Maple Walnut Spice Coffee Cake w/Maple Icing

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Fall is absolutely my most favorite season. Besides pumpkin, my other favorite fall flavors are maple and spices - especially cinnamon. This time of year, I also use pumpkin pie spice in my baking. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice then go ahead and use cinnamon with nutmeg or allspice if you've got it. This time I used pure maple syrup in the icing, folks. However, since real maple syrup is a little pricey, I used maple extract in the cake. And really, there's nothing stopping you from drizzling extra maple syrup on top of this coffee cake!

Maple Walnut Spice Coffee Cake w/Maple Icing

Coffee Cake
1¼ cup unbleached white flour

1¼ cup whole wheat flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup sugar

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp maple extract

Topping
½ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup flour
4 Tbsp butter, cold
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Icing
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp butter, melted
4 Tbsp maple syrup
1-3 Tbsp milk or water (as needed)
1/4 tsp maple extract (optional)

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Instructions
Generously grease a 9x13 pan. Heat oven to 350° F.

For the topping
In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter, blend butter into flour and sugar mixture until pea-sized chunks form. Add walnuts and stir. Set aside.

For the cake
In a bowl, combine unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together brown sugar, sugar, and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time stirring well after each. Alternately add buttermilk and flour mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add maple extract and stir thoroughly. Pour batter into greased pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before icing.

For the icing
In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, and maple syrup and blend until smooth. Add milk or water one tablespoon at a time if necessary to thin icing as desired. Drizzle over cake.

I added maple extract to the icing because I thought it would boost the color a little bit. It didn't really do anything for the color of the icing, so this is an optional ingredient.

Inspiration recipe(s): Spiced Coffee Cake

Enjoy!

~CD