Recipe

Walnut cake

This spiced walnut cake with a brandy syrup is rich with the fragrance of cloves, cinnamon and orange.

Aug 31, 2010 2:00pm
  • 55 mins cooking
  • Makes 18 Item
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Ingredients

Walnut cake
  • 9 eggs, separated
  • 3/4 cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) brandy
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup (180g) finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cup (150g) packaged breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves and allspice
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Syrup
  • 1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 2 cup (500ml) water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 strip orange rind

Method

Walnut cake
  • 1
    Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease deep 20cm x 30cm ovenproof dish; line with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over short sides.
  • 2
    Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup (110g) of the sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to large bowl; stir in brandy, juice and extract, then nuts, breadcrumbs and sifted spices and soda.
  • 3
    Beat egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until sugar dissolves between additions; fold into walnut mixture, in two batches. Pour mixture into dish.
  • 4
    Bake cake about 40 minutes. Cool cake in dish.
  • 5
    Meanwhile, to make syrup stir ingredients in small saucepan over heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, without stirring, 10 minutes.
  • 6
    Pour hot syrup over cake.

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