Baka's 3-Layer Walnut Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Why I Love This Recipe
The first time I visited my husband's family, I was treated to a homemade cake that was like nothing I'd ever tasted before. His Baka (grandmother in Croatian) whipped together this magnificent treat without a recipe or measurements during our visit. It took 17 years before I wheedled the recipe out his mother. The added richness of walnuts makes this cake extra special.
Submitted by: "Malia Havlicek"
Ingredients You'll Need
CAKE:
4 eggs (separated)
20 dg or 1-1/2 cup of all purpose flour
10 dg or 3/4 cup of ground walnuts
1 tsp of baking powder
25 dg or 1-1/4 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of cold water
1 pinch of salt
FROSTING
25dg or 1-1/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1.5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1.5 oz semi sweet baking chocolate
1 cup softened unsalted butter
Directions
Batter:
1) Separate the eggs
2) Whip the egg whites with the pinch of salt until you have stiff peaks
3) Move egg whites to a medium bowl for later use
4) Beat yolks + cold water until they foam
5) In a separate bowl, combine ground walnuts, flour, sugar and baking powder
6) Add flour mixture to the egg yolks and gradually build up the speed.
7) Turn on the oven to 350 F.
8) Prepare 3 layer pans, spraying with olive or canola spray to prevent sticking
9) Remove the flour mixture from the mixer and fold in 1/2 of the egg whites until they are completely incorporated.
10) Fold in the remaining egg whites
11) Divide the batter evenly between the 3 layer pans.
12) Cook for 15 minutes or until the cake pulls from the pan and is slightly brown (toothpick should come out clean)
13) Let cake pans cool completely
FROSTING
1) Add sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and cream it (5 min on low to med-low speed)
2) Melt the baking chocolate
3) Add eggs to butter/sugar mixture one at a time
4) Add chocolate to mixture, increase speed to medium-medium high
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
1) remove layers from pans, using a flat knife to remove the layer, the walnuts make the layers much more hardier than flour alone cakes
2) put your worst looking layer on the bottom (reserve most pleasing one for the top)
3) spoon milk (or slivovice, kirsh, rum) on the cake to prevent crumbling
4) place 1/4 of frosting on cake and spread
5) place next layer
6) spoon milk (or slivovice, kirsh, rum) on the cake to prevent crumbling
7) place 1/4 of frosting on cake and spread
8) place next layer
9) spoon milk (or slivovice, kirsh, rum) on the cake to prevent crumbling
10) place 1/4 of frosting on top and work remaining 1/4 around the edges of the cake
