Giant Walnut Cake

It's up to you.

9 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Preparing the cake with nuts

   Turn the oven on at 170 °C in conventional oven setting (no fan) and lines the baking paper mold. Mix 120 g of soft butter with 110 g of sugar to a cream. Break the 3 eggs one by one in a bowl and then add them to the mixture, stirring between each addition.

2. Add nuts and coffee

   gently warmed the 50 g of milk and dissolve the 2 g of soluble coffee; let it return to room temperature. Mix 130 g of flour and 5 g of baking powder, then incorporate them in the dough with coffee milk. Add the 100 g of chopped nuts to the spatula.

3. Bake the cake

   Pour into the pan and bake for 32 to 35 minutes. A tip in the center should come out without raw dough. Wait 10 minutes, remove by lifting the paper and let cool for at least 1 hour. The cake must be cold before cutting it.

4. Prepare a binding cream

   Stir the 100 g of mascarpone with the 50 g of icing sugar to a thick cream. Reserve in the cool. Cut the cake in half lengthwise horizontally. Spread half of this cream between the two layers and recompose the cake.

5. Cut an oval shell

   With a bread knife, remove the upper corners and round the two ends to obtain a coated shape of about 18 x 13 cm. To slightly widen the center, stick small drops with a little cream. The underside remains flat and whole. Keep the offcuts unused for a separate tasting.

6. Cover the crumbs

   Spread the rest of the cream on top and sides in a thin layer. Refrigerate 30 minutes to firm the dome. It should not shake or tip when moving the dish.

7. Making the edible shell

   Mix 300 g of marzipan with 8 g of the 12 g of cocoa. Powder the plane with 20 g of icing sugar and spread in oval on about 3 mm. Place on cake and smooth with hands. Cut off the excess at the bottom and then rolls a small 4 mm cord drop for the central seam.

8. Digging the folds of nuts

   Lay this cord from one end to the other of the top, lengthwise. With the rounded handle of a small spoon, press 8 to 10 wide and irregular grooves on each side, on 1 to 2 mm only. Does not sculpt fine ribs: alternates a few hollows and bumps like a large shell of nuts.

9. Accentuate the natural brown

   Rub a small trace of the remaining 4 g of cocoa in the hollows with a dry finger or a dry food brush. Wipe the bumps with the dish of the hand to keep them clearer. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut one end to show the nut cake and the thin layer of cream, without a real shell.