Walnut and vanilla cake

Name: Walnut and vanilla cake
Ingredients: 5 eggs; 5 tablespoons sugar; 5 tablespoons flour; 3 tablespoons ground walnuts; 4 egg yolks; 150 g powdered sugar; 4 tablespoons starch; 500 ml milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 200 g butter; 100 g sugar; 100 g whole walnut kernels; 400 ml heavy whipping cream (at least 30% fat)

Dessert - Walnut and vanilla cake by Roza L. - Recipia

This Easter walnut and vanilla cake has two thin layers with ground walnuts, a smooth cream and krantz, a crunchy caramelized walnut topping, on top. The whipped cream holds the crunchy layer in place, while the cold cream stays thick between the layers; the whole walnuts break into caramelized pieces. I cut it into narrow slices so everyone gets a little krantz. Preparation: 30 minutes. Cooking: 36 minutes. Resting: 55 minutes. Total time: 121 minutes. Servings: 12. Approximately 500 kcal and 8 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the layers

5 eggs
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons ground walnuts

For the cream

4 egg yolks
150 g powdered sugar
4 tablespoons starch
500 ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 g butter

For the krantz

100 g sugar
100 g whole walnut kernels

For the topping

400 ml heavy whipping cream (at least 30% fat)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 25 x 35 cm pan with baking paper. Separate the 5 eggs. Beat the egg whites until foamy, add the sugar gradually and beat until dissolved. 2. Gently fold in the 5 egg yolks, ground walnuts and flour with a spoon. Divide the mixture in two and bake the layers one at a time for 12 minutes each, until lightly browned. Leave them to cool. 3. Mix the 4 egg yolks with the powdered sugar and starch, then pour in the milk little by little. Put the pan over the heat and cook the cream for 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Take the pan off the heat, add the vanilla and leave the cream to cool for 45 minutes. 4. Beat the softened butter until fluffy. Gradually fold in the cold cream, mixing gently. 5. Melt the sugar in a pan over the heat for 4 minutes, until it turns amber. Add the whole walnut kernels and stir briefly. Turn the krantz out onto a dampened board, leave it to set for 10 minutes, then crush it with a rolling pin. 6. Beat the whipping cream until it holds its shape. Set down the first layer, spread on the vanilla cream and add the second layer. Spread the whipped cream on top and sprinkle with the krantz.

Notes

The walnuts for the layers should be finely ground, and the kernels for the krantz should be whole and smell fresh; you can taste rancid walnuts straight away in the caramel. A 25 x 35 cm pan keeps the layers fairly thin; in a smaller one they will be thicker and need a few extra minutes. Don’t rush cooling the cream, because the butter softens too much if you mix it in while the cream is still hot. Let the butter soften at room temperature so it blends in without lumps. Serve slices with black tea, which goes well with the caramelized krantz. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; contains gluten, eggs, walnuts and dairy.