Imagine biting into a stack of fluffy buttery pancakes with toasted walnuts, but as dessert! These Maple Walnut Cupcakes would be close enough to having that pancake breakfast. The tender crumb is sweetened with 100% pure maple, chopped walnuts, and topped with a luscious maple walnut buttercream.
The change of the season is upon us. Sweater weather, brisk mornings and nights, pumpkin spice and everything nice. If it hasn’t started, your social feed will soon be filled with the craze of everything the fall season has to bring with baking: pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, caramel, you name it.
To be honest, fall baking is my favorite time of the year. Cranking that oven and smelling all the warm bakes brings nothing but joy and I love every moment of it! This year, maple will kick off the start of the season with these scrumptious maple walnut cupcakes.
The cupcakes, including the frostings’ design, is effortless. Stemming from these Italian cream cupcakes that were a major hit (and difficult to decline a second serving), I slightly modified the base of the recipe with a maple nut flavor while maintaining the richness and tender crumb of the sponge cake.
The frosting was equally addicting as the cake itself. Reminiscent to this maple pecan buttercream, I simply swapped the pecans for walnuts. Toasting the nuts is not required but highly recommended to enhance its natural nutty flavor. When rubbing the pulsed nuts in between two fingers, you may notice some of its oil released. This oil helps add a smooth and creamy texture of the buttercream. Mix in maple and this could be one of the few times you may be ok with eating American buttercream by the spoonfuls. It’s soo good!
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Maple Walnut Cupcakes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 16 cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Imagine biting into a stack of fluffy buttery pancakes with toasted walnuts, but as dessert! These Maple Walnut Cupcakes would be close enough to having that pancake breakfast. The tender crumb is sweetened with 100% pure maple, chopped walnuts, and topped with a luscious maple walnut buttercream.
Ingredients
MAPLE WALNUT CUPCAKES
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (125 grams) buttermilk
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) Grade A maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) walnuts, chopped
MAPLE WALNUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1 cup (112 grams) halved or chopped walnuts
- 1 cup (226 grams) butter, softened
- 3 cups (345 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) Grade A maple syrup
TOPPING
- 16 walnut halves
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) Grade A maple syrup
EQUIPMENT
Instructions
- CUPCAKES: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 16 cupcake wells with a cupcake liner; set aside.
- Using a handheld mixer or a large bowl fitted to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Increase speed to high and add eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined after each addition. Decrease speed to low and gradually add flour and baking soda, continue to mix until smooth. Add buttermilk, oil and maple and mix until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in walnuts.
- Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full which is about 1/4 cup of batter.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs. Let cupcakes rest in the pan for 1 minute before carefully removing them onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- FROSTING: Meanwhile, reduce heat to 250°F (120°C). Evenly place chopped walnuts onto a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Transfer nuts to a shallow dish to quickly cool.
- Once cooled, place nuts into a food processor on low setting. Pulverize the nuts to an almost powdered state. At its largest, walnuts should be smaller than half the size of a pea.
- Meanwhile, using a handheld mixer or in a bowl fitted to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter until smooth. Reducing speed to low, slowly add in 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2/3 cup of pulverized walnuts and 1/2 tablespoon of maple. Continue to mix until frosting comes together. Mix in remaining walnuts, maple, and 1 cup of powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time). Continue to mix until the frosting becomes smooth and spreadable. Note: if the frosting is too thin, add up to 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing between each addition. If the frosting is too thick, add up to 1/2 tablespoon of maple, 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing between each addition.
- ASSEMBLY: Prep a piping bag with a coupler set and fill the bag 3/4 full with maple walnut frosting. Twist the wide-end opening to seal in the frosting and cut off the plastic tip.
- In one continuous motion beginning from the outer edge from the top of the cupcake, pipe a swirl, slowly releasing pressure as you get to the center. To create a dip in the frosting that will allow a small pool of maple syrup to rest, use the back of a tablespoon to smush the center of the frosting in circular motion. Place a walnut-half on top of the frosting and drizzle maple syrup. ENJOY!
Notes
When doubling / tripling recipe ingredients, take caution as the amounts listed: in metric units, quantities within the instructions, size of bakeware, and cook time may not reflect properly from the original recipe. Please double check and if needed, adjust accordingly. Feel free to use the comment section to ask questions for guidance.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Cuisine: American
Maple Desserts
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