This all-butter Maple Frosting with pecans is great for any fall cake or cupcake. Maple makes for a very sweet buttercream frosting, but the pecans balance it out perfectly!
Originally posted October 23, 2014
So I’m making this frosting the other day with Charlotte, and it’s going great. There is a cloud of powdered sugar in the air, spilt maple syrup on the counter, small, buttery fingers, and all the measuring cups are being lined up and realigned just so. Typical bake-with-mom frosting session.
I taste the frosting and ask her, “What does it need Charlotte?” And she says, casually throwing a thumb over her shoulder toward the computer, “I don’t know Mom. Go check your blog.”
Seriously?? Even my 3-year-old knows that I can’t do anything without consulting a recipe. This might sound weird coming from a food blogger, but what can I say, the internet just knows too many things for me to want to take the time to guess everything. (It needed salt, btw, and yes, I figured it out ALL BY MYSELF.)
My brother Nathan was totally mocking me the other night because I looked up my own recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, I looked up a recipe for a freaking sandwich, on my own blog. Now granted, they were these awesome Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, but still. You kinda lose some amount of cooking-cred when you have to look up a sandwich recipe. (Maybe it’s the Charlatan coming out in me?) Honestly though, that’s part of what this blog is about: cataloguing recipes I love so I don’t forget them!
Maple Buttercream Frosting
I am in looooove with this frosting. I’ve been experimenting for a couple weeks now and finally got it to optimal awesomeness. I really love the sophisticated touch the pecans add. The nuts are chopped so small that you don’t really feel like you’re eating nuts. There is no nut-crunching necessary, they just melt into the frosting perfectly and add great flavor. This frosting is very sweet without the nuts, so if pecans aren’t your thing you’re crazy just pair it with cookies or cake that is not overly sweet.
How to make Maple Frosting
The first step is to get those delicious pecans all chopped up nice and small. You can do them by hand or in a food processor. I like them small and I like saving time so I drop them in the cuisinart and hit the pulse button until I’m happy. Take a look at the photos to see how small I like them, but you do you!
Next you roast up those pecans. Set a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pecans and stir occasionally until they start to smell delicious, or until they barely start to brown. You can let those cool while you start on the buttercream.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter to within an inch of its life. Just kidding, beat it for a couple minutes until it’s high and fluffy. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and maple syrup and keep beating it until well mixed. Add another cup of powdered sugar, the maple extract, and salt until it is all combine.
Lastly, you add those beautiful chopped pecans (they should be fully cooled). Then enjoy! Put them on whatever beautiful baked good you’ve got planned.
Ingredients for Maple Frosting
- Pecans (toasted, finely chopped)
- Butter (salted)
- Powdered Sugar
- Real Maple Syrup (Grade A)
- Maple Extract
- Salt
Here’s the Cinnamon Cardamom Cake that I made to go with this frosting:
UPDATE: I also used a variation of this frosting to make Carrot Cake. (I added cream cheese!): Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Maple Pecan Frosting.
Other cakes and frostings to love:
Blackberry Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
S’mores Buttercream Frosting by Wine and Glue
Apple Cider Cupcakes with Nutmeg Frosting from Eat Live Run
Honey Buttercream Frosting from The Cupcake Project
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Maple Pecan Frosting
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pecans, toasted, finely chopped
- 1 cup salted butter, 2 sticks
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup, I used Grade A
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Chop up the pecans. You can chop them with a knife or in a food processor. See photos to see what level of choppiness we're talking.
- Set a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pecans and stir occasionally until they start to smell delicious, or until they barely start to brown. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter to within an inch of its life. Just kidding, beat it for a couple minutes until it's high and fluffy.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and maple syrup. Beat well.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar, maple extract, and salt. Beat well.
- Add the chopped pecans when they are completely cooled and beat it. Try not to eat it all with a spoon.
Haha – you have no idea how often I look up simple recipes from my OWN blog. I’m sure you could ESTIMATE that sandwich again, but you want THAT EXACT sandwich. I mean really, what is a blog if not a very public online recipe box? ;)
I want to shove that frosting in my face.
I’m glad you understand the art of the sandwich. Sometimes it has to be JUST RIGHT.
This frosting caught my eye and now I just have to make it. It looks so completely divine and perfect for the upcoming holidays! I can’t wait to see what you pair it with!
Thanks Danielle! I’m still dreaming up different cakes and cookies to put this on! I think I’ll be making it a lot over the next few months :)
That first photo just makes me want to stick a graham cracker right in there. (Must admit I’m probably going to do that.) :)
This is such a great fall frosting! I’m sure it would go great on top of a cake or some pumpkin spiced cookies!
Also, I have definitely been in your place and managed to need to consult my own recipes. It’s silly, but we cook so much we obviously forget a lot too!
I am loving this frosting! I have to admit, I look up recipes from my own blog when I’m cooking all the time. That’s why it’s there, right? Anyway, I’m glad this one was added to your collection — looks amazing!
yes please! I’m going to pair this with something pumpkin. I’ve got pumpkin on the brain and now your maple pecan frosting!
I do the SAME thing! I’m constantly checking my recipes on my blog to remember all the ingredients I used. That’s the whole reason I started it, to document my recipes so I could remember. I was just looking up an old soup recipe of mine the other day when I was at the grocery store. Good thing I did, or I would have forgotten to get zucchini. This frosting sounds delicious! It would go great on so many things! I’m thinking pumpkin cake or muffins for sure : )
Haha, I am the same way! I have a HORRIBLE short term/long term memory problem, and I never ever remember what I am supposed to do when it comes to recipes that I have made a gazillion times! I don’t think it’s anything to fret over. I think that when we are constantly surrounded by food 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it’s hard to keep track ;) This frosting though….uh yum! I just want to smother that stuff on everything!
So glad to hear this Justine! I always imagine other food bloggers cooking by instinct. In high heels and a trendy apron probably too. :) (For the record, I’m still in my PJs.)
I have to look up a lot of my recipes too. That’s what it’s there for right? haha. This frosting looks fantastic! ! I love that you added pecans to this and I can’t wait to see the cake!
You’ll be glad to know Karen, that most of the time when I want something particular I check out your blog first! I think I’m making your pumpkin corn chipotle (I think I spelled this wrong)
soup for my Halloween party on Friday. I might also have to make cake or cupcakes so I can use this frosting. You are awesome! So glad we are related!!
I wish YOU had a blog I could check out Kris! It would be amazing! Your food is so good, always. I love that pumpkin soup, I need to make it again! Let me know if you make this frosting, it’s seriously delicious. Thank you for teaching me to love pecans :)
If I had a blog Karen, you’d have to take the pictures. I’m hopeless as you are well aware. So that will not be happening!
Such a creamy frosting! Perfect for today as I am baking :)
Must be a good day then Katya!! :)
I’m always looking up my own recipes too. That’s what’s so great about having a blog! Haha. I love that there is maple syrup and pecans in this! Can’t wait to see the cake :)
Thanks Julia, I’m so glad I’m not the only one googling my own recipes all the time, haha! And that charlatan is a pretty unique word, haha. Most of my recipes come right up if I add a charlatan in there :)
This looks amazing!! What a perfect combo :)
Thanks Becca! Maple and pecans really do quite nicely together don’t they? :)
This frosting looks fabulous!!!! and no worries girl . . I do the same thing too. . my excuse is there are too many recipes that we look at in a day :P but I do know the ones that I make over and over. . love love love this frosting!!! delicious!!
It’s true, recipe overload!! The only thing I can make without looking is butterscotch oatmeal, because I make it for my kiddos every single day and there are only 5 ingredients. I’m impressed you have multiple :)
Every time I make bake something, my 3yo asks is it’s for my blog. It’s so fun to see how normal it is for them that we blog about food. It still feels so new to me so many times! Also, looking up your own recipes – been there, done that. This frosting sounds crazy good! I would totally eat it with a spoon! LOVE pecans!
I know, right! It’s so fun to hear little ones talk about it. So weird that they will never know life without it!