Toffee Flourless Walnut Cake
Adapted from Gabriel Gate
Degree of difficulty: easy to medium
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- 160g/5.65ozs. walnuts, toasted*
- 4 eggs, at room temperature, separated carefully so no yolk goes into the whites
- 140g/4.94ozs. caster or superfine sugar, divided into 2
- pinch of cream of tartar
- 150g/5ozs. butter, softened
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs (if you want to make this gluten free, replace this with 100g of ground, toasted walnuts)
Toffee topping
- 100g/3.5ozs caster sugar
- 50ml/1.7fl ozs water
- 2 drops red wine vinegar (balsamic also works)
-
8 whole walnuts
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To toast walnuts, place on a single layer on a baking tray and bake in a 180C/350F oven for around 10 minutes. I usually roast them until they smell nutty.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 150C/300F and line a 20m/8inch round tin on the base and sides. Grind the walnuts in a food processor until very fine in texture.
Step 2 - In a mixer whisk the eggs whites and the cream of tartar. Once you get soft peaks add half of the sugar and whisk until you get stiff peaks. Remove from the bowl and place in another bowl until needed. Switch to a beater attachment and then beat the sugar, butter and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks one at a time and then add in the cinnamon and cardamom and then the breadcrumbs and ground walnuts.
Step 3 - Take a third of the egg white mix and fold it into the walnut mixture. Add it in two other lots folding it in gently but making sure that it is mixed in and that there are no big streaks of meringue. It should look a bit like porridge. Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then remove and cool on a wire rack.
Step 4 - In a small heavy bottomed saucepan place the sugar and water and allow to dissolve the sugar crystals. Use a wet brush to brush down any stray sugar crystals on the side. Add the vinegar and once all the sugar has dissolved do not stir and allow to become a caramel. This is mainly a waiting game but don't leave it. Just turn the heat to medium high and watch it brown. Remove it from the heat and then pour on top of the cake spreading it out with an angled spatula. Place the walnuts on top before it sets hard.