I am about to share a well-kept secret.  This walnut cake is the easiest and tastiest cake you will ever bake.  It is my “go to” recipe when I am in a time crunch.  The ingredients are always in my pantry, so no special shopping trips searching for odd flavorings, organic flour or nuts from the rainforest are required.

You can pull it together in minutes since you make it in the food processor. The original recipe was printed in the now out of circulation “Gourmet Magazine”.  The instructions called for a jam and whipped cream topping, but I know a better one.   I substitute one of Stonewall Kitchen’s dessert sauces to drizzle over this moist and nutty confection.  My favorite is the Coffee Caramel Sauce but go ahead and experiment with the others:  Spiced Rum Butterscotch, Dark Chocolate Toffee, Chocolate Peanut Butter and more.

This cake is a treat for any season.  But why not make it for this Mother’s Day?  Mom will think you slaved all day in the kitchen.  Shhh, it will be our secret.  Just don’t expect any leftovers!

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups walnuts
2/3 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Pulse walnuts and sugar in food processor until finely chopped.  Add butter and process until combined, then add eggs and vanilla and process until combined.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse just until incorporated.  Spread batter in cake pan.

Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes in pan, turn out onto rack.

Transfer to a cake plate and smear with your favorite Stonewall Kitchen Sauce.

Barbara works at Roger’s Gardens in Gallery Sales and blogs at magicalhomeandgarden.com.