Swiss walnut and chocolate cake pairs perfect decadence together. There’s nothing like the combination of nuts and chocolate, and the proof is in this cake.
Recipe by Eric Lanlard
Photographs by Kate Whitaker
Swiss walnut and chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 100g (3½oz) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 150g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 150g (5oz) golden castor sugar
- 2 eggs
- 75g (3oz) plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 65g (2½oz) roasted walnuts (see tip), plus 8 halves to decorate
- icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C)/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 22cm (8½in) diameter cake tin and line with baking paper.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then carefully fold in. Add the cooled chocolate and the vanilla, then fold in the chopped walnuts. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Arrange the extra walnut halves on top in a circular pattern and bake in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and transfer to a cooling rack. Serve dusted with icing sugar. A hot crème anglaise is perfect as an accompaniment.
Notes
Cook's tips: For roasted walnuts or any other nuts, simply spread whole nuts over a baking tray and roast in the oven at 180°C (fan 160°C)/350°F/gas mark 4 for 5 minutes or until golden – be sure to watch them as they can burn quickly. Leave to cool, then chop.
