Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Espresso Walnut Cake
This rich cake derives its intense flavor from walnuts and chocolate. Although it contains very little flour, it is not difficult to prepare, and it also keeps well. Serves 10-12. (Chef tip: It is best served at room temperature. Do not refrigerate it, even if prepared the day before. Slide the cake onto a platter and wrap it well in plastic, then dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.)
2 cups cake flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and pulverized
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 cup espresso
Confectioner’s sugar, as desired
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-by-3-inch baking pan or two 9-by-3-inch round cake pans and line bottom of each with parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl.
Beat together butter and both sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, three to four minutes in a standing mixer or four to five minutes with a handheld. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate and vanilla and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, buttermilk and espresso alternately in three batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.
Divide batter between cake pans, spreading evenly, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, about 25 to 35 minutes.
Cool cake in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of each layer, then invert onto racks. Peel off paper and cool cakes completely. Remove from the pans and cool completely. Dust the cake with the confectioners’ sugar and slide onto a platter.
MASCARPONE CREAM:
1 pound mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
Mix together mascarpone cheese, vanilla sugar, powdered sugar and heavy cream. Serve with the chocolate espresso walnut cake.