Dark Chocolate Walnut Cake
User Reviews
3.5
Dark Chocolate Walnut Cake
Description
This Dark Chocolate Walnut Cake blends melted bittersweet chocolate with flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and ground walnuts to build a rich batter. Butter and a mix of brown and white sugar are creamed to create lift, then eggs and vanilla complete the wet components. Buttermilk helps maintain moisture and tender crumb, while the ground walnuts add nuttiness throughout.
Baked in a buttered and floured 9-inch springform pan, the cake bakes until just set with a few moist crumbs, ensuring it stays moist inside. The included chocolate icing combines butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vanilla with melted chocolate to form a smooth, creamy frosting spread over the cooled cake. Ground walnuts sprinkled on top add an additional textural and flavor note.
The cake balances bittersweet chocolate’s robustness with walnut earthiness and a smooth, lightly sweet frosting. It suits a rich dessert for special occasions or gatherings where a dense chocolate cake is appreciated. The recipe notes that substituting gluten free flour or almond flour may be possible for gluten-free variations.
Ingredients
cake
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed, golden
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup walnuts ground, measure them after grinding
icing
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened
- buttermilk a few tablespoons, as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- walnuts ground, for garnish
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan.
- Melt the chocolate on the defrost setting, or 50% power of your microwave. (Or over a bowl of simmering water)
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a small bowl along with the ground walnuts.
- Cream the butter using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add both sugars and beat until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
- Beat in vanilla, then melted chocolate.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions each, beating just until blended after each addition.
- Spread the batter into the pan and bake until a tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack.
- For the icing, melt the chocolate as above and set aside. In a large bowl cream the butter and add in the sugar and cocoa powder, beating until smooth. Beat in 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and the vanilla. Beat in the melted chocolate. Thin with buttermilk if it's too stiff to spread nicely. This makes enough frosting to cover the cake with a thick layer, but I like it just on top.
Notes
- This cake can likely be adapted to gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking mix or almond flour.
- The ground walnuts should be measured after grinding to ensure accurate quantity in the batter.
- The cake is baked in a springform pan greased and floured to prevent sticking and ensure even rise.
- The icing combines melted chocolate with a butter and powdered sugar base, thinned with buttermilk for spreadability.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 523 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 523kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 66g | 22% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 70mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 74mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 205mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 53g | 106% |
| Vitamin A | 539IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 49mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.5
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