Ingredients
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 3 g salt
- 100 g softened butter
- 180 ml Québec maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 135 g sour cream
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 100 g chopped pecans
- 40 g rolled oats
- 40 g melted butter
- 60 ml Québec maple syrup
- 5 g ground cinnamon
Method
- Heat the oven to 165 °C and line a 20 cm square pan.
- Beat the softened butter and 180 ml maple syrup, then add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt; spread half the batter in the pan.
- Combine the pecans, oats, melted butter, 60 ml maple syrup, and cinnamon; layer half over the batter, add the remaining batter, and finish with the remaining topping.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden and set.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g white sugar in the batter plus 75 g brown sugar in the topping
Conversion used: Replace 225 g total sugar with 240 ml maple syrup divided between batter and topping; reduce the classic 180 g sour cream to 135 g and bake at 165 °C, 15 °C below the usual temperature.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple links the buttery cake, cinnamon, and pecans with a coherent caramel flavor. The topping keeps the traditional crumb contrast while showcasing Québec syrup.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →