Bon Appetit Desserts: Maple-Walnut Pound Cake with Maple Glaze

If you like maple, then you will love this cake. It is filled with maple-y goodness! If you do not have a food processor, like me, just grind your walnuts up in one of those handy nut grinders (check out Martha Stewart or King Arthur Flour). The old-fashioned way!

I think it is important to note, that I bake with salted butter, so I generally do not add the salt that is called for in the recipe.

I was overly excited to bake this cake because the weather has cooled down and fall is in the air. I finally took the rest of my fall decorations out, too! I hope you enjoy this simple to make cake! It is sure to please.

Maple-Walnut Cake with Maple Glaze
12 servings

Cake
1-3/4          cups coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
2-1/4          cups cake flour
1                teaspoon baking powder
1/2             teaspoon salt
1-1/4          cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/4          cups sugar
5                large eggs
1/2             cup pure maple syrup
3/4             teaspoon maple extract
1/2             teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze
1/4             cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2                tablespoons pure maple syrup
2                tablespoons heavy whipping cream
10              tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1/8             teaspoon maple extract
12              walnut halves


CAKE: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 12-to 15-cup Bundt pan. Finely grind walnuts in processor. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in maple syrup, maple extract, and vanilla (batter may look curdled). Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in ground walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to rack; cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around side and center tube of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.

DO AHEAD:  Can be made two days ahead. Wrap cake tightly in foil and store at room temperature.

GLAZE: Melt butter with maple syrup and cream in a heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and maple extract; whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Drizzle glaze over cake. Arrange walnut halves decoratively on top of cake. Let cake stand until glaze sets; about 15 minutes.