Cake with walnuts and vanilla cream

A slightly more elaborate cake, full of nostalgic flavor that will take many of you over 30 back to your childhood.

While it’s not particularly difficult to make, it does require a bit more time, mainly because the cake layers need to be baked one at a time, and the batter can’t be prepared too far in advance.

Ingredients: (for a 26 cm diameter cake – ~ 10 servings)

• 12 eggs (we will use 3 egg whites for each cake dough layer and all 12 yolks for the cream)
• 160 g sugar (we will divide it into 4, and we will have 4 x 40 g, 40 grams for each cake dough layer)
• 200 g mixed nuts and almonds (we will divide 50 g mixed nuts for each cake dough layer )
• 4 heaped tablespoons of flour (one tablespoon of flour for each cake dough layer)
• 130 g sugar (for the cream)
• 50 ml milk
• 150 g butter at room temperature
• grated lemon zest
• vanilla essence
• fruit for decoration (optional)

Preparation:

Place the walnuts and almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for no more than 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Once lightly browned and fragrant, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

We’ll begin by preparing the cake dough layers. Start by preheating the oven to 180°C (356°F).

For each dough layer, follow these steps: In a bowl, beat 3 egg whites with 40 g of sugar until you get a thick, firm foam. Then add one tablespoon of flour and gently mix until fully incorporated.

Finally, gently fold in 50 grams of the roasted nut mixture using a spatula, lifting the batter from the bottom up. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the mixture into a 26 cm springform pan lined with baking paper. Smooth the surface with a spatula, then bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the top is evenly golden brown. Keep an eye on it as it bakes.

Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Clean the pan, line it with fresh baking paper, and repeat the process until all 4 layers are baked and fully cooled. Leave the cakes to cool on the baking paper—do not peel it off yet.

Now, let’s move on to the cream. In a saucepan, whisk together the 12 egg yolks and the 130 grams of sugar until the sugar is nearly dissolved. Place the pot over low heat and stir constantly with a whisk (this step is important, as the cream can easily stick or burn if left unattended). Continue stirring until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla essence and grated lemon zest. Return the pot to the heat and continue stirring until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Next, add the butter and stir constantly until it melts completely. Once melted, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.

Once both the cream and the cake layers have cooled completely, it’s time to assemble.

Place the first layer on a plate with the baking paper facing up. This will make it easier to remove the paper later, as the layers are delicate and a bit sticky from the egg whites and sugar. Next, spread a quarter of the cream evenly over the first layer using a spatula. Top it with the next cake layer and continue layering in this manner until all the cream and cake layers are used up.

Feel free to decorate with fruit, nuts, or anything else that sparks your creativity.

I assure you, this cake will be incredibly delicious—perfect for pairing with a cup of coffee or tea. The fluffy layers, with their nutty flavor, are wonderfully balanced by the creamy vanilla filling. The tart fruits I used for decoration add the perfect finishing touch.

For me, it’s like a taste of childhood nostalgia! 🙂

If you try the recipe, let me know how you liked it! 😊

*All photos and texts are the exclusive property of AndreeaCooks.com. Reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior written consent and is subject to legal action under applicable copyright laws.