Mascarpone Maple Cake

Maple syrup cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably dark syrup for its robust flavour)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Whipped maple butter mascarpone

• 1/2 cup mascarpone, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup maple butter, at room temperature
• 1 pinch of salt

Creamy maple icing

• 1 1/2 cup maple sugar
• 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 packages of plain cream cheese (250 g), at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple sugar angel hair

• 1/2 cup fine maple sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon clear corn syrup glucose (from speciality pastry shops)
• Vegetable oil

Maple syrup cake

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Place rack in centre of oven.
2. Butter three 20-cm (8-in) diameter cake tins. Line bottom with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Set aside.
4. Mix oil and maple syrup together. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix well. Add sifted ingredients and stir in well. Pour batter into tins.
5. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then run a thin blade around cakes to separate from tin. Remove cakes from tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Whipped maple butter mascarpone

1. Add all ingredients in a bowl and use an electric mixer to whip for 3 minutes or until a nice creamy texture.
2. Spread filling between cake layers.

Creamy maple icing

1. In a bowl, use an electric mixer to beat maple sugar with butter. Add cream cheese and vanilla, mix well.
2. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes before adding to cake.

Maple sugar angel hair

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add all ingredients except oil and bring to a boil without stirring.
2. Remove from heat when caramel is amber in colour and place saucepan in a large bowl of cold water to stop cooking.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
4. Coat outside of two 10-cm (4-in) glass or metal bowls with oil and place upside down on cookie sheet.
5. Soak the prongs of a fork in hot caramel and create angel hair by waving fork back and forth over each bowl until no more syrup remains.
6. Leave angel hair to cool on bowls.
7. Carefully remove hair strands from bowls.
8. Place domed strands on cake and break some strands into pieces to decorate tops of bottom strands.