The Maple Pecan Apple Pie Cake encapsulates all the exquisite autumn flavors in one spectacular cake! I adore a good slice of warm, aromatic apple pie, which is how this incredible cake was inspired. Because the maple syrup infuses both the apples and the cake, the dessert tastes like a stack of apple pancakes. It is one of my favorite upside-down cakes ever.
Ready time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 40 minutes, Total Time: 70 minutes, Servings: 10
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 225g apple purée
- 115g softened butter, at room temperature
- 5 tbsp. light soft brown sugar
- 5 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 large-size egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 2 cups plain flour, sifted
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1½ tsp. bicarbonate of soda
- ¾ cup pecans, chopped
For the buttercream icing:
- ¼ cup dark maple syrup
- 125g butter, softened
- 1½ cups golden icing sugar
To decorate:
- 1 tbsp. soft light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. pecans
Instructions:
To make the apple purée, peel and chop apples and cook in a saucepan with a splash of water until soft, about 10 minutes. Then purée it with a hand blender/food processor in the small-size bowl.
- Butter and line the 20cm springform cake can base with parchment paper. Set the oven range to 180/160 degrees Celsius fan/gas 4.
- Combine the butter and sugar in the medium-size mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Combine the maple syrup and egg and add them gradually. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder together. Season with a generous pinch of salt and nuts.
- Fold the flour into the butter and sugar with a large metal spoon, alternating with the apple purée. Scrape the batter into the tin that has been prepared. Preheat oven to 400°F and bake for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the can before turning it onto a wire rack and peeling away the baking parchment.
For the buttercream: Pulse butter to soften, add icing sugar and beat until smooth to make the buttercream. Add the maple syrup gradually, beating constantly.
- After slicing the cooled cake in half, spread half of the icing over the first layer with a spatula. Add the second layer and finish with the remaining buttercream. Pulse the pecans and brown sugar in a food processor until finely ground (or finely chop and mix).
- You should have a coarse mixture at the end. Place it evenly over the top of the cake.