I
can bet my best spatula that you don’t know who is the king, the big kahuna, the nuttiest of all nuts, the super-duper nut?! Well, I’ll give you a hint – today I’m making caramel and walnut loaf cake, so..?
So, what’s the deal with walnuts?
Well, you see, today I’m making caramel and walnut loaf cake, which is a very simple, yet delicious, and – if I may say – somewhat healthy dessert. Why “somewhat”? Well, we all know that sugar, butter, eggs etc. are not ingredients that will make your nutritionist jumping with joy, but the main ingredient of my today’s cake is a star among nuts – his royal healthiness – walnut! Yep, nutritional experts have declared walnuts to be one of the healthiest foods you can eat! And not only that! In March 2004, based on 10 years of research regarding the heart health benefits of walnuts, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a qualified health claim for walnuts, the first ever for a whole food! This is serious stuff!
Walnuts are an excellent source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. They are also rich in antioxidants, manganese, copper, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins and melatonin. Let’s not forget the minerals! So, in walnuts you will find calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, vanadium and zinc. Walnuts reduce bad cholesterol in the body, improve metabolism, and help control the diabetes. They also have anti-inflammatory properties, aid in weight management, and help as a mood booster. They are also believed to slow down the spread of cancer!
Walnuts have always been considered as “Brain Food”, perhaps because the surface structure of the walnut has a crinkly appearance like that of the brain. Due to this reason, they have been considered as a symbol of intelligence, leading to the belief that they actually increase one’s intellect. While this is not exactly true, recent studies have proven that the consumption of these seeds does help in promoting brain function.
My Caramel and Walnut Loaf Cake
I really like loaf cakes, especially with my afternoon coffee. And you, are you a coffee or a tea person? Anyway, I already have delicious lemon cake, fruitcake and orange and olive oil loaf cake recipes on my site, so check those out too! Today, I’m making something a bit different. :) To make my caramel and walnut loaf cake first I will make caramel out of sugar and some water. I will pour it onto a paper linad baking tray and leave it to harden. Then, I will mix it in a food processor until it is finely ground. After that, I will add the remaining ingredients and mix until I get smooth batter. Easy, right? I will pour the batter into my loaf pan and bake it for about 50 minutes. While my cake is cooling, I will make sugar glaze and caramelized walnuts. Don’t worry, it is very simple, you will see in my video! So let’s get to work and make awesome caramel and walnut loaf cake!
Caramel and Walnut Loaf Cake
by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra
PRINT PDF (EN) ISPIŠI PDF (HR)Prep. time : 15 minutes
Cook time : 50 minutes
Ready in 65 minutes plus cooling
Level : Basic
Ingredients: Batter:- Sugar 175g (6oz)
- Butter 95g (3.3oz)
- All purpose flour 100g (3.5oz)
- Baking powder 6g (1.5 Tsp)
- Gingerbread spice 2g (0.5 Tsp)
- Eggs 110g (3.5oz)
- Walnuts, ground 100g (3.5oz)
- Powdered sugar 50g (1.8oz)
- Milk 10g (2 Tsp)
- Walnuts 100g (3.5oz)
- Sugar 100g (3.5oz)
- Brush 15cmx8cm (6″x3″) loaf pan with melted butter and line it with parchment paper.
- To make the caramel put sugar and some water into a saucepan. Stir well and put the lid on. When the mixture boils, remove the lid, and continue cooking the syrup until it becomes amber in color. Pour the caramel onto a paper lined baking tray, and leave it to cool down completely.
- Break the hardened caramel into small pieces, and transfer it into a food processor. Mix until it is finely ground.
- Then add softened butter, eggs, gingerbread spice, flour, baking powder and ground walnuts. Continue blending until you get smooth batter. Transfer the batter into a piping bag without tip, and pipe it into the prepared pan. Smooth it using your spatula.
- Dip your small knife into melted butter, and then run it through the center of your cake so when it rises, it doesn’t crack randomly.
- Bake the cake at 160°C (320°F) for about 50 minutes. Take it out and transfer it onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
- To make sugar glaze put sifted powdered sugar into a bowl. Add milk and stir with a whisk until the mixture becomes uniform.
- To make caramelized walnuts, put sugar, water and walnuts into a saucepan. Cook the mixture stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Once all the water evaporates, the sugar will caramelize, but stirring will cause sugar to re-crystallize, which is exactly what you want. Remove the pan from the heat. Immediately transfer your walnuts onto a parchment paper, separate them and leave them to cool down.
- Transfer the glaze into a piping bag without tip and decorate the cake. Then, put some candied walnuts on the top.
- There, your delicious caramel and walnut loaf cake is done! Enjoy!
Copyright© PastryMaestra.comTM
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