Philadelphia Walnut Cake Frosting Recipes

MOTHER'S WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, shortening and granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and vanilla. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in ground walnuts. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar; mix well. Beat in vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate.

WALNUT CAKE WITH AMERICAN FROSTING

Steps:

• Melted butter, for brushing pans
• 7 ounces all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 1 generous teaspoon baking powder
• 7 tablespoons butter, softened
• 8 ounces caster sugar (superfine)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, separated
• 3 1/2 ounces shelled walnuts, roughly chopped
• 3 1/2 ounces milk
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 2 (8-inch) or 3 (7-inch) cake pans or sandwich pans with melted butter, and dust with flour. Line the base of each pan with parchment or greaseproof paper.
• In a bowl, sift the flour with the salt, and baking powder.
• In a large bowl, or in an electric food mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar, and vanilla extract, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, and then stir in the chopped walnuts. Fold in a quarter of the flour and milk into the mixture, alternating each, until they are incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
• Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the cake mixture, and then gently fold in the rest. Divide the batter between the tins, making a slight hollow in the center of each so that the cake rises evenly rather than forming a peak.
• Bake in the oven until firm to the touch or until a skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 16 to 20 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
• To make the buttercream filling: Cream the butter until very soft, and then beat in the confectioners' sugar, and the vanilla extract. When the cakes are cool, spread the buttercream filling on one layer, and top with the second layer, sandwiching the layers together.
• Make the American frosting as described below. Spread the American frosting quickly over the cake with a palette knife, regularly dipping the knife into a jug of boiling water to help spread the icing. It sets very quickly at this stage, so speed is essential. Scatter with rose petals, if using, or arrange the walnut halves around the top of the cake, and allow the icing to set until it feels dry on the surface.
• To make the American Frosting: Ensure your cake is ready before you start, as this icing begins to set very quickly. Bring to the boil a saucepan of water large enough to hold a heatproof bowl. Place the egg whites in the bowl and whisk with a hand-held electric beater until very stiff.
• In a separate saucepan over a medium-high heat, dissolve the sugar in the water and boil for 5 to 10 minutes until the liquid is thick and syrupy and has reached the 'thread' stage - when the last few drops that fall from a metal spoon dipped into the syrup come off in one long, quite thick and syrupy thread.
• Pour the boiling syrup over the stiffly beaten egg whites, whisking all the time with the hand-held beater. Place the bowl in the saucepan of simmering water. Continue to whisk over the water for 10 to 15 minutes until the icing is snow white, very thick and meringue-like.
• Spread quickly over the cake with a palette knife, regularly dipping the knife into a jug of boiling water. The icing sets very quickly at this stage, so speed is essential.

MAPLE WALNUT LAYER CAKE WITH FLUFFY MAPLE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and lightly flour two 9x2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
• To make the cake: In a large bowl, sift together the flour and the ginger and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined. Beat in the maple syrup gradually. Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the water, beating after each addition until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
• Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
• To make the frosting: In the top of a double boiler, combine first five ingredients. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly on the medium-high speed of an electric mixer, until mixture stands in peaks (about 5-7 minutes). Remove the pot from heat. Add the vanilla and the maple extracts and continue beating 1 minute more until thick enough to spread.
• When cake has cooled, ice between the layers. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup chopped walnuts over the frosting. Then ice top and sides of cake, sprinkling the top with the remaining chopped walnuts.

SPICED WALNUT CAKE WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES FROSTING

Steps:

• Line two 20cm springform cake tins with baking parchment. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a bowl for 5 mins or so until thick and aereated. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking continuously, then pour in the honey and vanilla, and whisk again to combine.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Combine the flour, baking powder, spices and a pinch of salt in another bowl and mix. Lightly sieve this into the wet mixture, fold in, then add the walnut flour, little by little, until combined. Fold through the chopped walnuts and divide between the tins.
• Bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove and leave to cool in the tins.
• To make the candied walnuts, tip the walnuts onto a baking tray and roast in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 4-5 mins until crisp. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, molasses and 20ml water in a saucepan, and set over a medium heat until the mixture turns a deep caramel colour (around 3-4 mins). Turn the heat down low, then add the nuts, stirring constantly until completely coated. Remove from the heat and tip out onto a layer of baking parchment to cool.
• To make the frosting, beat together the icing sugar and cream cheese until well combined and smooth (the icing will get thinner before it thickens, so continue to whisk for 2 mins), then briefly stir through the molasses to create a ripple effect. Spread half of the frosting on top of one of the cake layers, then sandwich with the other. Top with more icing, the pomegranate seeds and candied walnuts. Serve cut into slices. Will keep chilled in an airtight container for up to three days.

MAPLE-WALNUT CAKE WITH BROWN-SUGAR FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans (2 inches deep) with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with cooking spray. Flour parchment and sides (tapping out excess); set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on high until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on medium-high, add maple syrup in a slow, steady stream. Add flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with milk, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Fold in walnuts.
• Divide batter between pans; firmly tap pans on a flat surface several times to remove air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks, 15 minutes, then invert onto racks; peel off parchment. Invert cakes again and let cool completely on racks. With a serrated knife, trim domed top from each cake to make a flat surface.
• Make frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar on high until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Assemble cake: Place one layer, top side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread top evenly with 1 1/2 cups frosting. Top with second layer, top side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and around sides of cake.