Maple Spice Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting

This Maple Spice Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting is a simple one layer snack cake with all the fall vibes. The lightly spiced cake pairs perfectly with brown sugar frosting and I top each piece of cake with a chocolate maple caramel leaf for a festive and simple cake for any fall celebration.

If you’re looking for more fall cake recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like Pumpkin Pie Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting, Caramel Pumpkin Spice Snack Cake, Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Zucchini Cake Without Eggs, or Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

• Recipe Name: Maple Spice Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting
• Ready In: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Makes: 8-inch cake
• Main Ingredients: salted butter, light brown sugar, maple syrup, all purpose flour
• Flavor Profile: lightly spiced, sweet maple, cozy
• Dietary Info: no seed oils
• Difficulty: Easy!
• Why You’ll Love It: easy fall cake that's easy and fun to make

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy AF: I love snack cakes because they’re so quick and easy! This is a no fuss cake, perfect for beginner bakers or when you just need a quick and simple dessert.
• Quick and Festive: Usually decorating adds a lot of extra time to cakes. But, you can easily be festive in no time at all with this simple design and the addition of chocolate maple leaves.
• Warm and Cozy: If you want a cozy cake that pairs well with all the hot drinks, this is it! Coffee, tea, hot chocolate — this cake goes with everything.
• Chocolate and Spice: This easy maple cake is filled with warm and cozy spices. But it also has a Dark Chocolate Caramel Maple Leaf on top of each piece so you can appeal to all the chocolate lovers. This addition brings a rich and decadent touch to this simple cake.

Ingredients

• Brown Sugar: I use my homemade light brown sugar, but store bought also works.
• Maple Syrup: Make sure to use a high quality organic maple syrup for the best flavor.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: I use organic heavy whipping cream in the cake for a little extra richness and I also use it in the frosting for a light and creamy texture. If you don't have this, whole milk also works.
• Sour Cream: I use Organic Valley Sour Cream in the cake for extra moisture and a little tang.
• All Purpose Flour: My favorite is Cairnspring Mills.
• Cinnamon: I use organic Korintje ground cinnamon, this is my favorite kind.
• Cloves: Organic cloves is one of my favorite cozy spices as it brings so much depth to desserts.
• Baking Powder: I use baking powder because this is cake and I prefer the texture it gives cakes.
• Chocolate Maple Leaves: I use Lake Champlain Organic Dark Chocolate Caramel Maple Leaves. These chocolate candies are a fall favorite of mine and they make a perfect little cake topping for this simple cake that makes it extra festive!

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Baker’s Tips

• Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
• Make sure your butter is soft. I like to leave it out at room temperature to soften naturally.
• I use light brown sugar in this recipe, but dark brown also works. You’ll just have a little richer molasses flavor.
• Make sure cream and eggs are at room temperature. This prevents the cold dairy from seizing up the butter, which can result in a less than ideal crumb. You want the dairy to be room temperature so it mixes in well to to the creamed butter and results in a light an tender crumb. You can leave dairy out for 2 hours before beginning.
• The chocolate maple leaves are optional, but I think it’s so good (and cute) with them!
• Make sure to store extra cake in an airtight container in the fridge.

How to Make a Maple Spice Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, light brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.

2. Mix on low until combined and there’s no butter chunks.

3. Add the eggs, milk, and sour cream and mix on low until combined.

4. Add the all purpose flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, baking powder, and sea salt in that order.

5. Mix on low until combined into a smooth batter.

6. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.

7. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the baking pan.

8. To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low and add in the heavy whipping cream.

9. Continue to mix until combined and then speed the mixer up to high and mix for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

10. Transfer the frosting to the cake and spread evenly.

11. Add 9 chocolate maple leaves to the top of the cake (3×3) so there’s one on each piece when cut. Cut the cake into 9 slices.

What to Serve With Maple Spice Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting

• I love serving this with cozy hot cocoa! Try some of my favorites like Caramel Hot Cocoa, Chai Tea Hot Chocolate, or Boozy Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate.
• Enjoy with a scoop of ice cream like my Salted Caramel No Churn Ice Cream, as this pairs perfectly with the caramel maple leaves and lightly spiced cake!
• The perfect end to a meal, this cake goes so well with a Sparkling Apple Cider Bourbon for a wonderful dinner party dessert.

Recipe FAQ’s

More Fall Dessert Recipes

Eggless Brown Sugar Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Pie Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Pumpkin Chocolate Bars

Small Batch Maple Brown Sugar Cookies