It was a lazy Sunday morning, and I wanted the warm, comforting taste of a maple donut without the hassle of frying or shaping individual dough. I wondered what would happen if I poured a cake-like batter into a pan and baked it like a sheet cake. The moment I pulled the pan from my oven, the kitchen was wrapped in the sweet, woodsy scent of real maple and brown sugar. The top was perfectly springy, just like the top of a fresh cake donut. Drizzled with a simple maple glaze, they were everything I’d dreamed of—soft, tender, and packed with maple flavor in every bite. I’d found the ultimate lazy-day donut hack.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You will love this recipe because it delivers all the cozy, cakey satisfaction of a maple bar from your favorite donut shop, but it’s baked in one simple pan and cut into easy squares. There’s no deep frying, no rolling, and no fuss. From my many test batches, I can tell you the magic is in the texture—these bars are incredibly soft and moist, with a tender crumb that truly mimics a baked cake donut, and the pure maple flavor is deep and comforting without being cloying. They’re the perfect treat for a crowd or for keeping all to yourself.
Ingredients
For the Donut Bars:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but recommended)
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract (see note below!)
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
For the Maple Glaze:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
- Pinch of salt
Let’s talk about flavor. The maple extract is the star that gives you that intense, authentic maple donut taste. Do not substitute it with more vanilla. I tried that, and the bars just tasted like a vanilla cake. The extract is potent and necessary. For the glaze, you must use real pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The imitation stuff is too sweet and thin and lacks that deep, caramelized flavor. The buttermilk is also key—its acidity reacts with the baking soda to give these bars their signature tender, cake-donut rise and softness. If you don’t have it, make a quick buttermilk substitute with milk and lemon juice.(See the next page below to continue…)