s Save the Children Recipe Challenge and I fervently hope that some of you will do the same. Ruth is currently in Rwanda with Jay Rayner (food writer and presenter) where they have been highlighting the hidden crisis of global childhood malnutrition and hunger. Her trip is linked to the new campaign on the Save the Children website, Name a Day, I have already named my day, will you? It’s a simple campaign where Save the Children are asking the prime minister to lead a big push to end hunger by naming a day when he’ll host a global hunger summit. You can get more information by visiting the Save the Children website as well as Ruth’s site at The Pink Whisk.
Maple Walnut Layer Cake With Fudge Frosting
The cake I am submitting never fails to please; walnut and maple syrup sponge cakes, that are frosted and sandwiched together with maple fudge frosting/icing, divine! This is NOT a light airy-fairy sponge cake, as it is made with soft brown sugar to enhance the fudge and maple flavours – and it needs to be fairly robust to hold the walnuts in the cake mixture. It is however, a soft pudding type cake with lots of texture and an amazing taste. The cake is baked in two cake tins; the two cakes can then be cut in two again, making a three-layer cake, (four pieces of cake = three layers) it depends on how high they rise. If you do make a three-layer cake, you may need a little more fudge frosting and filling. This cake keeps very well in an airtight container or tin for up to a week. The cake can also be frozen before icing and frosting – defrost it overnight, then assemble and ice the cake when fully defrosted. Pecans can also be used in place of walnuts – but I prefer the taste of walnuts with the maple syrup, and it is a great time to showcase English walnuts too.
Maple Syrup & Walnut Layer Cake with Fudge Frosting
Print recipe
| Serves | 8 to 10 slices |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 35 minutes |
| Total time | 50 minutes |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
Maple Walnut Cake
- 6oz butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3oz walnuts, chopped
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 6oz self raising flour
- 6oz soft brown sugar
Maple Fudge Frosting and Filling
- 8oz icing sugar (Golden is good)
- 1 - 2 tablespoon maple extract, to taste
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons cold strong coffee
- 4oz soft brown sugar
- 3oz ounces butter
- walnuts ( halves for decoration)
Maple Fudge Frosting and Filling (Optional)
- chopped walnuts (for the filling)
Note
This is NOT a light airy-fairy sponge cake, as it is made with soft brown sugar to enhance the fudge and maple flavours - and it needs to be fairly robust to hold the walnuts in the cake mixture. It is however, a soft pudding type cake with lots of texture and an amazing taste
Directions
| Step 1 | You will need two 8" (20cms) cake tins; greased and lined with baking paper. Pre-heat oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. |
| Step 2 | Beat the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy and pale golden brown - this is essential to make the mixture light and aids the cake to rise. It can take up to 15 minutes by hand or 5 to 10 minutes by hand-held mixer. |
| Step 3 | Add the baking powder to the flour, and the milk and maple syrup to the beaten eggs. Gently fold in a large spoon of flour, followed by a spoon of egg mixture - mix gently but thoroughly between each addition of flour and egg mixture. Continue to add, fold and mix until the flour and the egg mixture is finished. If the mixture is a little stiff, add some more milk. |
| Step 4 | Add the chopped walnuts and gently mix through the cake mixture evenly. You should have a fairly stiff consistency that drops easily. |
| Step 5 | Pour the cake mixture equally in to the prepared cake tins, smoothing slightly on top, with a slight indent in the middle, then bake for between 25 and 35 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Different ovens vary; these cakes normally take 30 minutes to bake in my oven. (They are cooked when they are well-risen, golden brown and when a wooden skewer comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the cake) |
| Step 6 | Allow them to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, before carefully taking them out of the tins and allowing them to cool completely on a wire cooling tray/rack. |
| Step 7 | While the cakes are cooling, make the fudge frosting/icing. Place all of the ingredients, except the icing sugar, into a saucepan and gently them all together until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool slightly and then add the icing sugar, beating to a smooth and glossy finish. |
| Step 8 | Place one of the cakes on to a serving plate or tray, if you wish, you can cut each cake in half to make a multi layer cake. Spread some of the frosting/icing on top of the cake and scatter some chopped walnuts over the top if using. Place the other cake on top and pour the remaining fudge frosting/icing over the top of the cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Decorate the top of the cake with walnut halves. |
| Step 9 | Serve cut into slices - this cake makes about 8 to 10 slices. Preparation time includes the time to make the fudge frosting/icing. |
PLEASE do enter a recipe into Ruth’s recipe challenge and also take a look at the campaign that aims to end hunger for children, all the details are on the Save the Children website; I feel very strongly as a food writer (and blogger) that I may in some way, albeit in a small way, help to raise awareness of this catastrophic and shocking problem; it’s simple, no child should be born to die so young. On a cheerier note I will see you later with a warming luncheon recipe, just the kind of thing you need for a cold mid-February day. Karen.
Maple Walnut Layer Cake With Fudge Frosting
Karen says
Checking replies work……:-)))
lindokunhle says
i like it and all ingredients are good.
Choclette says
Karen, it’s truly shocking. I heard on the radio this morning about how high malnutrition is in India – a rapidly growing economy where they have more millionaires than we do! It does feel bad to be blogging about all this food sometimes. Having said that, your cake looks divine and I of course would not say no to a slice – especially now. Have just pinned one of your most excellent pictures.
Karen says
Thanks for supporting this post Choclette – I had hoped more people would have stopped by to leave their thoughts and comments……I always have a vague feeling of disquiet when I link campaigns like this to luxury food and treats, and maybe others do too, but I cannot bury my head in the sand and as you mentioned, it is truly shocking how so many children die of malnutrition.
Karen
Lisa@FacelessFood says
It feels kind of strange commenting on a cake recipe when so many children are going hungry, but…
That’s my kind of cake!
Karen says
Thanks Lisa for being brave enough to comment! I am sure that the lack of comments here today is due to the fact that many of us feel a little strange about the obvious excess of food that we all enjoy, whilst others are dying from poverty, hunger and malnutrition. BUT, yes the cake is wonderful and I have submitted it for the e-book that Save the Children are going to sell to raise money to go towards this shocking problem. THANKS again! Karen
Sue Ryan says
I think it’s a fantastic cause and while it does feel strange linking this with food, it really just makes you realise how lucky we are. Anyway, the cake looks fantastic and I hope that readers take up the challenge. I certainly will. All the best, Susie
Susie @ fold in the flour says
It does feel strange linking food to this, but I think it’s a fantastic cause and by making you feel uncomfortable actually makes you realise how lucky we are. The cake looks fantastic! 🙂 x
Karen says
I TOTALLY agree, it seems weird to have a treat like a cake linked to a campaign that highlights child poverty, but it DOES work I think! Thanks for stopping by to comment.
bakingaddict says
What a lovely cake to make to contribute to Ruth’s book. It looks absolutely divine! I love maple syrup and fudge. It really is a good cause to support and I can’t believe that children are dying of malnutrition in this day and age. We have polarity of worlds with excess and poverty. I will be baking something to help with this cause as well 🙂
Karen says
THANKS for stopping by Ros….I am so pleased that you will be joining in too!
Maureen says
I found this post through @bakingaddict and I’m so glad I did. We are so fortunate to have all the food we can eat – we should be using our skills to do for those who cannot.
The divide between the haves and the have nots has existed forever but the Internet has put the plight of children square in front of us.
I will do my bit.
Karen says
Thanks so much for stopping by Maureen…..it is awful when you think of children dying due to malnutrition….
What Kate Baked says
This is such a great cake to contribute to such an important piece of work. The e-book is such a good idea to raise awareness of the dire circumstances (poverty, malnutrition) children all round the world are dying from.
Karen says
Thanks Kate, it is a difficult subject to get your head around, and it’s NOT just in Africa too…….
Mary says
Karen – I am never disappointed when I visit your blog! so many wonderful recipes and this is no exception! I could dive into a bowl of that right now 🙂
Mary x
Karen says
Aw thanks Mary! So lovely to have you here as always! XX
Jennifer says
Lovely cake – and really good cause, I guess when you think about it, what better way to highlight hunger than with food.
heather says
This just looks tea party perfect!
Karen says
Thanks Heather and for a good cause too!
Kit @ i-losinausten says
I just saw this post & what a beautiful cake! Great that you’ve added walnuts on every layer! Looks really divine & for a very good cause too! 🙂
Karen says
Thanks so much Kit, the cake was wonderful and I am happy to be supporting a good cause too.
Fiona Matters says
This looks absolutely fabulous! I might try it with pecans though – I love Pecans!
ashleigh says
The frosting looks fab!
Galina V says
It is a gorgeous cake, and I love all the ingredients. Maybe it’s time to start cracking all those after-Christmas walnuts.
Joy Dehany says
that cake looks sooooooo goooood xx
Maya Russell says
That’s MY birthday cake! Shared as @maisietoo – https://twitter.com/maisietoo/status/313961027513487360
Maya Russell says
Shared again: https://twitter.com/maisietoo/status/316487870087053313
Joanie Wharff says
I have a ” weird” question. …. What happened to the Maple YOGHURT recipe??? It sounded & looked Really Good!???? It comes up Maple Walnut instead, even when inquire foe the Yoghurt recipe, it comes up with the Walnut one???
Karen says
I am not sure what you mean about the maple yoghurt recipe? Sorry, will check my post again and see if I can help further! Karen