Maple Butter Frosting

Real maple syrup gives this buttercream a warm, caramel sweetness that artificial maple flavoring can’t replicate. Creamed into butter and powdered sugar, it makes a smooth, spreadable frosting with chopped walnuts folded in for crunch.

Cream the butter until pale and fluffy before adding the sugar gradually. Pour in the maple syrup a tablespoon at a time while beating. Adding it all at once can thin the frosting too fast and make it difficult to reach a spreadable consistency.

This frosting pairs naturally with spice cakes, pumpkin bread, carrot cake, or even a simple yellow cake when you want something different from vanilla buttercream.

Kitchen Tips

• Use Grade A Dark or Grade B maple syrup for the strongest maple flavor. Light amber syrup tastes mild and gets lost once mixed with all that powdered sugar.
• If the frosting is too stiff, add maple syrup half a tablespoon at a time. If too thin, sift in more powdered sugar gradually.
• Toast the walnuts or pecans before folding them in. The toasting deepens their flavor and prevents them from tasting raw and soft in the finished frosting.

Variations

• Skip the nuts for a smooth, nut-free version that pipes cleanly.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon to the frosting for a maple-spice combination.
• Swap butter for brown butter (cooked until nutty and golden) for an intensely rich, toffee-maple frosting.