Spiced walnut cake recipe

The spicy, warm flavours of this cake are perfect for cooler weather. Photo / Fresh Media

Richly flavoured, moist and delicious, this spiced cake is studded with pieces of walnut and topped with a silky cream cheese icing.

Spiced walnut cake

Makes: 1 cake

Ingredients

125g butter, softened

200g brown sugar

2 Tbsp golden syrup

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

265g self-raising flour

160ml milk

100g walnuts, roughly chopped

Brown butter cream cheese icing

150g cream cheese, room temperature

50g butter

1 ½ cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

Extra walnuts, to decorate

Method

1. Brown the butter for the icing: place the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Stir until the brown bits form on the bottom and it smells nutty. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm round cake pan and line with baking paper.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup together in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in the vanilla essence and spices.
5. Alternating in batches, mix in the flour and milk until combined, then stir in the chopped walnuts.
6. Turn the cake batter out into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a wire rack.
7. Make the icing: beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the cooled brown butter, vanilla essence and icing sugar and mix well. Ice the cake once it is cold and decorate with extra walnuts.

– fresh.co.nz