Maple Spice Cakes with Maple Glaze|Acorn Cakelets

Welcome back fall, we have missed you. Colored leaves and cool air means it's time to bake these mini Maple Spice Cakes with Maple Glaze. These cakes are baked in an acorn cakelet pan for some extra cuteness that are full of delicious fall flavors.

It's hard to let fall go by without making these sweet little cakes flavored with real maple syrup and our favorite spice mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Serve these cakes with your favorite hot cuppa coffee, tea, or cider, they are always a hit at parties, but we enjoy them as a sweet snack.

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• The pan
• Ingredients
• 🥄Let's bake
• Cake questions?
• Try more fall baking treats
• More delicious recipes
• Recipe
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The pan

It's amazing what you can find on the discount shelf tucked behind Halloween candy. All I had to do was move several bags of Tootsie Rolls to find this Nordic Ware Acorn Pan, it was just way too cute to pass up, and it was half off. I just couldn't pass it up, could you?

I love this pan because it's heavy-duty cast aluminum and the cakes come out perfectly.  Just make sure you prep it with cooking spray and you will end up with all the nice acorn details that even a squirrel would appreciate. The recipe for the spice cake comes with the pan for an extra bonus.

This recipe is the recipe that came with the pan with just a few little tweaks. I added more cinnamon and nutmeg, plus the addition of ground ginger because I love these warming spices.

🥄Let's bake

Step 1. Heat the oven and prepare the cake pan. Even though this is a nonstick pan I still spray cooking spray in each mold, then using a pastry brush I brush all over the mold to get in all the nooks and crannies.

Spoon flour into each mold and shake the pan until the molds are covered in flour then turn the pan over to remove the excess flour.

Take a paper towel and wipe the top of the pan to clean up any oil or flour that has spread over the top.

Step 2. Prepare the batter ingredients. Place the softened butter and the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl.

To a small bowl add the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and mix this together.

In another small bowl add the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir together.

Step 3. With the mixer on medium speed mix the butter and sugar for a minute so it is nice and creamy.

Step 4. Beat in the eggs one at a time at medium speed to combine.

Step 5. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on medium speed to incorporate then add the liquid ingredients, beat again to incorporate, then add the remaining flour mixture.

Step 6. Mix the batter for a minute until it is totally mixed and thick.

Step 7. Spoon one tablespoon of batter into the molds.

Step 8. With the back of a spoon, spread the batter a little bit to get into the mold.

This batter bakes up perfect in this pan since it is dense so it makes it easy to get the cakes out of the pan, but, it is still nice and moist.

Step 9. Bake the cakes at 350 degrees F. for 12 minutes. The cakes will puff up when baked and should pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the cakes cool slightly then insert a knife in the side of a move to remove the cakelets from the pan. They should pop out easily.

Step 10. In a small bowl add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and water, mix up the glaze until it's smooth.

Step 11. With a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the entire top of the acorn cake.

Step 12. Dip just the top of the cake into a bowl filled with raw sugar.

Step 13. Set the cakes on the cooling rack to let the glaze dry.

Step 14. Store the cakelets in an airtight container for up to three days. Or freeze unglazed cakes for up to three months.

Bake a batch of these awesome little acorn cakes for a family gathering, fall party, Halloween party, or just because it's fun to eat these sweet and cute as can be acorns.

Cake questions?

Try more fall baking treats

• This recipe for Apple Cider Baked Apples makes a stunning desserts that is filled with cranberries and pecans. Serve with a sweet cider syrup for a delicious fall treat.
• Baking this easy to make Orange Cranberry Bread filled with nutmeg and cardamom spices. This is a One Hot Oven reader favorite.
• Everybody loves these colorful Autum Leaf Sugar Cookies that are flavored with maple syrup. Bake a batch for you fall party or Halloween.
• Pop a batch of popcorn and make this crunchy easy homemade Caramel Apple Popcorn for party night, movie night, or for a snack.

More delicious recipes

Recipe

Pin now to make later

First published: Nov 6, 2016. Last updated: Dec. 30, 2021, for better readability and updated step-by-step instructions.

Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog.  Please leave a comment to say Hello or just let me know what you are baking these days, I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or just want to chat about the recipe? Contact me here, and I’ll be happy to help!

About Jere'

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.