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A slice of Maple Walnut Coffee Cake with crumb topping and glaze drizzle sits on a white plate with a fork.
Maryam

Maple Walnut Coffee Cake

A tender, buttery cake swirled with maple-cinnamon streusel and crowned with crunchy glazed walnuts - the perfect companion to your morning coffee.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter softened, 1.5 sticks
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 0.5 cup pure maple syrup preferably Grade A dark
  • 0.5 cup sour cream full-fat
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Streusel
  • 1 cup walnuts toasted, roughly chopped, divided
  • 0.33 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Maple Glaze
  • 0.5 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream plus more if needed

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Electric Mixer
  • Small saucepan

Method
 

Prep and Make Streusel
  1. Heat oven to 350F. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes until fragrant. Let cool, then roughly chop. Reserve 0.5 cup for topping. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, tapping out excess.
  2. In a small bowl, combine 0.5 cup chopped walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Work together with your fingertips until clumpy. Set aside.
Make the Cake Batter
  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add maple syrup, sour cream, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. The mixture will look slightly curdled - this is normal.
  4. Add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Assemble and Bake
  1. Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel evenly over top. Dollop remaining batter in spoonfuls over streusel and gently spread to cover, using an offset spatula. Some streusel peeking through is fine.
  2. Bake 42-48 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove springform ring and cool completely.
Glaze and Finish
  1. Whisk confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and cream until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle reserved 0.5 cup walnuts over glaze, pressing gently to adhere. Let glaze set for 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For deeper maple flavor, use Grade A dark or Grade B syrup. The cake keeps beautifully at room temperature for 2 days wrapped tightly, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture. Substitute pecans for walnuts, or use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.