This cake was born as a Father’s Day dessert. No giddy frosting. Old fashioned flavors with an aroma as alluring as Cary Grant’s smile. Using ground walnuts and walnut oil gives the cake a more pronounced flavor. The leftovers transformed into an amazing coffee cake the next morning (though, truth to be told, they would be just as much at home with a jigger of whiskey before bed!)

Spiced Walnut and Apple Cake
 
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This cake was born as a Father's Day dessert. No giddy frosting. Old fashioned flavors with an aroma as alluring as Cary Grant's smile. Using ground walnuts and walnut oil gives the cake a more pronounced flavor. The leftovers transformed into an amazing coffee cake the next morning (though, truth to be told, they would be just as much at home with a jigger of whiskey before bed!)
Recipe type: Cake
Cuisine: American
Serves: 12 serves
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (8oz / 225g)
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • ¼ tspn vanilla essence
  • 2 tbsp walnut oil
  • 1 cup cake flour (or plain flour)
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp walnuts ground into meal
  • 2½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ cup yoghurt
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • ¼ tsp ea cardamom, cloves, nutmeg
  • Glaze:
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp confectioners sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Pre Heat oven to 375f / 190c
  2. Butter and line an 8-inch cake pan.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar, add vanilla.
  4. Add egg yolks one at a time, allow each to be well mixed before adding the next. Then add the whites.
  5. Add the walnut oil.
  6. Lower the speed and add the sifted flours, baking powder, spices and walnut meal.
  7. When the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the yoghurt and continue mixing until well combined.
  8. Peel and core the apple and slice into quarters then slices. (If doing this ahead of time, add a little lemon juice to prevent the apple from browning).
  9. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan, arrange apple slices in a circle on top and place in the oven.
  10. Bake for 30 mins then lower the temp to 350f / 175c and bake another 20 mins.
  11. Test by poking a skewer into the center of the cake, if it comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven to cool. Otherwise, bake approx 10 mins more.