Walnut Cake
A soft, uncomplicated walnut cake with finely chopped walnuts — the kind you bake for no particular reason and that always works with coffee.
The groove scored down the surface before baking is not decoration: it gives the batter a line to open along, so it cracks there instead of anywhere it likes.
A tin 20 to 25 cm long is the right one. In anything bigger the mixture sits too shallow and simply never rises enough to open.
Ingredients
- 150 g sugar
- 150 g butter
- 3 eggs
- 150 g shelled walnuts, finely chopped
- 130 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 20 g cornstarch (cornflour)
- 15 g baking powder (3 tsp)
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar (icing sugar), to dust
Method
- 1
Beat the sugar and the butter with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale and creamy.
- 2
Add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously.
- 3
Add the chopped walnuts, then sift the flour, the cornstarch and the baking powder together over the top and fold them in.
- 4
Butter and flour a loaf tin 20-25 cm long. Tip in the mixture and score a groove lengthwise down the middle with a spoon.
- 5
Heat the oven to 180 °C.
- 6
Bake for 30 minutes, until it has risen and browned: a skewer in the centre has to come out dry.
- 7
Let it cool completely before turning it out.
- 8
If you like, dust with the icing sugar to finish.
Frequently asked questions
Can I swap the walnuts for other nuts?
Yes, easily. This recipe is a good base and takes almost any nut you like.
Swap them in the same quantity (150 g) for:
Almonds — a slightly subtler flavour and a firmer texture. A safe classic.
Hazelnuts — a more intense, more elegant profile, ideal if you want a slightly finer cake.
Peanuts (unsalted) — more rustic and earthy, and surprisingly good against the buttery crumb.
A mixture — if you feel like experimenting, a combination works too.
The tip that makes the most difference: toast the nuts briefly in a dry pan before chopping them and folding them in. It lifts the aroma and the flavour of the finished cake noticeably.