Chocolate Walnut Cake

5 from 3 votes

Chocolate and nuts make for an iconic duo, and that's just one of the reasons I love this chocolate walnut cake. This cake is rich, moist, and topped with a glossy ganache. It looks like something out of a high-end bakery, but it could not be easier to make. The chocolate flavor is intense, and offset by the delicately earthy, butter crunch of walnuts.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Ganache Chill Time30

Total Time1 25

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Cake

¾ cup almond milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1½ cups coconut sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
⅔ cup cocoa powder
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs room temperature
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup boiling water
1 tsp dried instant coffee

For The Ganache

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Line a 8x8 square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk together the almond milk and lemon juice, set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the coconut sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, cocoa powder and flour until well combined.
Add the vanilla extract and eggs to the almond milk mixture and whisk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients along with ½ cup chopped walnuts and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl mix the boiling water and instant coffee.
Stir the coffee mixture into the cake batter and mix until incorporated.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack.
Prepare the chocolate ganache: Finely chop the dark chocolate and place into a heat proof bowl.
Place the cream into the microwave and heat until steaming.
Pour hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.
Place the firm ganache into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until fluffy.
Spread the ganache on top of the cold cake and finish with crushed walnuts.

Video

https://youtu.be/cujMzEUfzgA

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this chocolate walnut cake recipe is to not overmix the batter. I say it for all cake recipes because it is so important. Overworking the batter overdevelops the gluten strands, and your cake will be hard and dense instead of soft and airy.
Use high-quality chocolate: I make sure to use chocolate with a 55%-70% cacao content, for a glossier emulsion.
Do not boil the cream: Once the cream starts steaming, remove it from the heat. Boiled cream can cause separation. This is also why I prefer to heat it on the stove rather than in a microwave.
Let the cake cool: I always make sure that my cake is completely cooled down before I begin frosting. If the cake is still slightly warm, the ganache melts and slides off.
Toast your walnuts: For the topping, I like using walnuts that have been lightly toasted in the oven. Be careful not to let them get too dark, as they have a bitter taste when burned.

Nutrition