Light Walnut Cake//Coffee Buttercream spiked with a little vodka
There’s not a great deal that I want to write about this cake, as I would just like you to make it and let it do the talking. Because it’s just so unique—and mind-blowingly good—in my opinion, that I have nothing to compare it to. If you’ve made my Almond, Lemon & Raspberry Cake (GF Option) before, you’ll know that this cake is tied with it for the title of my favourite cake. I simply can’t choose between them, and I dream of both when it’s been too long since I’ve had them. As I mention in that post, I have found that both of these cakes make my body feel much better than others do, which is very odd indeed for a cake. I suspect that their being rich in nuts, and effectively protein and fibre is the reason for this. This Walnut Coffee Cake is pretty cool as far as cakes go. There’s no baking powder, baking soda, or butter in it. Just eggs! Lots of them. And yet it is incredibly light and moist. With the fats from the ground walnuts and the egg yolks, I suppose this makes sense. The cake itself is flavourful, with the most incredible texture, and is not very sweet. The buttercream is much sweeter, and the two perfectly balance one another. I love the little pieces of walnut throughout, which offer a textural contrast within the cake. The combination of the rum and coffee in the frosting is the most amazing thing in the world—a must-try! A note for those with young children: yes, it contains raw egg yolks, coffee, and hard alcohol. I’ve been eating this cake several times a year since I was a toddler, however, and I think I turned out just fine. But I was also given wine from the age of about 3, so maybe take that with a grain of salt? I’m only kidding of course, they were tiny (responsible) spoonfuls, and I am only sharing anecdotal information which would indicate that this icing is just fine for (most) children. You must make that decision yourself, however, as some children can be more sensitive than the average. My father, who was a doctor and brain surgeon when he was younger, made me say that. This gorgeous cake is wonderful for a birthday, Father’s Day, or any special occasion. Or, if you have a dear friend coming over, or want something delightful to make one rainy afternoon, just because, this is the cake for the job. It never fails to put a huge smile on my face, and I hope that it will bring you just as much pleasure.
Recipe:
Makes 1 6-inch cake
Notes
I specify the type of salt used, as different salts are more or less salty than others. If you don’t have the same kind of salt used, be mindful of this and adjust accordingly. Generally speaking, pink Himalayan salt is less salty than most others.
Top tip for room-temperature eggs: if ever you don’t have the time to take them out of the fridge early enough, or yet if you forget, you can place them in a bowl covered with hot water for 5 minutes, and they will become room-temperature just like that!
Make sure that the bowl used for the egg whites, as well as the beaters, are perfectly clean. Even trace amounts of a fat can hinder the whites from whipping into stiff peaks.
Video link to demonstrate how to fold egg whites into cake batter, for those who haven’t done this before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfgz10xdq6k Skip to the 2 minute 45 second mark.
Once cooled, the cake layers might be a “rustic” shape. This is normal, you haven’t done anything wrong! The icing will fill in any imbalanced lines.
As I indicate in the instructions, don’t level the cake layers off. Not only is it unnecessary—as this cake won’t balloon up in the centre, and we have the icing to balance any lines—but the top of the cake layers has a really special, cool texture which is a little sticky and soft, and it would be sad to remove it.
A note on the usage of instant coffee: that note is, just trust me! I would never drink it, and nor do I use it in anything else, but it's great in this icing. You can't use (liquid) espresso and get a strong enough flavour, as the amount required would render the frosting liquidy.
Another note on the instant coffee: if you try your finished frosting and discover that the coffee flavour isn't as strong as you would like (if your brand of instant coffee is less strong than mine), there's a trick to add more. Mix 1 tbsp more with 1 tsp of cream, and beat that in. You don't want to add more rum...or maybe you do...I won't tell you how to live your life.
Walnut Cake
Ingredients
45 g all-purpose flour
175 g walnuts
9 eggs, room-temperature, +3 extra yolks
140 g sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that oven rack is positioned in the middle.
Butter and flour 3 6-inch baking tins.
Lightly toast walnuts in a toaster oven (or carefully in a dry pan). We want to enhance the flavour; the goal is not to make them very browned. Aim for a light golden colour, and stop when the air smells of walnuts. Let the walnuts cool before using. You can place them in the fridge to speed this process up.
Put flour (no need to sift) and 120 g of the walnuts in a food processor, and grind until the nuts resemble a nut flour. Using a knife and a cutting board, chop up the remaining hazelnuts (55 g) into roughly thirds. Mix this into the mix in the food processor, using your hands or a utensil.
Separate 9 eggs, putting 9 whites in a large bowl, 8 yolks into another, and setting the remaining yolk aside in a small bowl for the icing. Add the extra yolks called for to this small bowl (so that you will have 4 yolks for the icing). Place this small bowl in the fridge until you’re ready to make the icing (it doesn’t matter if these yolks are cold or room-temperature when you make the icing).
Beat the egg yolks in the large bowl on high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. It should be paler, and little bubbles should appear. And, when you stop beating, froth should appear. Add 30 g of sugar, as well as the vanilla. Beat on high for 2 more minutes.
Beat egg whites and salt on high speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds, until frothy. Gradually add in remaining sugar (110 g), tablespoon by tablespoon, continuing to beating on high. Beat until stiff, about 4 minutes. This could take several minutes more if your electric mixer isn’t very high-powered, not to worry. If you’re not sure if your whites are stiff enough, know that you should be able to turn the bowl completely upside-down without anything budging. If you’re brave, you can try this over your head! Because, one should be confident with one’s work, right? …Maybe start by first tilting the bowl over the counter.
Add walnut-flour mixture to egg yolk mixture. Combine on low speed.
Gently fold whites into egg yolk-walnut mixture, a third at a time, using a spatula, until fully combined. For those new to baking—see notes for a link to a video showing how to do this. That is, there’s a specific technique to it to avoid bursting the air bubbles in the whites.
Pour batter evenly into the 3 cake tins. If you feel like being very precise, you can use a kitchen scale.
Place cake tins in the oven, and bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out virtually crumbless. When finished baking, the toothpick will be covered with a very thin, wet coating—this is good and normal. If you’re new to baking—if the toothpick comes out with a fair bit of wet batter, or many wet crumbs, let it bake for 2 more minutes, and repeat the process until this is no longer the case.
Let the cake cool for 30 minutes, then remove from tins and let them cool completely on cooling racks. If you’re new to baking— place a plate on top of the top of the tin, upside down (meaning, the side that you would eat off of is facing down). Hold the plate to the tin with 2 hands, and in a swift, fluid motion, turn it upside-down. The cake should fall onto the plate. If it does not, give it a vertical shake, until this happens. Put the now empty tin down. Place a cooling rack on top of the cake (which is now on a plate), and invert it so that it is now on the cooling rack, right-side up.
Coffee Buttercream
Ingredients
455 g unsalted butter, room-temperature
4 egg yolks (set aside earlier)
300 g powdered sugar
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
43 g instant coffee *this will vary based on the brand, and you may need to adjust
2 tbsp + 2 tsp vodka or white rum
1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
Instructions
Place butter and egg yolks in a large bowl, and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
Sift in powdered sugar, and beat on high for 3 more minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together vodka (or rum) and instant coffee, as best you can. The instant coffee won’t fully combine, and this is fine, don’t worry. It will become hydrated, and this is the goal. If there's not enough liquid to cover your particular brand of instant coffee, mix in a splash of cream.
To the butter-sugar mixture, add in the coffee-vodka (or rum) mixture, vanilla, and salt. Beat until just combined (I do this on medium).
Assembly
Instructions
Put a dollop of icing (about a tablespoon) in the centre of the cake stand, and then place the first cake layer on it (don’t level the cake layers off).
Top with a couple of large dollops of icing (for those who don’t feel comfortable eyeballing this—I used 125 g). Using an offset spatula or butterknife, disperse icing into an even layer across the cake.
Gently place the second cake layer on top of the first. Repeat step 2.
Gently place the remaining cake layer on top, ensuring that your top layer will have the flattest side facing up.
Place cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to solidify, so that it’s less wobbly and effectively easier to ice the outside.
Spread icing around the sides and top of the cake. I like to start with an offset spatula, and then take over with an icing smoother (also called a scraper). Feel free to play with how you apply the frosting—rustic swoops of the spatula look great, and take no time to effectuate if you’re pressed for time!
Decorate the top if you wish. I had fun making a little flower crown with some coffee beans dispersed throughout it.
I recommend refrigerating the cake for another 30 minutes-1 hour to solidify the icing. I prefer it chilled, and recommend serving it straight out of the fridge, or when it's been out for about a half hour.
Enjoy!
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