Maple Walnut Cake

This nutty, maple-sweet cake with tangy cream cheese frosting is autumn baking at its best.

By Laila Ibrahim
Published October 21, 2025
A slice of cake with layers of frosting and walnut garnish on a plate a partially sliced cake and a drink in the background

Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
In This Recipe

Why It Works

  • Using oil instead of butter keeps the cake moist, since oil remains liquid at room temperature while butter solidifies.
  • Chilled cream cheese and softened butter make a stable frosting: The butter whips easily, and the cream cheese keeps it from loosening during assembly.

This maple walnut cake tastes like fall dressed up for the holidays. Two plush, nutty layers are made with ground walnuts, brown sugar, and maple syrup for deep, toffee-like flavor, then stacked and cloaked with swoops of tangy maple–cream cheese frosting. A scattering of walnuts and a drizzle of syrup give it a final flourish and crunch. It's a festive showstopper for Thanksgiving or any fall gathering, perfect for anyone who loves cake more than pie.

The Cake Layers

This cake recipe, which was developed by our colleague Melissa Gray-Streett in our Birmingham, Alabama Test Kitchen, and is as streamlined as it is impressive. It starts with grinding walnuts in a food processor before mixing in flour, leaveners, and the rest of the ingredients to make the batter right in the same food processor bowl—an easy technique that creates a plush crumb with rich nutty undertones.

Using oil instead of butter in the batter makes the cake exceptionally moist, since oil stays liquid at room temperature while butter firms up once cooled. Buttermilk brings a subtle tang that balances the sweetness, while also reacting with the baking soda to give the layers extra lift. Light brown sugar and maple syrup bring deep, toffee-like sweetness, balanced by the aromatic, floral, and slightly citrusy cardamom.

The Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cake layers feature earthy walnuts and warm spices, the frosting provides contrast with its tangy cream cheese base. To start, chilled cream cheese is beaten with softened butter until smooth and fully emulsified. The cream cheese's cool temperature and dense texture help create a stable emulsion with the butter, preventing the frosting from turning greasy or too soft. This structure keeps the frosting firm enough to spread neatly and ensures it doesn't droop once layered on the cake. From there, maple syrup and vanilla enrich the base, and confectioners' sugar adds structure while maintaining a soft, spreadable texture. The result is a frosting that's fluffy yet smooth, sweet but nuanced, with maple's caramel notes running through each swirl.

A topped maple walnut cake on a decorated table

Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Assembling the Cake

Once the cake layers are baked and cooled, it's time for the grand finale. A serrated knife levels the tops for neat stacking and a clean cross-section, with any trimmings saved for snacking. A generous swoop of frosting between the two layers keeps them steady, while the rest is spread freely across the top and sides in soft swirls. A scattering of candied walnuts adds crunch and shine, their irregular shapes catching the light like fallen leaves, and a final drizzle of maple syrup ties it all together. It's a cake that celebrates fall in grand style, with layers as inviting as the season itself.

This recipe was developed by Melissa Gray Streett; the headnote was written by Laila Ibrahim.

Recipe Details

Maple Walnut Cake

Prep 50 mins
Cook 25 mins
Cooling Time: 100 mins
Total 2 hrs 55 mins
Serves 10
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Ingredients

For the Cake: 

  • Cooking spray

  • 255 g all-purpose flour (9 ounces; 2 cups)

  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 95 g raw, unsalted walnut halves (3 1/3 ounces; 1 cup)

  • 3 large eggs

  • 213 g light brown sugar (7 1/2 ounces; packed 1 cup)

  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole buttermilk

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 16 tablespoons (227 g) unsalted butter, softened

  • 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, chilled

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup, plus more for drizzling

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 397 g confectioners' sugar, sifted (14 ounces; 3 1/2 cups)

  • Chopped candied or toasted walnuts, for serving

Directions

  1. For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper; set aside.

    Two empty round baking pans on a marble countertop

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cardamom, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until combined; set aside.

    A mixing bowl containing flour with a whisk placed inside

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

  3. n a food processor, place walnuts and pulse until finely ground and mixture resembles wet sand, 15 to 20 pulses. Add eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pulse until combined, 4 to 6 pulses. Add reserved flour mixture and pulse until well combined, 2 to 4 pulses. Divide cake batter evenly between prepared pans (about 580 g batter per pan).

    Two round cake pans with batter a hand spreading one with a spatula

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

  4. Bake on the same rack until a wooden pick inserted in cake centers comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire rack and let them cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack, peel off parchment, and return cakes right side up. Let cakes cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

    Two baked round cakes in pans on a cooling rack

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

  5. For the Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting: After cakes have completely cooled, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add confectioners' sugar and continue to mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat mixture until whipped and smooth, about 1 minute.

    Sifting powdered sugar into a bowl of cake batter next to a bowl of powdered sugar

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

  6. If needed, level cakes with a serrated knife (full directions here) and set scraps aside for snacking. Place one cake, trimmed side up, on a serving platter or cake stand. Using offset spatula, spread about 1 cup (250 ml) frosting evenly over the top. Place second cake, trimmed side down, on top of frosting and press lightly to adhere. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of assembled cake. Use the back of a soup spoon to make decorative swirls in the frosting. Top with candied or toasted walnuts and drizzle with additional maple syrup. Serve.

    Steps for assembling and decorating a layered cake with icing and toppings

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

    Special Equipment

    2 (8-inch) round cake pans, food processor, wooden pick, wire rack, stand mixer, serrated knife, offset spatula

    Notes

    Ensure you use raw, unsalted walnuts for the batter, as salted nuts will negatively impact the cake's flavor.

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    The cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

    The frosted cake can be refrigerated under a cake dome for up to 1 day. The cake layers will begin to dry out if kept in the refrigerator for longer. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
848 Calories
49g Fat
98g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 848
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 49g 63%
Saturated Fat 18g 89%
Cholesterol 117mg 39%
Sodium 359mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 98g 36%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 75g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 112mg 9%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 224mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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