Sunday's Globe magazine featured maple recipes. Today we made the recipe for a maple cake that was submitted by the kindergarten teacher at the Waldorf School of Lexingion. We all really liked it. However it calls for a cup and a half of maple syrup, so unless you have your own source for maple syrup, it's rather expensive to make.
Leah Palumbo's Simple Maple Cream Cake
Buy a pint of cream, and you’ll have 2½ cup left after whipping the 12½ cups for the cake. Just before serving, whip the remaining cream with about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and top each piece of cake with a little dollop.
Butter, for the pan
Flour, for the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
Salt
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
2 large eggs, beaten
1½ cups Grade B maple syrup
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Set the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13-by-9-inch baking pan, tap out the excess flour, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. With a hand-held or standing mixer, whip the cream until it holds firm peaks, about 2½ minutes. Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla, and beat to blend. Add the flour mixture and beat until wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated (do not overmix).
With a flexible spatula, scrape the batter into the baking pan, smooth the top, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, about 45 minutes. Place the cake on a wire rack, cool to room temperature, cut into squares, and serve, topped with maple whipped cream, if desired.
