WALNUT TORTE

Diós Torta

12 servings

adapted from Rick Rodgers Kaffeehaus

cake:

1/3 c   dried bread crumbs, for the pan

1 c       walnuts (4 ½ oz)

1 c       flour

7          eggs, room temperature

¾ c     sugar

1 T        orange zest (optional)

buttercream:

2 c       walnuts, chopped (8oz)

1 ¼ c  powdered sugar

1 c       milk

2 T        cornstarch

2          egg yolks

2 T        golden rum

1 t        vanilla

1 ½ c  butter, at cool room temperature

assembly:

½ c     walnuts, finely chopped (2 oz)

12        walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan.  Dust with bread crumbs and tap out the excess.  Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment.

Grind the nuts in a rotary nut grinder fitted with the fine grating drum.  Transfer to a bowl and mix with the flour and orange zest, if using.  (Although it will yield different results you could gently pulse the nuts and the flour together in a food processor until the nuts are ground.)

Beat the eggs with the whisk attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer at high speed.  After the eggs have gotten foamy, lower the speed and add the sugar in a slow, steady stream.  Increase the speed to high and continue to beat for 15 minutes.  The eggs will reach a ribbon stage where they are stiff and 3 times their volume.

In two additions, fold in the flour walnut mixture with a spatula or large balloon whisk.  Spread evenly in the pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.  Do not under bake, the cake will sink.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  Remove the ring and invert the cake onto a wire rack.  Remove the parchment paper and reverse on another rack to cool completely.

For the buttercream:  Process the walnuts and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor until the walnuts are almost a powder scraping the corners of the bowl as necessary.

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan.  Sprinkle in the cornstarch and whisk until dissolved.  Whisk in the yolks.  Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is thick as a pudding.  The eggs won’t curdle because of the cornstarch.  Strain the custard into a medium bowl set over an ice bath.  Stir in the rum and vanilla.  Let stand until cool, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the custard to the bowl of a standing mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, beat until smooth, about 1 minute.  On medium speed, drop in the soft (not oily) butter in a couple of tablespoons at a time.  Increase the speed as needed to make sure the cream is smooth.  Beat in the walnut sugar mixture.  Cool the buttercream in the ice bath or refrigerator if it’s too warm to spread.

To assemble:  Transfer ¾ cup of the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (make sure the star is open and not closed in order to accommodate the walnuts in the buttercream).  Using a large serrated knife slice the cooled cake in half horizontally, creating 2 equal layers.

Place the bottom cake layer on an 8-inch cake round.  Spread the layer with about 1 cup of the remaining buttercream.  Top with the second cake layer and frost the top and sides with the remaining buttercream.  Press the chopped walnuts onto the side of the cake.  Pipe 12 rosettes on top of the cake and place a walnut half on each.  Refrigerate until 1 hour before serving.  Cake keeps well for 2-3 days.