Maple Toffee Cake Recipe with Gooey Caramel Topping

Our newest dessert is a homemade Maple Toffee Cake — a perfect fall treat. Maple brings warm, cozy flavor while crunchy toffee bits add a delightful contrast.

This cake is moist, tender, and fluffy, packed with the season’s flavors. The layers are studded with toffee, brushed with maple syrup, and finished with a silky maple cream cheese frosting for a truly delicious fall dessert.

We’ve made many maple cakes over the years, and this one joins favorites like Maple Pound Cake, Maple Pecan Cake, Maple Carrot Cake, Maple Walnut Cake, and Maple Pecan Doctored Cake Mix. If you love toffee, be sure to try our Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake as well.

In this recipe, maple-scented cake layers are speckled with toffee bits, lightly glazed with maple syrup, and layered with a creamy maple cream cheese frosting. It’s ideal for fall birthdays, Thanksgiving dessert, or any cozy get-together.

How to make Maple Toffee Cake

• The full, printable recipe is below. Here’s a quick overview of the steps.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour three 8×2-inch round pans or two 9-inch round pans; lining pans with parchment circles helps release the layers cleanly.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, maple extract, and maple syrup. Set aside.
• In the mixer bowl, beat softened unsalted butter on medium until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat 3–5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
• Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (three additions of dry and two additions of wet).
• Fold in the toffee bits gently, divide the batter among the prepared pans, and bake at 325°F for 22–25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool 5–10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Easy Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

We finish this cake with a Maple Cream Cheese Frosting that’s smooth, slightly tangy, and not overly sweet. It’s made from butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and maple extract. The result is a creamy frosting that pairs perfectly with the maple-flavored cake.

Cream Cheese Frostings are Softer!

Cream cheese frostings are softer than traditional buttercream, so chill briefly if the frosting becomes too soft while you work. I usually chill the frosting about 15 minutes before using it. If the cake moves while frosting, place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes after applying a thin crumb coat to firm the layers and make decorating easier.

Because this frosting contains cream cheese, store the finished cake in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature within a couple of hours of serving.

Buttercream alternative to Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

If you prefer a less perishable option or don’t love cream cheese, a maple buttercream works beautifully and is a great alternative — rich, stable, and full of maple flavor.

Assembling the Cake

To assemble, place the first cooled cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Lightly brush the top with maple syrup to add moisture and extra flavor. Spread a layer of maple cream cheese frosting, sprinkle a few toffee bits, and add the next layer. Repeat and top with the final layer.

Decorating the Cake

I start with a thin crumb coat and chill the cake for about 15 minutes, then apply the final coat of frosting. Smooth the sides with a warm bench scraper and use a small offset spatula to create diagonal textures if desired.

Press toffee bits around the base for a bottom border. For the top border I piped shells and stars using a large star tip and added small piped dots with a round tip for accents. A little extra maple syrup brushed on top (after chilling) adds shine and flavor.

More Fall Cakes to Try

This Maple Toffee Cake is especially lovely in autumn, but it’s enjoyable any time of year. If you like toffee and warm flavors, try other favorites such as Toffee Pecan Caramel Cake or Brown Sugar Toffee Cake. We also have many cozy fall flavors like caramel, latte, pumpkin spice, gingerbread, and sweet potato cakes.

Thank you for visiting — we hope you enjoy this Maple Toffee Cake. Explore our collection of cake recipes and decorating tutorials for more inspiration.