CHOCOLATE WALNUT CAKE

I had the most delicious chocolate walnut cake in of all places, Penang Malaysia. I’m not a huge chocolate cake fan, but this one was fudgy, chocolatey and very moist. I’ve tried a million recipes to try to recreate it and finally found one that comes very close. I can’t take any credit for it – it’s by Pastry Wishes but hopefully they won’t mind me sharing it. I rarely use other people’s recipes, but this one is so good, I couldn’t improve on it and it needs to be shared.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

¼ cup + 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup hot strong coffee

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 medium egg, room temperature

½ cup milk

¼ cup light vegetable oil

½ cup chopped walnuts + 1-2 tablespoons extra for garnish

FOR THE FROSTING

4.4 oz semisweet chocolate

⅔ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar

2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tablespoon milk

PREPARATION

FOR THE CAKE

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease an 8-inch pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and hot coffee together. Set it aside to cool.

In another medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set it aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil and the cocoa/coffee mixture. Make sure everything is well combined.

Add the dry ingredients and whisk until it’s smooth.

Fold in the chopped walnuts, but don’t overmix.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before topping it with the fudge frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING

Chop the dark chocolate and then melt it either over a double boiler or in 10-15 increments in the microwave. Set it aside to cool.

In another bowl, beat the butter together with the cocoa powder and sugar using a hand mixer until it’s creamy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooled, melted dark chocolate and beat again until it’s smooth.

Add the milk and continue beating until it’s creamy and your desired consistency. For thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar, for thinner frosting, add more milk, half a tablespoon at a time.

Then dollop the cooled cake with the frosting and make swirls using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.

Sprinkle some more chopped walnuts all over the frosting.