French cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Périgord Walnut Cake

Moist walnut cake from the Périgord, made with ground nuts instead of much flour and a hint of rum.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 250 g walnuts
• 200 g soft butter
• 180 g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 100 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 1 organic lemon
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C top/bottom heat and butter a 24 cm springform pan; finely grind 200 g of the walnuts, coarsely chop the remaining 50 g and set aside.
2. Beat the soft butter with the sugar, salt and the finely grated zest of the organic lemon for 5 min. until very pale and airy.
3. Stir in the eggs one at a time, working each in well before adding the next so the mixture doesn't curdle; add the rum.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder over the top, add the ground walnuts and fold in with a spatula only until no more flour is visible.
5. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top, sprinkle with the coarsely chopped walnuts and bake for 45–50 min., until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs.
6. Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 min., turn out onto a rack, let cool completely and dust with powdered sugar before serving.