This is a very old family recipe. Very popular in Transylvania and other parts of Eastern Europe, this cake is known as the ” recipe of walnut cake with egg yolk glaze.”
I love easy desserts and easy baking. This recipe also fits exactly my passion for natural ingredients that most of us should have in the pantry.
What kind of ingredients go into this recipe:
For the cake:
- All-purpose flour
- Ground walnuts
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites
For the glaze:
- Egg yolks
- Powdered sugar
How to make the cake:
Step 1. Preaheat the oven.
Step 2. Make the cake. Beat the butter together with sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and walnuts. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add them slowly to the batter and bake the cake.
Step 3. Prepare the glaze. Mix egg yolks with powdered sugar. When the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately pour the glaze over its surface.
Step 4. Return the cake to the oven for another 3 minutes baking. Shut off the oven and leave the cake inside for another 5 minutes until the glaze gets hard.
Step 5. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Allow the cake to cool, then melt the chocolate and drizzle it over the cake.
Slice the cake into squares with a serrated knife and serve.
A few tips for a successful cake:
Baking the glaze ensures that there is no risk of getting Salmonella from raw eggs. You might find some versions of this cake out there that require glazing the cake with raw egg and allowing it to for a day. I am more comfortable baking the glaze, for safety.
Drizzling melted chocolate is optional, but totally worth it, especially if you take the cake to a party or potlock.
The cake needs to cool down completely before you cut it. Use a sharp serrated knife for pretty slices. The glaze is very fragile and will break easily.
Note: I used my wonderful Kitchen Aid mixer, but you can use a hand mixer, also.
How to store this cake:
Store it at room temperature in an airtight container for about three to four days.
You can also freeze it for about three months.
Enjoy!
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Walnut Cake with Egg Yolk Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature or 4 sticks
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups ground walnuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 egg whites keep the yolks for the glaze
Glaze:
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 ounces dark chocolate for decoration Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
- Lower the speed of the mixer and add walnuts.
- Add flour spoon by spoon and mix.
- Set aside.
- In a different bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.
- Add them slowly to the batter mixing gently with a spatula from underneath to the surface.
- Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x13inch baking dish.
- Bake it at 350F for 30-40 mins or until golden brown. (if you bake it in a metal pan, the baking time is slightly lower than in a glass pan)
While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze:
- In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and powder sugar.
- When the cake is ready, please remove it from the oven and pour the egg yolks immediately glaze over the cake. Use a spatula to flatten the surface.
- Return it to the oven and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Shut off the oven and leave the cake inside for another 5 minutes until the glaze gets hard.
- Wait until the cake completely cools down. Melt the dark chocolate and drizzle over the cake.
- Slice the cake in squares using a very sharp serrated knife.