Coffee Walnut Chocolate Cake

Coffee Walnut Chocolate Cake

I made this for a job this week and it was a total hit! I highly recommend making this for the weekend! The recipe is taken from a chocolate walnut cake that my Polish grandmother used to make for me. She used to chop the walnuts by hand and would chat to me while she chopped.

This is naturally gluten-free. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Ingredients:

Serves 12

130g walnut, blended into a flour consistency (like ground almond ), plus a handful of extra chopped walnuts for garnish

100g ground almonds

260g unrefined caster sugar

6 medium eggs, separated

2-3 tbsp instant coffee granules, plus extra from dusting

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache:

300ml double cream

150g dark chocolate

100g unrefined caster sugar

1 tbsp unsalted butter, soft

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp Amaretto optional

How To Make The Best Chocolate & Coffee Cake

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and grease and line a cake tin with baking paper.  Put 5 of the egg whites into an electric mixer and whip until they form soft peaks.  Start adding in the sugar until just combined.  Do not take it to a meringue stage.

Mix the 5 egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg into a large mixing bowl and then add both out flours.  Spoon in 1/4 of the whipped whites and mix well into the yolk mix.  Try to get rid of any lumps. 

Then gently fold in the 2/4 and continue with the rest in this way.  Fold in the vanilla extract and coffee granules.  Try not to knock out too much air.

Use a spatula to gently pour batter into the prepared cake tin and into the middle of the oven for about 35-40 minutes.  The top should be golden, and the cake should be coming away from the sides slightly.  A skewer inserted should come out clean.  Leave to cool on the side before removing from the tin to cool completely.

While the cake is cooking you can begin on the ganache.  Set a saucepan on medium heat and add the double cream and sugar.  Let these combine and heat up but do not let them boil. 

Prepare the chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate.  Slowly start to mix the ingredients together. 

The chocolate will start to mix and continue stirring until everything is combined.  Add the butter, vanilla and Amaretto (if using) and combine. 

Leave to cool completely.  You can help it set my putting it in the freezer for 10 minutes but don’t let it freeze.

Once the cake is cooled you can use ice it with the ganache using the back of a spoon to create beautiful swirls. 

Add a pinch of coffee on top followed by some leftover chopped walnuts.