Strawberry Doughnut Muffins

Before I share my fresh strawberry delights, I have to share these jewel-toned strawberry muffins that can be made year-round. I made them before picking our beloved Long Island strawberries. The crumb was very tender and tasty. I loved the subtle flavor from the coconut oil as well.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Sarah Jampel. Even though I didn’t have difficulty with the jam leaking, next time, I would put more batter in the base of each muffin before filling so that it would be more centrally located. I would also reserve the freeze dried strawberry-sugar coating solely for the muffin tops. The jam-filled portion and the strawberry-sugar coated portion were two separate (and delicious) elements in the finished muffin. Both of these modifications are noted in the recipe below. I may also use my homemade jam in the filling. 🙂

The original recipe notes that this special strawberry-sugar could also be used to coat snickerdoodles. Great idea.

Yield: 12 muffins

For the Muffin Batter & Filling:

• 5 T refined coconut oil, room temperature
• 4 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 67 g (1/3 cup, 5 T) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal or 3/4 tsp Morton kosher salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 281 g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 240 g (1 cup) sour cream
• 1/2 cup thick strawberry or other berry jam (such as Bonne Maman Intense or Crofter’s)

For the Strawberry-Sugar Coating:

• 6 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries
• 6 T granulated sugar
• pinch of kosher salt

1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 425°, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly coat the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
3. Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer, beat oil, butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat again just to incorporate.
5. Add eggs, increase speed to medium, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute (mixture might look a little curdled at this point and that’s okay).
6. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and beat until combined and creamy.
7. Add flour in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream in 2 additions, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined. When last batch of flour is nearly incorporated, mix in any remaining dry bits by hand.
8. Scoop scant 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. (I used a cookie scoop.)
9. Using a damp finger, flatten each into a mostly even layer with a slight dip in the center.
10. Add 2 scant teaspoons jam to each center. (I used a 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.)
11. Divide remaining batter evenly among cups (about 2 tablespoons each). Take care to seal in jam as much as possible.
12. Using a damp finger, gently flatten surface.
13. Bake muffins until golden brown, 15 minutes on convection or up to 17–19 minutes in a standard oven.
14. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes in pan.
15. While the muffins are cooling, melt butter in the microwave in a glass dish or in a small saucepan over medium heat; set aside.
16. Finely grind strawberries in spice mill or with mortar and pestle. Transfer strawberry powder to a small bowl and mix in sugar and a pinch of salt. Transfer a small portion to a shallow bowl.
17. Gently remove muffins from pan; place on wire rack and set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
18. Generously brush each muffin top with melted butter and roll in strawberry sugar to coat, working over bowl to catch any excess. Repeat with remaining muffins, adding more strawberry sugar to bowl as needed.

Do ahead: Muffins can be made 3 days ahead. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Rolls with Apple Cider Glaze

One more apple treat to share. 🙂 We ate these rolls as a special snack and re-warmed them for breakfast the next day as well.

The recipe for these miniature “monkey breads” was adapted from King Arthur Flour.com, but I was inspired to top them with apple cider glaze from davebakes.com.

The apple cider glaze gave them an unexpected tanginess. Tasty and fun.

Yield: 16 rolls

For the Dough:

• 1 cup (113g) white whole wheat flour
• 2 cups (240g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons (32g) potato flour
• 3 tablespoons (50g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm milk (I used 2 percent milk)
• 1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm water

For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup (4 T) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 heaping cup (128g) cored, chopped apple, peeled or unpeeled (I used Pink Lady apples)
• raisins, optional (I omitted them)

For the Glaze:

• 2 cups apple cider, reduced, optional
• 2/3 cup (74g) confectioners’ sugar
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 T (14g) milk (I used 2 percent milk)
• 1 T unsalted butter, melted

To Make the Dough:

1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients, mixing and kneading to make a smooth, soft dough. It may seem dry at first, but as you knead it’ll soften up.
2. Place the dough in a greased bowl or greased 8-cup measure, cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it’s noticeably puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk). (I used a proofing oven.)
3. Lightly grease paper muffin cups, and use them to line 16 cups (8 cups in each) of two standard muffin tins.
4. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 16 pieces; each will be about 1 1/2 ounces (44g). Round each piece into a flattened ball.
5. Working with one piece at a time, use a bench knife (or regular knife) to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Don’t worry about being precise; pieces can vary in size.

To Make the Topping and Form the Rolls:

1. Ration the chopped apple into 16 piles, each pile should be about a generous tablespoon.
2. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon with a whisk.
3. Roll or shake four dough pieces in cinnamon sugar, and place them into a muffin cup.
4. Sprinkle with raisins, if using, and chopped apple.
5. Roll the remaining four dough pieces in cinnamon sugar; top the filling with these remaining four pieces of dough.
6. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough, raisins, and apple.
7. Sprinkle the top of each roll with an additional 1/4 tsp cinnamon sugar.
8. Cover them lightly with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let them rise for about 2 hours, until they’re noticeably puffy. (I used a proofing oven.)
9. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F, preferably on convection.
10. Uncover the risen rolls, and bake them for 14 minutes, on convection, or up to 17 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Don’t let them darken too much; they’ll be dry.
11. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack.

To Make the Glaze & to Finish:

1. Place the cider in a pot over medium heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Set aside. (If the cider cools, it must be rewarmed in order to add it to the glaze mixture.)
2. Combine the confectioners’ sugar, salt, milk, and butter. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of reduced cider, to taste.
3. Adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding more milk or more reduced cider.
4. Using a spoon, drizzle the rolls with glaze.

Mini Banana Doughnuts with Brown Butter Glaze

One more baked doughnut treat to share. This version can (dangerously) be made very easily with one overripe banana. 😉 More fun than banana bread!

The recipe was adapted from chiselandfork.com. I incorporated whole wheat pastry flour and modified the method. The fabulous brown butter glaze was essential.

Yield: 8 mini-doughnuts

For the Doughnuts:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (1 large banana)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 T milk (I used 1%)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Brown Butter Glaze:

• 4 T (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 4 to 5 T confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of coarse salt

To Make the Doughnuts:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F, preferably on convection. Spray 8 wells of a mini-doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
3. Add mashed banana, egg, melted butter, milk and vanilla extract and stir until just combined.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, distribute the batter into the prepared 8 wells of the pan, about 3 scoops of batter per well. Using an offset spatula spread evenly. (Alternatively, place batter in ziploc bag and squeeze out air. Cut corner of bag. Pipe the batter evenly in the pan.)
5. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean.
6. Remove from oven and let rest on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To Make the Brown Butter Glaze:

1. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams and has a nutty aroma, about 5-7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a heat-proof, shallow bowl to stop the cooking process.
2. Add the sifted confectioner’s sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition. Add enough sugar to reach desired consistency.
3. Whisk in a pinch of salt and vanilla extract.
4. Dip each doughnut in the glaze and place back on cooling rack.
5. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

Apple cider doughnuts are one of my favorite autumn treats. A tasty baked version reduces the guilt- a little bit. 😉 This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Erin Jeanne McDowell.

I made mini-doughnuts and madeleines. I must say that we were surprised by how much we enjoyed the apple cider madeleines which were absolutely amazing with crispy edges. The batter could also be baked in a muffin pan.

Yield: 12 mini-doughnuts and 8 madeleines (or 12 muffins)

For the Batter:

• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 3/4 cup/225 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 10 T (140 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup/165 grams light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup/120 milliliters apple cider

For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 T unsalted butter

To Make the Doughnuts & Madeleines: (or Muffins)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly grease 2 (6-cavity) doughnut pans and 8 wells of a madeleine pan (or a 12-cup muffin tin) with nonstick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 10 tablespoons/140 grams butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated after each addition, scraping the bowl as necessary.
6. Beat in the vanilla extract.
7. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated.
8. With the mixer running, add the apple cider in a slow, steady stream and mix to combine.
9. Scrape the bowl well to make sure the batter is homogeneous.
10. Spoon the batter into prepared doughnut pans, filling them about 2/3 of the way. (I use a small cookie scoop and fill each well with 3 scoops. You can also do this using a disposable piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a 1/2-inch opening cut from one corner.) Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
11. Bake until evenly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the thickest portion comes out clean, about 7 to 9 minutes on convection. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. (If you are making muffins, divide batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.)
12. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees, preferably on convection, if making madeleines. (I reduced the oven temperature because my pan has a dark finish.)
13. Using a small cookie scoop, fill each well with 3 scoops, or until 2/3 full. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
14. Bake until evenly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 9 minutes on convection.

To Make the Topping:

1. While the doughnuts bake, whisk 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl to combine.
2. In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in the microwave.
3. Let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes after baking, then unmold them from the pans.
4. Brush with the melted butter and dredge them in the cinnamon sugar while they are still warm.
5. Serve immediately, or let cool to room temperature.

Garlic Knots

We have pizza night once a week- usually on Sundays. We vary the type and toppings, of course. 🙂 During the initial lockdown, we started experimenting with many variations of garlic knots to eat with our special pizza. I now realize that pizzeria versions are soaked in an incredible amount of oil.  I opted for a drizzle before and after baking instead.

We made them with different doughs and determined that a 24-hour pizza dough (one of my favorites) resulted in our preferred garlic knots. We also attempted to make them with sourdough pizza dough (of course!) but they were too puffy. We experimented with different baking temperatures as well. I found that a higher oven temperature and shorter baking time resulted in more tender garlic knots.

This recipe makes two batches of eight knots; I froze half and thawed them in the refrigerator prior to baking with excellent results. Great.

Yield: about 16 garlic knots

For the Dough:

• 153 grams (1 1/4 cups) 00 Flour
• 153 grams (1 1/4 cups) King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
• 8 grams (scant 2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
• 2 grams (scant 1/2 teaspoon) active dry yeast OR 4 grams (scant 1 teaspoon) fresh yeast
• 4 grams (scant 1 teaspoon) good olive oil
• 202 grams (1 cup minus 1 T) lukewarm water

For the Topping: (make half if freezing half of the garlic knots)

• 5 to 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 pinches coarse salt
• dash of red pepper flakes, or more to taste, optional
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

To Serve:

• marinara sauce, optional
• minced parsley, for garnish, optional

To Make the Dough (24 to 48-hours in advance):

1. In a bowl, thoroughly combine the flours and salt; make a well in the center.
2. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the yeast, olive oil, and lukewarm water.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the well in the dry mixture and begin mixing the two together with your hands, gradually incorporating the dry into the wet. This process will be more like mixing than kneading.
4. After about 3 minutes, when the wet and dry are well combined, set the mixture aside and let it rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. This allows time for the flour to absorb the moisture.
5. Flour your hands and the work surface. Gently but firmly knead the mixture on the work surface for about 3 minutes. Reflour your hands and the surface as necessary. The dough will be nice and sticky, but after a few minutes of kneading it should come together into a smooth mass.
6. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, shape them gently into balls, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate the dough for at least 24 and up to 48 hours before using. This process, called proofing, allows for the fermentation that gives the dough structure- which results in a chewy, pliable crust with great flavor.

To Shape the Dough:

1. Roll each dough ball into an 8-inch log.
2. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut each log into 8 pieces (approximately 1-inch each and equal in size).
3. Roll each piece into and 8-inch long rope. (You will have 16 ropes.)(I did this by hand but my kids also used a rolling pin.)
4. Tie each rope into a knot. (The ends can be tucked underneath or left out.)
5. Arrange the knots on two aluminum foil-lined baking sheets. (I ultimately preferred aluminum foil over parchment paper because of the high oven temperature.)(At this point some of the garlic knots can be frozen- see note below.)
6. Lightly cover and let them rest in a warm spot for at least 30 minutes, or up to 45 minutes. (I used a proofing oven.)
7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (I used the baking stone setting with a stone placed in the lowest position.)
8. When the rise time is nearly complete, prepare the topping.

To Prepare the Topping:

1. Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, if using, in a small skillet.
2. Cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Remove from heat and reserve.

To Bake & Serve the Garlic Knots:

1. When the rise time is complete, brush the top of the garlic knots with a little more than half of the garlic-olive oil topping.
2. Bake in the preheated oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Remove from oven and brush with remaining garlic-olive oil topping.
4. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and/or parsley, as desired. Serve plain or with marinara sauce for dipping.

Note: Cover and store leftover garlic knots in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To Freeze Dough Prior to Baking:  Arrange the shaped knots on a plastic wrap-lined baking sheet. Freeze, uncovered, for 1-2 hours. Remove from the freezer. Knots should be frozen and no longer sticky. Place into a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter. Bring to room temperature, arrange on 2 foil-lined baking sheets, cover lightly, and allow to rest/rise in a warm spot for 1 hour before baking as above.

Caramel Apple Dapple Cake

I love a quick cake. I have made this one on a couple of occasions! It is a wonderful seasonal treat. Apparently, it is named a “dapple” cake because the apple chunks create a rippled effect on the surface of the cake where the glaze can settle. The coffee in the batter balances the sweetness and gives it a beautiful brown color.

This recipe is from Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna Sever. I weighed the ingredients and used heavy cream in the glaze. We ate it for dessert but it could also be served as a coffee cake. Super moist and yummy.

Yield: One 9×13 cake, about 12 to 15 servings

For the Cake:

• nonstick cooking for pan
• 320 g (2 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 170 g (3/4 cup) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (4 T, 57 g) canola or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 3/4 cup (170 g) lukewarm brewed coffee
• 4 cups peeled, cored, and chopped Honeycrisp apples (cut into 1/2-inch/1.25 cm pieces)(I used 2 very large apples)

For the Glaze:

• 170 g (3/4 cup) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 T (57 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup (57 g) whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

To Make the Cake:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees (180 C), preferably on convection.
2. Spray a 9×13-inch light-colored metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. (I use binder clips to hold the parchment overhang in place to prevent it from falling onto the surface of the cake.)
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy.
5. Add the granulated and brown sugars and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
6. Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly stream in the oil until well blended.
7. One at a time, beat in the eggs.
8. On low-speed, spoon in half of the flour mixture.
9. Slowly pour in the coffee.
10. Stir in the remaining flour until the batter is smooth.
11. Fold in the apples by hand.
12. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth evenly.
13. Bake until the cake is deeply golden all over, begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (I baked mine for 40 minutes but may check it even earlier next time.)
14. Let cool slightly in the pan set on a wire rack.

To Make the Glaze:

1. In a 1 to 1 1/2-quart (1 to 1.4 L) saucepan over high heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, milk, and salt.
2. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring often, and boil until you can see it has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes depending on your pan.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. (I forgot to do this every time- by accident, of course )
4. Let the glaze cool just until it stops bubbling.
5. Pour the hot glaze over the still-warm cake. Working quickly, use a spatula to spread the glaze so thinly and evenly that it covers the entire the surface of the cake.
6. Let the cake cool completely, uncovered, on the rack.

Note: Leftover cake can be stored loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Sour Cream Maple Cake with Maple Buttercream Frosting

We have enjoyed this wonderful “snack” cake on a couple of occasions this fall. It is dangerously easy to make and was incredibly moist and very tasty. I forgot to drizzle the top with maple syrup on both occasions. Not necessary!

The recipe was adapted from Bake from Scratch magazine, via the Washington Post. The frosting is a little bit salty- which we liked- but the salt level can be adjusted to taste. We ate it chilled. Great.

Yield: One 9×9-inch cake, about 16 pieces

For the Cake:

• cooking spray or unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
• 2 1/2 cups (344 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) pure maple syrup, preferably dark grade (I used grade A amber)
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) canola oil
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) whole milk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups (200 grams) confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, preferably dark grade, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)

To Make the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection, with the rack in the middle.
2. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. (I used cooking oil spray.) Line the pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over the sides of the pan (the overhang will give you handles to lift the cake out after it’s baked). Lightly spray (or butter) the parchment.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the maple syrup, oil, milk, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla, and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined and no streaks of flour remain. (There will be some lumps in the batter; this is okay.)
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter eight times to release air bubbles.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, covering with foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. (It may dip in the middle, don’t worry.)(I baked mine for 30 minutes but would add 2 to 3 minutes next time to decrease the amount of dipping.)
7. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Using the parchment overhang as handles, remove from the pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To Make the Frosting:

1. In the same (cleaned-out) bowl you used to make the cake, beat the butter with a handheld mixer on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. (You can do this in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, if you prefer.)
2. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined.
3. Add the sour cream, maple syrup and salt, and beat at medium-high speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overbeat. (Add 1/4 tsp salt, taste and add the additional 1/4 tsp, to taste.)
4. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake. Drizzle with additional maple syrup, if desired, and serve. (I preferred to serve it slightly chilled.)