Dark Chocolate Walnut Cake

I have a definite contrary streak in me, a tendency to go against the grain, swim upstream, go rogue.  So while everyone is talking about pumpkin pies and yams and drippings, I'm thinking chocolate cake.  One daughter arrives home from college today, I'll have this on the counter waiting for her.  It's ok that there's a slice missing.  She'll understand.

This cake has a sophisticated European feel with the ground walnuts and the elegant single layer, but it has enough chocolate oomph for the American palate.  It's moist, dense and sweet but not too sweet.  I made a few changes to the recipe...I substituted bittersweet chocolate for unsweetened, and added some cocoa powder to up the chocolate factor.  I've used buttermilk and vanilla in the frosting.  The original recipe calls for two layers, I like it better as one.

Dark Chocolate Walnut Cake      ~~adapted from Bon Apetit 1995
oven to 350

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup ground walnuts (measure them after grinding, not before)

ICING
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
a few Tablespoons buttermilk, as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla
ground walnuts for garnish

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.

This cake goes right to the top of my favorite cakes list, alongside the Tangerine Poppy Seed Cake from a few weeks ago.  The deep dense chocolate goes really well with the strong walnut presence since both have slight bitter undertones.  The frosting is richly chocolate but fluffy from the creaming process.  A nice contrast in texture.

I favor cakes that can be eaten at breakfast, or as a snack at tea time.  Except for rare occasions like birthdays and holidays I don't see the point of making anything specifically for the end of a meal.  This cake qualifies for both, so its a real hero of a cake.  But whenever you serve it, make sure to set a strong cup of black coffee down beside it.

It's raining quite hard today, and my daughter will be driving home with a friend.  That's a first--- we usually pick her up or she gets the college bus to Boston.  The mountain roads are tricky in the rain.  I'm glad I have this cake to distract me.  I'm sure it'll be ok if there are 2 slices missing.

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