This vegan maple walnut cake is incredibly moist, full of deep maple flavor, and studded with crunchy walnuts. But the maple buttercream frosting slathered on top might be the best part! The perfect treat for fall or the holidays!
This is one of those desserts that I never expected to love as much as I did. I mean, maple syrup is nice. Walnuts are nice. They probably make a good cake, right? But not something worthy of competing with, say, my vegan chocolate cake or vegan spice cake. Boy, was I wrong! Maple walnut cake is nothing short of amazing.
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Maple syrup and walnuts are a nutty, smoky match made in heaven. Both are good on their own, but together they create this deep, rich flavor that’s absolutely irresistible. And maple syrup also makes for a super moist cake with that perfect, tender crumb. The little crunch you get from each bit of walnut just enhances that delicate texture. And the maple buttercream frosting? Think traditional buttercream, but a tad lighter and creamier, with that rich maple flavor that’ll make you regret reserving maple syrup for pancakes for most of your life.
My favorite part about this recipe might be how easy it is to make. It’s a simple one-layer deal (but see the variations if you’re looking for something fancier), and the batter can be made in one bowl, with no electric mixer.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Flour. I've only tested the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, so that's what I recommend sticking with.
- Cornstarch. A little bit of this helps soften the crumb of the cake.
- Baking powder.
- Baking soda.
- Cinnamon.
- Salt.
- Maple syrup. Make sure to use real maple syrup, and not an imitation product labeled as something like "pancake syrup."
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral baking oil will work, such as canola oil, peanut oil, or melted coconut oil.
- Brown sugar. Stick with organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan, since conventional brown sugar may have been processed with animal bone char.
- Non-dairy milk. Any non-dairy milk you like to drink is fine, as long as it's unflavored and unsweetened. Try soy, almond, or oat milk, or read my guide to non-dairy milks for more options.
- Maple extract.
- Vanilla extract.
- Apple cider vinegar. Need an alternative? Read my guide to apple cider vinegar substitutes for baking.
- Walnuts.
- Vegan butter. Most grocery stores carry this in the refrigerated section, next to the regular butter.
- Powdered sugar. Just like with the brown sugar, make sure this is organic.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Steps 1 and 2: Prepare. Start by preheating the oven to 350°F, then greasing and flouring a 9-inch round cake pan.
Step 3: Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 4: Combine wet ingredients. In a separate container, stir together the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, non-dairy milk, maple extract, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.
Step 5: Mix the batter. Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry mixture, then stir until everything is combined.
Step 6: Add nuts. Just fold in the walnuts. Gently.
Steps 7-9: Pour, bake, and cool. Pour the batter into your cake pan, smoothing out the top, then pop it into the oven to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely on a rack, in the pan.
Steps 10 and 11: Make the frosting. Start by beating the butter using an electric mixer. Once it's nice and creamy, beat in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt, then begin adding the powdered sugar, a bit at a time until the frosting is creamy and fluffy.
Tip: This cake may settle slightly as it cools, but that’s what frosting is for! And when I say slightly, I mean the top may go from gently domed to nearly flat. If it actually sinks below the edges, check that you're measuring things properly and not underbaking the cake.
Step 12: Frost the cake. Invert it onto a plate once it's cool, then spread frosting over the top. Garnish it with a few walnut halves.
Step 13: Serve. Your maple walnut cake is ready to enjoy! Slice it up, plate it up, and dig in!
Variations
- Make it a layer cake. Double the entire recipe and stack both cakes, with a layer of frosting in between them. It will be a massive cake, so be prepared!
- Nut swaps. Make it a maple pecan cake, or even a maple hazelnut cake, by directly swapping out the nuts.
- Spice it up. The little bit of cinnamon in this recipe will enhance the flavor in a very subtle way. Feel free to add more, along with other warming spices like ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and allspice.
- Frosting alternatives. Want just a maple cake, and not necessarily maple frosting? Try it with a half batch of my vegan vanilla buttercream, vegan chocolate buttercream, or vegan cream cheese frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Possibly, but I haven't tested it out. I think an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend would be the way to go if you'd like to try it!
You can, but the maple flavor will be milder. The cake will still be delicious!
Use pure maple syrup, and not pancake syrup. If you can get your hands on a darker, more robust syrup, the cake will have a more intense maple flavor.
Your maple walnut cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Fall Cakes
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📖 Recipe
Maple Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- â…” cup maple syrup
- â…” cup vegetable oil
- â…” cup organic brown sugar
- ½ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
For the Frosting
- ¾ cup vegan butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar, or more as needed
For Garnish
- Walnut halves, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour the inside of a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, non-dairy milk, maple extract, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour the maple mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture, then stir the ingredients together just until combined.
- Fold in the walnuts.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cake for 36 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place the cake pan on a cooling rack when it comes out of the oven. Let the cake cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter on high speed with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
- Turn the mixer speed down to medium, then begin beating in the powdered sugar, adding a bit at a time, until the frosting is creamy and fluffy.
- Once the cake is cool, invert it onto a plate. Spread the frosting over the cake, then optionally garnish with walnut halves.
- Slice and serve.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on ingredients, brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods.
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