Coffee and Black Walnut Cake With Coffee-Mascarpone Cream
- Ready In:
- 1hr 5mins
- Ingredients:
- 24
- Serves:
-
10-12
ingredients
-
CAKE
- 1 cup black walnut, toasted, chopped, divided (about 4 ounces, any kind of walnuts will do)
- 1 1⁄4 cups sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 cup cocoa (Dutch process is best)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3⁄4 cup buttermilk (add more by teaspoons if needed)
-
COFFEE-MASCARPONE CREAM
- 4 1⁄2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
- 1⁄2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3⁄4 cup about 3 ounces black walnut, toasted, chopped
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
directions
-
For cake:
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.
- Blend 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 tablespoon sugar, and espresso in processor until nuts are finely ground.
- Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth.
- Gradually add remaining sugar (1 1/4 cups minus 1 tablespoon), beating until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then egg yolk. Add ground walnut mixture and vanilla; beat to blend.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions.
- Fold in remaining 1/2 cup walnuts.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
- Bake cake layers until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 26 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks and cool completely.
-
For coffee-mascarpone cream:
- Stir espresso, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon water in large bowl until coffee dissolves.
- Add cream, mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until filling is thick and smooth (do not overbeat or filling may curdle).
- Place 1 cake layer on platter, flat side up. Spread half of filling over cake.
- Place second layer, flat side down, on filling.
- Spread remaining filling over top. Mix walnuts, cinnamon, and salt.
- Sprinkle over top of cake.
- Cover with cake dome.
- Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
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Reviews
-
What an excellent cake! Love the combo of walnuts, coffee and chocolate. I cut the sugar down to one cup, used Smart Balance, and used 2 eggs plus 4 whites, which all worked out well. I skipped the frosting and cooked this a few minutes shorter. This is still a fluffy cake with a nice crumb. I am sure it would make delicious cupcakes too!