We love a slice of homemade walnut cake in the morning, for dessert or as an afternoon snack (especially when paired with a strong cup of black coffee). Moist and delicious, traditional walnut cake is made even tastier in this recipe with a sweet cream cheese frosting. Leave off the frosting and add some sliced apples to the cake batter if you want a slightly healthier and more savory alternative. The best thing about walnut cake is it tastes even better the day after you make it so feel free to bake this cake in advance if you want to bring it to a party or dinner.
Ingredients for Walnut Cake
- Butter: Make sure your butter is softened and not melted.
- Shortening: It helps to leaven the cake when shortening is creamed with butter.
- Sugar: Sugar locks in moisture and keeps this cake from drying out.
- Eggs: Eggs are a binding ingredient.
- All-purpose flour: Learn how to accurately measure flour to ensure you don’t use too much or too little.
- Baking soda: Your baking soda shouldn’t be older than six months. Replace it if necessary.
- Salt: Salt elevates all the flavors.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk improves the texture and tenderizes the cake.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor profile.
- Ground walnuts: An ample amount of ground walnuts adds a nice crunch.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese adds the perfect creaminess and tanginess.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can better control the salt content.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar has a super-smooth texture compared to granulated sugar,.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract has an indefinite shelf life so you don’t need to worry about replacing it.
- Finely chopped walnuts: You could opt to toast the walnuts for a rich, nutty flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Combine the ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter, shortening and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and vanilla. Beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in the ground walnuts.
Editor’s Tip: Avoid over mixing the batter after you add the flour. This will result in a dry, dense texture.
Step 2: Bake
Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch round pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 20 to 25 minutes). Cool for five minutes, then remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 3: Make the frosting
For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix well. Beat in the vanilla until smooth.
Step 4: Prepare to serve
Spread the frosting between layers and over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Walnut Cake Recipe Variations
- Add fruit: Sliced apples go great in this cake.
- Add chocolate chips: Kick up the sweetness with a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips.
How to Store Walnut Cake
Store walnut cake at room temperature and covered in plastic wrap or foil. It retains its moist texture and flavor this way.
How long will walnut cake last?
Walnut cake will last three to four days when stored properly. This cake will be even more moist than when you first baked it after sitting for a day.
Walnut Cake Tips
Can I use a different frosting on this cake?
Yes, you could opt for a different frosting for walnut cake. See our guide to all the different types of homemade frosting.
Can I use other types of nuts for this cake?
Sure, you could use hazelnuts, almonds or Brazil nuts instead.
How can I make sure this cake has the right texture?
To ensure your walnut cake has the right texture (fluffy, creamy and moist), use room-temperature ingredients, don’t overmix the batter once you’ve added the flour and adhere closely to the cooking time.
