by 
Seasonal Walnuts
It is that time of the year again in Switzerland when the Advent is approaching and the children are becoming excited about meeting Samiclaus (the Swiss version of Santa Claus) on St. Nicholas Day on 6 December.
Unlike the Santa Claus in most other parts of the world, Samiclaus does not have the same breadth of resources nor financial liquidity, so his gift to children is usually a small hessian sack containing clementines, walnuts, peanuts, some gingerbread, and maybe a few pieces of (Swiss) chocolate. No prizes for guessing what gets eaten first!
As walnuts are in abundance at the moment, it will soon be time to make my Swiss Walnut Christmas Cookies, although this chocolate version was quite popular last year.
Walnut Cake
But one recipe I have been wanting to try since returning home from the Manger Workshop with Mimi Thorisson is this delicious Walnut Cake.
Made using freshly ground walnuts and heady with rum, it is a cake which truly celebrates the current season. You can find the recipe on her blog or in her new cookbook, French Country Cooking.
Walnut Cake Recipe
I have altered the recipe below by changing the method to how I make nearly all of my cakes. That is, I like to cream the butter and sugar first, add the liquid ingredients, and then fold through the dry ingredients.
I should also admit that I changed the method because Mimi’s recipe doesn’t state whether the butter should be softened or melted, and I couldn’t remember what she had used in the workshop … So I decided to use softened butter, and the result was a deliciously moist cake with a lovely crumb.
One tip I took from Mimi was to serve it with a drizzle of dark rum, poured from a dainty little pot which I think was traditionally used to keep concentrated tea. When I saw this little pot at an antique store in Saint-Christoly-de-Médoc, I knew I wanted it, although I procrastinated a little because there was (and still is) a big risk my 20-month old daughter might claim it as part of her dolls’ tea set.
There are so many recipes from French Country Cooking which I am looking forward to trying, and I hope to share a few more recipes from the book here on this blog soon!
Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 130 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 80 g (5 ⅓ tablespoons) unsalted butter, softenend
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons dark rum, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon honey, plus more for drizzling
- 3 eggs
- 40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour, (all-purpose flour)
- 30 g (¼ cup) cornflour, (US: cornstarch)
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 150 g (1 cup) walnuts, plus more for decorating
- 1 cup (250 ml) double cream, whipped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C (without fan).
- Grease and flour a 7 inch (18cm) bundt tin with approx. 6 cup (1.5 litre) capacity. (I recommend using a special non-stick baking spray.)
- Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Mix through the vanilla, rum, and honey.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Fold through the flour, cornflour (cornstarch), baking powder, and sea salt.
- Place the walnuts into a food processor and blitz until you have mostly fine crumbs (some coarse crumbs are ok).
- Add the ground walnuts to the batter and fold through gently.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to rest in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully unmoulding it.
- Leave the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Decorate the cake with some walnut halves and drizzle with some honey.
- Serve with whipped cream and a drizzle of rum.
Kitchen Notes
- GROUND WALNUTS
You can also use pre-ground walnuts in this recipe, if they are commonly sold where you live. - RECIPE CREDIT
This recipe is adapted from French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson. - OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly. - CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Did you make this recipe?
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simple but delicious- pain au chocolat
Clafoutis is lovely.
confit de canard!
Comte Cheese Soufflé with some tomato coulis on the side but not necessarily, It’s delicious on its own. I would love to win this so much, love the whole ethos of what Mimi is doing but I wouldn’t have come across her if it wasn’t for Eat, Little Bird !
Oh that’s lovely to hear! Mimi Thorisson is such an inspiring person. We made a Cheese Soufflé at her workshop and I’m quite sure she used Comté. It was soooo good 🙂
Croissants and baguettes ummmm…
crepes
Very ripe Brie
My favourite is so simple, Crepes! I make them with my 4 year old daughter almost every weekend and we love trying different flavours to top them off but of course she likes to settle most weekends with Nutella!
The French love Nutella too 🙂
Confit de canard. Quiche lorraine, still warm. Oh, and Chamonix Orange biscuits!
What are Chamonix Orange biscuits? They sound delicious! Plus, we have friends who have a chalet there 🙂
Bouillabaisse
Croissants!
Bouillabaisse is one of my fave dishes
Pork Rillettes. (yummy goodness)
I love almost every French dish I’ve had the pleasure of eating however my favourite French food is an at-home meal of Raclette with friends! The joy of all cooking your crudites and meats together and waiting for delicious cheese to bubble and melt before pouring it all over your pommes de terres, cornichons, jambon, etc. YUM! And it truly encompasses the French social aspect of food.
Foie Gras! Very politically incorrect, but sooooo good!
Crusty, warm baguette with a drizzle of thick olive oil and a glass of Bordeaux.
Crepes from the Montparnasse area of Paris. Lovely!
Croquembouche with toffee drizzle. I love making it as much as eating it
i love the croissants in France..the flour, butter and water make them so exquisite that they’re never the same anywhere else
Fresh baguette with gorgeous Brie and a glorious French wine. Heaven!
Wow there are so many, croque monsier, confit duck and to finish il floatant, all so yummy
Croissants and madeleines
Croissants, quiches and now obsessed with making of cannelé!
ps: I adore your walnut cake pan!
Thank you! I bought it many years ago at Dehillerin in Paris as I thought it was a pretty shape. It makes any plain cake look special.
Macrons:-)
Adoring the French kitchen it’s hard to choose something.. I’ll go for galettes as I fell irrevocably in love with them as a child on our first holiday in Brittany. They are still regularly served in my household. I like them best with ratatouille and roquefort or with fresh goats cheese, honey and walnuts.
I’ve lived in France, Lyon to be precise, and I loved it! Still planning on going back someday. I miss the cheeses that are in abundance in every supermarket and in small stalls on markets. Being Dutch, I already like cheese, but in France I learned to really appreciate the different tastes of different cheeses. Chaume, Port Salut, you name it. I miss them.
I like French cheeses!
I love madeleines!
Clafoutis is lovely.
Madeleines, fresh from the oven, aromas of vanilla, orange rind, and burnt butter for brushing them – with happy grand-daughters ready to brush, sprinkle with sugar – and share!
Caramel Canele – crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle!
Well, you can’t beat good baguette. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
brioche I could never get sick of it
I LOVE Croissants
Chestnut cream. Chestnut cream in everything 🙂
Friands, I use your recipe every time . Clafoutis. Madeleines. .your recipe and Mimis.
Escargots à la bourguignonne.
Definitely “boeuf bourguignon”!
I can’t go Pain Perdu. My local french cafe Maison Mes Amis does the best one I’ve had in a very long time.
I love snails! I didn’t think I would, but my friend made me try them and they were delicious garlically goodness…
We make croque monsieur quite a bit at my house!
So many to choose from, but a good boeuf bourguignon simply can not be beaten on a cold day!
Tartiflette – a real treat, but perfect comfort food for the winter months
French Onion Soup is simply divine!
What a gorgeous cake, Thanh! I love that suggestion for drizzling the dark rum at the end. 🙂
My favorite French food would have to be magret de canard a l’orange. Or even just duck confit. I’m always ordering duck when I go to Paris <3
Me too! I’m always on the lookout for Duck Confit, even though I make it quite regularly at home. At Mimi’s workshop, we ate duck nearly every day!
My favourite French food is coq au vin! Yummie
I love so many French foods … but my fave would be a toss-up between pain au chocolate and Marie-Helene’s French Apple Cake. This Walnut Cake is now added to my “must try” list. Thank you!
Canelés de Bordeaux, among other things.
all french breads, especially croissants and baguettes.
I love madeleines, quiche and macarons!!! French patisserie is amazing!
Bouillabaisse
My favorite French food is my Mom’s Alsatian Kuglehopf. 🙂
Moules & Frites et Paris-Brest (dessert made of choux pastry and a praline flavoured cream: c’est trop bon!)
Hi,
my 6 year old son and I love Madeleines. I saw recipe with Nutella on your blog and will give it a try to see if my sons and hubby will like it. I am Polish girl leaving in United States. Love your blog.
Edyta
Thanks, Edyta! I hope you will enjoy my recipe for Madeleines with Nutella. It’s a favourite in our home!
Croissants, pain au chocolat, baguette, éclairs, tarte flambée… and most recently I’m a bit obsessed with making cannelés (using your recipe/tips)…
Bouef Bourgignon is my favourite!
I find crepes are very useful and good.
tarte des demoiselles Tatin Or Tarte Tatin. Wonderful dessert
French bread I just love the way it’s autehtically made
My favourite French food is boullabaise.
I love French pastries and breads!
Duck Confit, delicious!
Definetely ripe, strong cheese and Boeuf Bourguignon.
Lovely warm french baguette with pièces of brie se éd. With a lovely glass of french réd wine
Oh so hard to choose but if I had to pick Croissants and Madeleines. USA
In the winter when the temperatures plumet (i live in Boston) i fantasize about a really good cassoulet. Luckily my parents now live in Montreal where you can find it, only a 5-6 hour drive 🙂
I love beef bourgignon
Marron Glace
has to be crepes
Modules frites. Also Brie and French bread.
I love Clafoutis 🙂
crepes 🙂
Croissants, warm and fresh.
crepes
I guess it would be coq au vin, moelleux au chocolat and Sauternes (if you can call it food..).
Mille-feuille
One of my favourite recipes from Mimi Thorisson! I love her cookbooks.
mmm…this looks delicious!!! I need to try this! I’ve never had anything like this. Looks good!
I really love this Walnut Cake. Your tips were helpful. I am enjoying your site.
Thank you! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe.
Love the leather apron! Where do you get one? Please
Looks great! Needs trying. I love Far Breton cake, one of my favorite french cakes
How come her cake is so huge and yours so thin? Are these ingredients for her cake or for yours? Thanx
Hi Mia,
This recipe uses the same measurements as in Mimi’s recipe. I’ve used a different cake pan to Mimi, hence the different shape. At the workshop, Mimi used a small bundt pan which has a ring centre and results in a taller cake.
I am surprised that your recipe calls for cornflour. The original recipe calls for cornstarch.
Hi Cathy,
I had listed the recipe with the UK/Australian terms. I have updated the recipe to include the US terms in brackets ???? So the recipe uses cornflour, which readers in the US would call “cornstarch”, i.e., the fine, white flour which is also used as a thickening agent. Hope this helps!