Walnut Spice Cake

Name: Walnut Spice Cake
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 10-12
Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable shortening, plus more for pans; 3 cups cake flour, plus more for pans, sifted; 2 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 cup milk; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 tsp. ground allspice; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground cloves; 2 cups sugar; 6 egg whites, at room temperature; 4 cups sugar; 3 cups milk; 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted; 1 ⁄ 3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted; 2 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 tsp. baking soda; 2 cups whole walnut halves

Serves
serves 10-12

TODD COLEMAN

For this striking two-toned dessert, alternating layers of snow-white and mahogany-brown spiced cakes are sandwiched with a rich, chocolate fudge icing and decorated with walnut halves. This recipe first appeared in our March 2012 issue, with Ben Mims' story Sweet Southern Dreams.

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 cup vegetable shortening, plus more for pans
3 cups cake flour, plus more for pans, sifted
2 ¹⁄₂ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cloves
2 cups sugar
6 egg whites, at room temperature

For the Fudge Icing

4 cups sugar
3 cups milk
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
¹⁄₃ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups whole walnut halves

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9″ cake pans, and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together milk and vanilla in a bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together cinnamon, allspice, and cloves; set spices aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream shortening and sugar on medium-high speed until evenly combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high and beat until batter is smooth, about 5 seconds. Pour half the batter into one prepared pan. Add spices to remaining batter in bowl; stir until evenly combined. Pour spiced batter into second prepared pan; smooth tops of both batters with a rubber spatula. Drop pans lightly on a counter to expel any large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks, and let cool. Using a serrated knife, halve each cake horizontally to produce four layers; set aside.

Step 2

Make the icing and assemble the cake: Bring sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa to a boil in a 6-qt. copper saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; attach a candy thermometer to side of pan, and cook, stirring bottom constantly with a wooden spoon, until thermometer reads 232°, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla and baking soda; let sit for 1 minute. Using a hand mixer, beat chocolate mixture on medium-low speed until the consistency of loose pudding, about 1 minute. Immediately place one spiced cake layer on a cake stand and pour 1⁄2 cup chocolate icing over; top with one white cake and pour 1⁄2 cup icing over. Place second spiced cake over icing and pour 1⁄2 cup icing over; top with second white cake, and pour remaining icing around top edge of cake and then over the center. Quickly spread icing over sides of cakes; press walnuts into sides of cake until sides are covered. Let icing cool completely before serving. Store at room temperature.