Simple & Moist Chocolate Walnut Cake
This Simple & Moist Chocolate Walnut Cake is incredibly rich and full of chocolate flavor!! An updated take on the Southern old fashioned chocolate walnut cake, this decadent reimagined classic is filled and topped with toasted walnuts to deliver an epic crunch and covered in a fudgy chocolate espresso ganache!!
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Pound Cake
- 1 (227 g) cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 ¾ (219 g) cup All purpose flour
- ½ (43 g) cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ¼ (21 g) cup Black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 (400 g) cups Granulated sugar
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1 (240 g) cup Buttermilk room temperature
- ¾ cup Hot water
- 1 teaspoon Espresso powder
- 1 cup Walnuts, divided raw, unsalted
For the Chocolate Espresso Ganache
- 6 oz Heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon Espresso powder
- 6 oz Semi sweet chocolate bar finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the walnuts evenly, making sure they are not overlapping. Bake until the walnuts are deeply golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring with a heat proof spatula halfway through baking. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they burn easily. Remove from the oven and allow walnuts to cool on the baking sheet. When cooled, finely chop ½ cup of the walnuts and set aside until ready to fold into the cake.1 cup Walnuts, divided
For the Chocolate Pound Cake
- Leave the oven at 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with non stick baking spray. Using a fine pastry brush, spread the baking spray to coat the pan making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Set aside.
- Slice the butter into 1 inch pieces and place in a medium sized saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat then transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool. (Alternatively, you can do this in the microwave. Place the butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until the butter is fully melted.)1 (227 g) cup Unsalted butter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the granulated sugar and salt.1 ¾ (219 g) cup All purpose flour , ½ (43 g) cup Dutch processed cocoa powder , ¼ (21 g) cup Black cocoa powder , 1 teaspoon Baking powder , 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt , 2 (400 g) cups Granulated sugar
- In a small saucepan, heat water until simmering and hot. Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder and stir until the powder has dissolved. Set aside.¾ cup Hot water , 1 teaspoon Espresso powder
- On medium speed, add in the eggs, one at a time making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.3 large Eggs, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- With the mixer on medium speed, add in the melted butter, and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Next, add in the buttermilk and mix until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.1 (240 g) cup Buttermilk
- Reduce speed to low and slowly add the hot coffee, mixing until just combined. Remove bowl from the stand mixer and add in the finely chopped walnuts. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the walnuts until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack to cool completely.
For the Chocolate Espresso Ganache
- Place the finely chopped chocolate into medium sized heat proof bowl.6 oz Semi sweet chocolate bar
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream and espresso powder. Heat over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. Heat only until you see tiny bubbles of cream around the edges of the pan. Do not allow cream to come to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate allowing it to sit for 3 minutes without stirring.6 oz Heavy cream , 1 ½ teaspoon Espresso powder
- Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and with a rubber spatula, slowly mix until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Set the cooling rack with the cake over a piece of wax or parchment paper and pour the ganache over the cake. Gently tap the cooling rack to help the ganache drizzle down the sides of the cake. Top the cake with the remaining toasted walnuts. Allow the ganache to set before serving.½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Notes
Properly measure your flour! Using your measuring cup to scoop the flour will cause you to have more flour than you need for the recipe. This in turn will lead to a dry and dense cake. For the best results, fluff your flour with a fork then carefully spoon it into your measuring cup. I recommend you. use a scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure to allow your eggs, buttermilk, and cream cheese come to room temperature 2 hours before using. Room temperature ingredients help to create a homogenous emulsion and ensure that the ingredients blend well together.
Properly prepare your bundt pan. To prevent the cake from sticking to the pan, be sure to spray the pan well with a baking spray with flour. I like Baker’s Joy. Alternatively, you can butter and flour the bundt pan.
Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. After removing the cake from the oven, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before attempting to remove it. Allowing the cake to cool for longer than 10 minutes will allow the sugars to harden and the cake to stick to the pan.
Finely chop your walnuts. Make sure to finely chop your walnuts and resist adding larger pieces. Larger pieces will sink to the bottom of the cake.
Do not boil the heavy cream. When heating the heavy cream for the ganache, only heat to a gently simmer. If heated until boiling, the cream will be too hot and can burn the chocolate.
Use the ganache immediately. Use the ganache immediately after stirring. The longer you wait to use the ganache, the thicker it will become and will no longer be pourable.
Cool before you glaze. Allow your cake to cool completely before glazing. If you glaze your cake while it is still warm, the glaze will melt and slide off the cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 414kcalCarbohydrates: 46.4gProtein: 6.1gFat: 24.8gSaturated Fat: 12.6gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 270mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 2.7gSugar: 32.2gCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
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