Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like the perfect fall breakfast or afternoon treat! Perfectly maple-y and not too sweet.
Texture: Ultra moist, light, and fluffy with a nice crunchy from the walnuts and streusel.
Ease: Super quick and easy, you don’t even need a mixer!
Pros: Simple and scrumptious fall treat.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Absolutely. It would be perfect for serving holiday guests!
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This post is sponsored by The California Walnut Board. All opinions provided are my own. Thanks for supporting me in working with brands I love to bring you new recipes!
This Maple Walnut Coffee Cake will fill your house with the most incredible fall scents while it bakes – better than any fall candle!
I was thrilled when The California Walnut Board reached out to ask if I’d be interested in creating new recipes utilizing walnuts. I jumped on the opportunity and was so excited when a 3-pound bag of walnuts showed up on my doorstep!
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I love the flavor combination of maple and walnuts, so I was so excited to create a recipe inspired by these delicious fall flavors.
This coffee cake is nutty, sweet, and richly complex. Fall deliciousness at its best!
I love how simple and easy this Maple Walnut Coffee Cake is to make, and it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.
It stays nice and moist for days, too, making it perfect for when you are hosting friends and family for the holidays.
I find that coffee cake is always a crowd-pleaser, so you really can’t go wrong with this recipe!
This post is sponsored by The California Walnut Board. All opinions provided are my own. Thanks for supporting me in working with brands I love to bring you new recipes!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Maple Walnut Coffee Cake
What Pan Should I Bake This Coffee Cake in?
- Be sure to use a light-colored 8×8-inch metal baking pan for best results!
- Dark-colored pans will brown the edges and make them dry.
- Glass or ceramic pans will work in a pinch, but you’ll likely need to increase the baking time and lower the temperature by 25°F.
- Check out my article on Glass vs. Metal Pans for more on why I prefer metal pans over glass or ceramic pans!
Why is There No Coffee in This Coffee Cake?
Generally, coffee cake is meant to be served with coffee, so it doesn’t always contain coffee as an ingredient! Enjoy this maple coffee cake alongside a nice cup of coffee instead.
Why is There Sour Cream in This Coffee Cake?
Sour cream in coffee cake creates the most beautifully moist texture and flavor. If you don’t have sour cream, you can also use plain full-fat yogurt. Make sure it’s room temperature when incorporating into your coffee cake batter.
Do I Need the Maple Extract?
It is optional, but without the maple extract, the maple flavor in this coffee cake is very mild. If you want a bolder, more intense maple flavor, I definitely recommend using the maple extract.
Can You Double This Maple Walnut Coffee Cake Recipe?
Yes! Simply double all ingredients and bake in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Bake for about 45 minutes.
How to Store Coffee Cake
Maple Walnut Coffee Cake will keep fresh and moist for 4 days. Cover well with plastic wrap or store inside an airtight container or ziptop bag at room temperature.
Can You Freeze Maple Walnut Coffee Cake?
I’ve had great results from freezing the entire baked coffee cake in an airtight container. Defrost at room temperature before icing, slicing, and serving.
More Fall Recipes You’ll Love:
Maple Walnut Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel:
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (27 grams) California walnuts, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Coffee Cake:
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (54 grams) California walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup (170 grams) maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (59 grams) whole milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon maple extract (optional*)
- 8 ounces (227 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
Topping:
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the streusel:
- In a small bowl, combine all of the streusel ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
Make the cake:
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and walnuts. In a medium bowl, stir together the maple syrup, oil, milk, eggs, and maple extract. Stir in the sour cream. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Gently stir until just combined.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Spread the remaining batter over the streusel. Sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes.
Make the topping:
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and maple syrup until a thick, pourable icing forms. Drizzle over the warm cake. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Recipe Notes
This post was published in 2016 and has been updated with additional baking tips.
I just doubled the recipe, mine needed slightly more time, but oh was it worth it, absolutely delicious and moist!
I’m so excited you love this coffee cake, Stacey!
Super easy and delicious recipe! I am not a fan of nuts in my sweets, so I excluded the nuts and it still came out beautifully! My only “complaint” would be how many dishes I dirtied, and the icing for the top was very thick, but paired with the cake nicely!
It took me longer than the 20 minutes prep time and 35 minutes baking time specified in the recipe but the recipe is straightforward and easy to execute. Nice texture, moist and tasty but falls just a little short on depth of flavor. I did not add the optional maple extract. As the recipe states, the maple flavor was mild. That was fine. However, the recipe does not call for vanilla. In retrospect, I wish I had added a teaspoon of vanilla since I didn’t add the maple extract. All in all, I’d give it between a B and B+.
Special treat for my Valentine!
Delicious!!
Exceptional taste and super easy to make even for a newbie like me. Will surely make this often. I added instant coffee powder to the batter and it tasted great.
So happy to hear this!
Easy and delicious! Perfect for Christmas or any morning! Yay California walnuts!! Thank you for such a good and dependable recipe!
This looks scrumptious – – – can’t wait to try it!!!
Yay! I hope you love this coffee cake!
Really yummy although I had to bake longer as did not get done in the middle. Also reduced the brown sugar to 1/3 c. In both the streusel and the cake, skipped the topping. Also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Tastes great.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Made this for my mother’s birthday and it turned out great!! Thank you!!
That makes me so happy to hear, Caroline!