Baka's 3-Layer Walnut Cake with Chocolate Frosting
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • Cooking Time: 15
  • Servings: 12
  • Preparation Time: 45
  • 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
  1. Batter:
  2. 1) Separate the eggs
  3. 2) Whip the egg whites with the pinch of salt until you have stiff peaks
  4. 3) Move egg whites to a medium bowl for later use
  5. 4) Beat yolks + cold water until they foam
  6. 5) In a separate bowl, combine ground walnuts, flour, sugar and baking powder
  7. 6) Add flour mixture to the egg yolks and gradually build up the speed.
  8. 7) Turn on the oven to 350 F.
  9. 8) Prepare 3 layer pans, spraying with olive or canola spray to prevent sticking
  10. 9) Remove the flour mixture from the mixer and fold in 1/2 of the egg whites until they are completely incorporated.
  11. 10) Fold in the remaining egg whites
  12. 11) Divide the batter evenly between the 3 layer pans.
  13. 12) Cook for 15 minutes or until the cake pulls from the pan and is slightly brown (toothpick should come out clean)
  14. 13) Let cake pans cool completely
  15. FROSTING
  16. 1) Add sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and cream it (5 min on low to med-low speed)
  17. 2) Melt the baking chocolate
  18. 3) Add eggs to butter/sugar mixture one at a time
  19. 4) Add chocolate to mixture, increase speed to medium-medium high
  20. PUTTING IT TOGETHER
  21. 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
  22. 2) put your worst looking layer on the bottom (reserve most pleasing one for the top)
  23. 3) spoon milk (or slivovice, kirsch, rum) on the cake to prevent crumbling
  24. 4) place 1/4 of frosting on cake and spread
  25. 5) place next layer
  26. 6) spoon milk (or slivovice, kirsch, rum) on the cake to prevent crumbling
  27. 7) place 1/4 of frosting on cake and spread
  28. 8) place next layer
  29. 9) spoon milk (or slivovice, kirsch, rum) on the cake to prevent crumbling
  30. 10) place 1/4 of frosting on top and work remaining 1/4 around the edges of the cake
RECIPE BACKSTORY
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"