There are quite a few nut cake recipes; but this one, which my mother-in-law is preparing is a little different. With that easy walnut cake, you can really taste the taste of nuts thanks to the small pieces that crunch under your teeth!
Easy Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 220 g sugar
- 100 ml milk
- 90 ml olive oil
- 200 g sifted flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 300 g walnuts
- 40 g butter
- Some confectioner’s sugar
- Few walnuts halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease and flour a round cake pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Using a mixer, beat eggs with sugar.
- Add milk, olive oil, flour, and baking powder. Mix well.
- Place the walnuts in the zip-lock and cruch them using a pastry pin.
- Pour the batter in the cake pan (mould). Lay walnuts halves on top of the cake.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The cake should be well raised with a thin crust but not fully baked. Place the pieces of butter on top of the cake.
- Continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool before removing it from the mold.
- Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
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This post was posted in Desserts
Mini Pavlova
Pavlova is a dessert, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926. It is a meringue dessert with crisp crust and soft light inside, topped with cream and fresh berries.
You can make meringue shells ahead of time and freeze them. I usually make the cream the same day I want to serve my Mini Pavlova. And as always this dessert is a perfect mini dessert for my Cafe Gourmand.
Mini Pavlova dessert
I rarely use food coloring when baking. I like my desserts to have their original color. But if you are cooking for Valentine's Day or for a Princess party, you may add some food coloring to your dessert. This time, I used one tiny drop of red coloring to make the cream pink.
Ingredients
Meringue
- 4 egg whites (room temperature)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 220 g confectioner’s sugar
Cream
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%) very cold
- 100 g mascarpone cheese
- 1,5 Tbsp sugar
- 1 drop red food coloring (optional)
- Fresh berries raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries…
Instructions
Meringue
- Using mixer, begin beating your egg whites and salt on a low speed, steadily increasing up to medium high.
- While beating on a medium speed, slowly add the confectioner’s sugar, about 1-2 Tbsp at a time. Once all the sugar is added, keep beating until the egg whites hold stiff peaks.
- Preheat oven to 230 degrees F. Draw circles of approximately 4-8 cm diameter (you can use a pint glass as a guide) on each of the parchment lined sheets.
- Spoon meringue into piping bag, fitted with 3/4 inch tip. Pipe meringue to cover circles on prepared baking sheet. Pipe two more rings of meringues on top of outer edge to form walls of Pavlovas.
- Bake in center of oven until dry and crisp, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Turn off the oven and let the meringues completely cool in the oven. Once cooled, you can top them with whipped cream and berries.
Filling
- With mixer, beat together very cold heavy cream and mascarpone cheese, until whipped gradually adding sugar. Add food coloring. Don’t overbeat the cream, or you will end up with butter.
- Spoon cream into piping bag.
- Right before serving, pipe frosting on the pavlovas and top with fresh berries.
- If you have some leftovers cream, you can pipe it into a small glass and garnish with some fresh berries.
Notes
Pease don’t waste your egg yolks, you can always make Creme brûlée.
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Walnut Raisin Cake
This easy to make cake is perfect for a breakfast. The Walnuts and raisin go well together.
Walnut Raisin Cake
Ingredients
- 150 g walnuts
- 250 g softened butter
- 200 g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 200 g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 150 g raisins
- Some powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Grind the walnuts in a blender.
- Using a mixer beat the butter with sugar.
- Add the eggs and mix.
- Add the flour and mix.
- Add the walnuts. Mix.
- Add the raisins and mix with a spatula.
- Pour the batter in the pan.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until а toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once the cake cooled down, transfer to a plate.
- Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
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This post was posted in Desserts
Walnut Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Once baked, the walnuts get that gooey-caramel and crunchy coating. Your guests will love that Walnut Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
Walnut Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
- 7 rings pineapple slices drained
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour sifted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-10 inch round cake pan. Place pineapple slices on the bottom of the pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed for about 8 min. Slowly add flour. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
- Add chopped walnuts.
- Carefully spoon mixture into a pan cake.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool for at list 10 minutes, then turn the pan over onto a serving plate. Wait 30 seconds then lift the pan off.
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This post was posted in Desserts
Lemon Shells Stuffed With Ice Cream
Refreshing chocolate and lemon treats, served in the natural lemon shells. If you wish to serve them in a la cafe gourmand style, use small lemons, surprise your friends.
Lemon Shells Stuffed With Ice Cream
It will be easier to work with lemon sorbet and chocolate ice cream if you remove it from the freezer 3 minutes before.
Ingredients
- 6 lemons
- 1 (300 g) lemon sorbet
- 1 (300 g) chocolate ice cream
Instructions
- Cut off the top of the lemon. Hollow out each lemon by using a teaspoon. Remove juice and flesh, but be careful not to puncture the lemon skin.
- Spoon some lemon sorbet into shells and press firmly with teaspoon. Fill the rest of the lemon with chocolate ice cream.
- Place stuffed lemons in the freezer with the hats on top. You can serve this fancy dessert in as little as one hour, or when the lemon shells are completely frozen.
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Russian Apple Cake Sharlotka
Apple Sharlotka cake is one of the most popular desserts that each Russian kid will remember from their childhood. The recipe is so simple that you don’t even need to write it down. It will be very easy to remember once you’ve made it: 3 apples, 3 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of flour. That’s it, enjoy!
Russian Apple Cake Sharlotka
If the apples are too sweet, sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Ingredients
- 3 big apples (sour)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease and flour a round cake pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Wash, peel and dice apples into 1-inch pieces. Lay out the diced apples on the bottom of the pan.
- Using a mixer beat eggs with sugar, until its two times in volume. Using a spatula carefully fold in sifted flour. Pour the batter over the apples.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until а toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once the cake cools off a little, transfer to plate.
- Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
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This post was posted in Desserts
Easy Madeleines
Very light, fluffy and tasty French cookies. Classic small sponge cakes shaped like seashell, usually made with lemon zest. I love lemon, but I decided not to add any to my madeleines. I just like them plain.
You can find molds for mini-madeleines. That’s really nice and you can savor them for a cafe gourmand.
French Madeleines
To make an authentic madeleine, you will need a madeleine pan. But you can use a muffin pan or any cake pan.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 120 ml milk
- 200 g all purpose flour sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 120 g unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine eggs and sugar. Whip until light. Add milk and mix well.
- Carefully fold in the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.
- Add melted butter and mix throughly until smooth. Let the batter rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter madeleine pan. My pan makes 12 cookies at a time. From this receipe you’ll make 24 cookies.
- Spoon batter into the prepared molds, filling 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops spring back. Remove the madeleines from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes.
- With a knife or fork carefully loosen the madeleines from the pan and then tip the whole pan out to a prepared plate.
- If you want to make it in a loaf pan, it will take much longer, about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake come out clean.
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This post was posted in Cafe gourmand, Desserts
Shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust pastry (or pie crust) is very popular when making quiche, pie, tart and tartelettes. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to make this unsweetened pie shell. It turns out light, crumbly, crunchy and deliciously buttery. After trying making this recipe you will never go back to store-bought crust again.
Shortcrust pastry
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze. It can last up to 3 months.This is also called pie crust pastry.
Ingredients
- 240 g all purpose flour
- 2-3 pinches of salt
- 125 g softened unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 Tbsp water
Instructions
- In a large bowl or on the clean table surface combine salt and flour together. Add chunks of softened butter.
- Use finger to combine until crumbly.
- Add egg yolks and start to knead the dough, only add as much water as dough needs. Do not over-knead.
- Shape into a ball.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 380°F. Unwrap dough and roll into a thin circle between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Fit dough into a tart pan, press firmly on bottom and sides. Trim any extra dough. Pick all over with a fork.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until pie shell is lightly golden.
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This post was posted in Desserts
Three Layer Chocolate Mousse
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate… Each layer has different taste and texture. You can use any size glasses you desire. And of course, as always, I choose mini portions. Ideal for a Cafe Gourmand.
Three layer chocolate mousse
Ingredients
Dark chocolate ganache
- 120 ml heavy whipping cream
- 100 g dark chocolate
Milk chocolate mousse
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 2 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
White chocolate mousse
- 150 ml heavy whipping cream
- 100 g white chocolate
For garnishing
- 6-8 fresh raspberries
Instructions
Dark chocolate ganache
- In a small pan, boil the heavy whipping cream. Pour the boiling cream over the dark chocolate. Wait for one minute and mix it until the mixture is smooth.
- Divide dark chocolate ganache among six glasses. Refrigerate for one hour.
Milk chocolate mousse
- Separate egg yolks from the egg whites.
- Melt milk chocolate in microwave until the chocolate is completely melted. Add egg yolks in melted chocolate and mix well.
- Whisk egg whites with salt until stiff.
- Carefully fold in the egg whites into chocolate.
- Remove glasses from the fridge, spoon the mousse over the chocolate gonache and chill for another hour.
White chocolate mousse
- Bring the heavy whipping cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate. Wait 1-2 minutes until white chocolate melts.
- Whisk until smooth. Place white chocolate in the fridge for about 45 minutes. Chocolate should chill completely but at the same time still liquid.
- Beat the chilled chocolate until soft foam.
- Using piping bag or small spoon, spread the mousse into the glasses.
- Refrigerate your dessert for 4-6 hours.
- Before serving, garnish each glass with fresh berries. If the portion is mini, you can cut raspberries into 2 pieces.
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Chocolate King Cake (Galette des Rois)
King Cake is a very popular French pie that celebrates the Epiphany, in early January. My children love this cake as well as chocolate so the Chocolate King Cake makes them twice as happy!
Chocolate King Cake (Galette des Rois)
Ingredients
- 100 ml heavy whipping cream
- 100 g dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
- 50 g softened butter
- 50 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 50 g almond flour
- 2 sheets ready-to-use puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Bring the heavy whipping cream to a boil. Pour it on the chocolate, wait a few seconds then mix well until the mixture is homogeneous.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together.
- Beat in the egg. Mix.
- Then, add the almond flour and mix well.
- Add the melted chocolate to the almond preparation and mix well. If this preparation is too thin (because it is still hot), leave to cool in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- Roll out one sheet of puff pastry. Spread the chocolate-almond filling over the center of the dough, leaving a 1 inch (1.2 cm) exposed border. If you wish, place a little porcelain figurine “fève” in the filling.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with water and cover with another circle of dough on top and press down to seal the edges.
- If you want, with a knife or just with your fingers, decorate the edges.
- Brush with beaten yolk. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 390F (190C).
- Brush with yolk one more time. Using a knife, create a design on top of your galette. Poke 3-5 holes, to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
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This post was posted in Desserts, Puff Pastry