Mama'S Walnut Cake
- CAKE:
- 1 cup sugar
- 12 large eggs
- 8oz shelled walnuts (or 16 oz unshelled)
- ICING:
- strong coffee (6 Tbsp. Instant coffee dissolved in 3 Tbsp. boiling water)
- confectiners' sugar
- 1/2 lb unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 Tbs vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbs cognac (optional)
- 1.Separate the eggs. Combine yolks and sugar & mix in electric mixer until smooth, creamy and fluffy with no trace of sugar grains. Add ground walnuts and mix.
- 2.Beat egg whites until stiff & peaks form. (Hint: eggs should be at room temperature and add some cream of tartar before beating.)
- 3.Fold beaten whites into yolk-sugar-walnut mixture. Make sure there are no "white spots."
- 4.Spoon mixture into two 9-inch spring-form cake pans with buttered bottoms only. (Hint: for 4 layers, place equal amounts in both pans; for 3 layers, divide accordingly.)
- 5.Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven. After 15 minutes, lower the temp. to 350 and bake 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (Hint: I never bake longer than 60 mins. - usually 50 to 55.)
- 6.Cool cake upside down so that centers don't collapse. (Hint: cake can be baked a day ahead and kept upside down in pan overnight.)
- For Icing:
- 1.In double boiler, combine egg yolks and 6 Tbsp. sugar. Beat while heating until mixture is thick and pale yellow (8-10 minutes.) Add cooled coffee. Remove from heat and cool. (Hint: I put Saran wrap
- on pan and put it into the freezer while I prepare the rest.)
- 2.Mix softened butter (room temperature) with 10-12 Tbsp. sugar (depending on taste) in electric mixer. Add vanilla, cognac and coffee-yolk-sugar mixture.
- 3.Layer cake, spread filling between layers, over the top and on the sides. (Hint: I usually fill one of the layers with apricot or red currant preserves that have been diluted and stirred smooth.)
cake, sugar, eggs, walnuts, coffee, sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla, cognac
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/mamas-walnut-cake-1211130 (may not work)