For the best maple flavor, use real maple syrup, not maple-flavored pancake syrup (which is made with corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup and artificial color.)
Grade B maple syrup (often labeled as Grade A Very Dark Color/Strong Taste) is darker and has a deeper flavor than lighter grade A, which makes it a great choice for recipes where you really want the maple flavor to come through. You can save the lighter grade A syrup for pancakes and waffles.
You can substitute 3/4 cup maple syrup for 1 cup of white sugar in baked goods (be sure to reduce other liquids in the recipe by about 3 tablespoons).