Sambar served with carrots, spicy and mouth-watering Indian dish Carrot sambar Yoghurt kebab served in pita with yoghurt sauce and fresh parsley Yoghurt kebab Spicy Pho served in a bowl, spicy rice noodle soup with fresh coriander and lime slices Spicy pho Smoked BBQ wild boar leg served Smoked BBQ Wild Boar Leg Chocolate and orange cake served Chocolate & orange cake Omurice bowl served with miso soup, omelette and miso soup Omurice bowl with traditional miso soup Freshly baked peach strudel Peach Strudel Momo with curry sauce steamed and served Momos with curry sauce Apple pie ravioli served Apple Pie Ravioli Kibbeh Nayyeh raw meat appetiser Middle Eastern style served Kibbeh nayyeh Chestnut tangsuyuk, crispy chicken with roasted chestnuts and sesame seeds Chestnut tangsuyuk Falukorv stuffed with mustard and onion, served with fresh coriander Baked Falukorv with mustard and onion Risi e Bisi served Risi e bisi Pav Bhaji with classic vegetables, served with fresh coriander and toasted rolls Mumbai street style pav bhaji Boiled sweet potato with chilli, spicy vegetable dish with coriander Boiled Sweet Potato with Chilli and Coriander Kebab in pita served Kebab in pita Freshly baked ciabatta rolls Homemade Italian ciabatta rolls Sacher waffles served Sacher waffles Golden baked cornmeal squares with visible chunks of white feta cheese Cheesy Cornbread (Proja) with Feta Misozuke, with fresh vegetables, in a miso paste marinade Misozuke Sambar served with carrots, spicy and mouth-watering Indian dish Carrot sambar Yoghurt kebab served in pita with yoghurt sauce and fresh parsley Yoghurt kebab Spicy Pho served in a bowl, spicy rice noodle soup with fresh coriander and lime slices Spicy pho Smoked BBQ wild boar leg served Smoked BBQ Wild Boar Leg Chocolate and orange cake served Chocolate & orange cake Omurice bowl served with miso soup, omelette and miso soup Omurice bowl with traditional miso soup Freshly baked peach strudel Peach Strudel Momo with curry sauce steamed and served Momos with curry sauce Apple pie ravioli served Apple Pie Ravioli Kibbeh Nayyeh raw meat appetiser Middle Eastern style served Kibbeh nayyeh Chestnut tangsuyuk, crispy chicken with roasted chestnuts and sesame seeds Chestnut tangsuyuk Falukorv stuffed with mustard and onion, served with fresh coriander Baked Falukorv with mustard and onion Risi e Bisi served Risi e bisi Pav Bhaji with classic vegetables, served with fresh coriander and toasted rolls Mumbai street style pav bhaji Boiled sweet potato with chilli, spicy vegetable dish with coriander Boiled Sweet Potato with Chilli and Coriander Kebab in pita served Kebab in pita Freshly baked ciabatta rolls Homemade Italian ciabatta rolls Sacher waffles served Sacher waffles Golden baked cornmeal squares with visible chunks of white feta cheese Cheesy Cornbread (Proja) with Feta Misozuke, with fresh vegetables, in a miso paste marinade Misozuke
Chocolate walnut cake served
Moist chocolate and walnut cake with a tender crumb

Rich chocolate & walnut cake

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
This cake is a cornerstone of classic baking: part of the heavy, buttery sponge family, where ground walnuts not only flavour but replace some of the flour, making the crumb moister and more tender. The oil content of the walnuts and the cocoa butter in the chocolate ensure the cake stays fresh for days.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 40 mins
⌛ Total Time 2 hrs
🍽️ Servings 8 servings
🔥 Calories 680 kcal
🌍 Cuisine International

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • 22 cm cake tin - Ideally sized for this quantity.
  • Electric whisk - To thoroughly cream the butter and sugar.
  • Sieve - To aerate the dry ingredients.
  • Wire rack - To ventilate the bottom of the cake while cooling.

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten
⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Eggs
⚠️ Nuts

Instructions

1 ✓

Preheat the oven to 180°C (standard setting). Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment and lightly grease the sides with butter.

Tip: A hot oven is essential to activate the baking powder, which is responsible for the cake rising.
2 ✓

Break the dark chocolate into a bowl and melt over steam or in the microwave, then set aside to cool.

Tip: When using steam, ensure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water, as direct heat can burn the chocolate.
3 ✓

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground walnuts.

Tip: If you dry roast the walnuts in a frying pan before grinding, you'll get a much more intense, nutty aroma.
4 ✓

Cream the soft butter with the sugar until pale (approx. 3-4 minutes), then add the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

Tip: This phase incorporates air into the batter. If the egg is cold, it may curdle the butter, but this usually corrects itself when flour is added.
5 ✓

Pour the lukewarm melted chocolate, vanilla, and milk into the butter base and mix until smooth.

Tip: If the chocolate is too hot, it will melt the butter cream and the batter will lose its aerated structure.
6 ✓

Fold in the flour and walnut mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix only until the flour just disappears.

Tip: Do not use the electric whisk at this stage! Overmixing makes the sponge tough.
7 ✓

Smooth the batter into the tin and bake for approx. 35-40 minutes. Perform a skewer test: if the skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, it is ready.

Tip: If the top is browning but the inside is still raw, cover with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
8 ✓

Let it rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Tip: The rack allows steam to escape from the bottom as well, preventing the cake from becoming soggy.

Recipe FAQ

Why did the top of the cake crack?
The oven temperature was likely too high, causing the crust to form before the inside had finished rising.
Can I substitute the walnuts?
Yes, it works perfectly with the same amount of ground almonds or hazelnuts.
Why is the sponge dense?
You may have overmixed it after adding the flour. This strengthens the gluten strands too much, making the cake rubbery.

Ingredients

  • 200 g Plain flour
  • 150 g Caster sugar
  • 4 pcs Eggs (medium, room temperature)
  • 100 g Butter (soft)
  • 100 ml Whole milk
  • 10 g Baking powder
  • 200 g Dark chocolate
  • 150 g Ground walnuts
  • 5 ml Vanilla extract
  • 30 g Icing sugar (for dusting)
  • 1 pinch Salt