This rich-tasting walnut cake is as delicious as it is easy. Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts there are, and are an excellent source of omega 3 fats, and in a cake like this,... they bring all their plusses to the dessert table. Moist in texture, this cake uses no leavening and only has the air you beat into it to work with — in fact it doesn’t rise much at all, barely reaching above the tops of the flan cases. The chocolate cream filling is not overly sweet. It uses no sugar beyond what’s already in the bittersweet baking chocolate, and the tartness of the yogurt complements it perfectly for a rich, creamy filling. A light dusting of powdered sugar is all that’s needed to finish it.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2-by-9-inch flan tins with parchment paper. Set aside. In a food processor add the walnuts sprinkled with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Processing the nuts with a little sugar will keep them from forming a paste. Pulse until you have a fine meal. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat the butter with 1 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat until each is well blended in before adding another.
With a spatula, fold in the walnuts and then the grated carrot. Sift the flour over the batter and fold in until well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared tins. Lightly smooth the tops. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside on a rack to cool in the tins.
Meanwhile make the chocolate filling: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When completely melted and smooth, remove from the heat and beat in the yogurt until well combined. Set aside. Take the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and grind in a coffee grinder until it resembles a fine white powder (see Chef Tips). Set aside.
Assemble the cake: While still in the tin, place a plate over one of the cakes and flip it. Lift off the tin and peel off the parchment paper. Spread the top with the chocolate filling almost to the edges. Flip the second cake onto a plate in the same way. Lift off the tin and remove the parchment paper. Slide it from the plate onto the top of the first cake using a palette knife to place it if needed. It should cover the first cake completely. Lightly press together. When ready to serve, sift the powdered sugar over the top of the cake.
Chef Tips
If you cannot find whole wheat pastry flour, use a 50/50 mix of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours.
In step 4, instead of grinding the sugar, you can use ⅛ cup confectioners sugar instead.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
Reviews & Comments
No reviews yet.
Leave a Review or Comment