My Mother’s Walnut Torte

My Mother’s Walnut Torte 

1/10” cake 350 Fahrenheit

10 large eggs separated

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ cup sugar finely ground walnuts

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare 10” cake pan butter and flour and lined with parchment paper.

Beat egg yokes with ½ cup sugar until light lemon colour.

Add walnuts and bread crumbs into egg mixture and beat for 2 minutes.

With clean beaters beat the egg whites until soft peaks add the remaining sugar then beat until stiff.

Fold egg whites into egg and walnut batter.

Pour cake batter into prepared pan.

Rap pan to settle cake batter. With a sharp knife and score cake batter to eliminate air pockets.

Bake until light brown and cake springs back when touched.

Turn cake out to cool.

Sponge cake

1/10” cake 350 Fahrenheit

8 eggs (large) – separated

¾ cup sugar minus 1 tablespoon

1 ½ cup cake flour (sifted)

1 teaspoon baking powder

Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Beat egg whites to soft peak add ¼ of sugar beat to stiff peaks set aside. Beat egg yolks with remaining ½ cup sugar until light lemon colour. Mix flour and baking powder together then add to egg yolk batter mix until smooth. Fold egg whites into the batter pour into a buttered and floured cake pan lined with parchment paper.

Mocha Butter Cream

1 lb. butter – room temperature needed soft cut into bits

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 tablespoon brandy

1 tablespoon strong instant coffee – dissolve in brandy and vanilla

1 ounce chocolate semisweet grated

2 cups sifted icing sugar

Put eggs and sugar in mixing bowl then put over simmering water and whip until mixture is cooked about 5 minutes.

Place bowl on mixer and whip at medium add chocolate whip a couple of minutes until melted then add the vanilla, brandy and coffee mixture. When cool add the butter bit by bit add icing sugar whip until smooth.

Assembly

Cut cakes in half alternating layers with butter cream sandwiched between. Spread cake with remaining butter cream then sprinkle ground walnuts on cake. Serve and enjoy.