The Duo Dishes

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November 13, 2009 · 26 Comments

Spiced Walnut & Maple Cream Cake-Duo Dishes

‘Tis the season for making cakes. It’s time for gatherings with friends and family, hot cocoa, cold weather and sweet treats. That’s where cake comes in. The fall is our favorite time to kick back at home and bake, bake, bake. It’s the best time to fill your home with the smells, flavors and warmth of cookies, pies and cakes. We’ve made several different versions of this butterless, flourless cake before, and we’re sharing another one that would be perfect for your next cool fall day.

The basic recipe for this flourless, butterless cake makes it a blank canvas for the most enthusiastic baker to go crazy with their own variations. This is the fourth one we’ve shared, but we’ve done several others in addition to the ones you may have seen here. Typically we use white sugar for the cake, but brown sugar seemed like the most logical in this case for coloring and also adding mellow undertones of molasses flavor. Plus, brown sugar has more moisture, which can contribute to a lighter, fluffier baked good. Serve this cake at your next fall dinner party or family get together, and you will have all the little elves asking for more. We’ve just entered this one in Bon Appétit’s Blog Envy Bake-Off, and voting is open through December 13th, so if you feel so inclined, give a vote! We just sent it in, so if you don’t see the entry now, give it a day to upload!

Have you put your name in the hat for a chance to win a POM Variety Pack? We’ve got a great giveaway for any U.S. resident, so click here for the chance to enter.

Spiced Walnut and Maple Cream Cake -  Serves 8-10
Cake
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup walnuts, finely ground
Powdered sugar

Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup

1.  For cake, use a whisk to beat egg yolks and sugar.  Set aside.

2.  With an electric mixer, whip egg whites until they reach soft peaks.

3. Mix baking soda, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and ground walnuts into egg yolk mixture.  Then, add 1/3 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, softly folding a couple of times.

4. Fold in remaining whites using just a few strokes, being sure to combine the mixture fairly well.

5. Line a 9”x13” baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with floured baking spray.  Spread batter evenly on cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.  Cool cake completely once done.

6.  As cake cools, pour cream into the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on medium high speed until it just begins to thicken.  Add vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup and continue to mix until thickened, but not clumpy.  Scrape into a bowl, cover and chill until cake has cooled completely.

7.  Once ready to frost, evenly spread about half to three-quarters of the whipped cream over the top of the cake.  Starting from shortest end, carefully roll the cake into a cylinder form and move to a serving platter.  Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Click HERE for the printable recipe.

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Categories: Cakes, Pies and Tarts · Nuts · Sweet Treats
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