Shelly's Recipe

MAPLE NUT COFFEE CAKE

Category: Coffee Cake

For the filling:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

For the cake:
Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon maple flavoring

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring

Garnish:
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the filling, place the brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts in a small bowl and stir combine. Set the mixture aside.
Mist a Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, eggs, and maple flavoring in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just combined. Stop the machine and scrape the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes or until the batter is smooth. Spoon a third of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the filling. Pour over another third of the batter, and sprinkle with the remaining filling. Pour over the remaining batter, and smooth the top. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.

While the cake cools, prepare the glaze. Place the confectioners sugar in a small bowl and stir in the milk and maple flavoring. Set the glaze aside.

Invert the cake onto a rack to completely cool, 30 to 40 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake, and press nuts into the top of the cake, if desired.