Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 75 g walnuts, chopped
- 225 g butter, softened
- 225 g light brown muscovado sugar
- 4 eggs
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 5 g baking powder
Icing and Decoration
- 150 g butter, softened
- 150 g icing sugar, sifted
- 250 g fudge, roughly chopped
- 25 g walnuts, halved
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 587 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 61 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 44 g
- Sodium
- 42 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 132 mg
- Potassium
- 193 mg
- Calcium
- 73 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 33 mg
- Phosphorus
- 143 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 248 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.20 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 55 mcg
- Water
- 22 g
- Caffeine
- 1 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) or 170°C (340°F) for fan ovens. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they are finely chopped but not reduced to a powder.
Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder in the food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth.
Fold the finely chopped walnuts into the batter and divide the mixture equally between the two prepared tins.
Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes at 190°C (375°F) until the sponges have risen and are firm to the touch.
Cool the cakes in their tins for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Blend the softened butter, icing sugar, and 150g of the chopped fudge in a food processor until the icing is smooth and creamy.
Spread half of the icing on the first cake layer, place the second layer on top, and cover with the remaining icing.
Garnish the top of the cake with the walnut halves and the remaining 100g of chopped fudge.
Chef's Notes
- For optimal texture, ensure your butter for both the cake and the icing is truly softened to room temperature, not melted. This will help create a lighter cake crumb and a smoother icing.
- Don't over-process the walnuts for the cake batter. A slight texture from finely chopped walnuts provides a pleasant bite and prevents the cake from becoming too dense.
- When making the fudge icing, if your fudge is very hard, gently warm it slightly before chopping to make it easier to incorporate smoothly into the butter and icing sugar.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before icing. Applying icing to a warm cake will cause it to melt and slide off, creating a messy finish.
- For a professional finish, use an offset spatula to spread the icing evenly. For the top, consider a rustic swirl or a more precise finish depending on your preference.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent the sponge from drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Cake is dense and did not rise
Cause: Expired baking powder or over-mixing the batter after adding flour.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Check expiry dates on leavening agents and pulse only until ingredients are just combined.
Icing is grainy or lumpy
Cause: Icing sugar was not sifted or butter was too cold.
Fix: Continue blending in the processor or add a teaspoon of warm milk to help the ingredients emulsify.
Prevention: Always sift icing sugar and ensure butter is at room temperature.
Cultural Context
This Fudgy Walnut Cake is a classic British bake, often found at tea-time gatherings, celebrations, or as a comforting dessert. Its rich, dense texture and the combination of walnuts and fudge are characteristic of traditional British baking, where hearty cakes are a staple.
