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Swiss walnut and chocolate cake

Name: Swiss walnut and chocolate cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 150g unsalted butter, softened,; plus extra to grease; 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped; 150g golden caster sugar; 2 medium free-range eggs; 75g plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract (we like Nielsen-Massey); 65g roasted shelled walnuts, chopped, plus 15 walnut halves; Icing sugar to dust; Cocoa powder to dust

By: Eric Lanlard

Published: 23 Feb 17
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Eric Lanlard’s take on classic Swiss chocolate cake, topped with toasted walnuts and a dusting of cocoa powder, is the perfect addition to afternoon tea.

Looking for the classic afternoon tea recipe? Here’s our classic coffee and walnut cake.

Easy
May 2013

Test kitchen approved

Serves 8
Hands on time 15 minutes, cooking time 40-45 minutes, plus cooling

Eric Lanlard’s take on classic Swiss chocolate cake, topped with toasted walnuts and a dusting of cocoa powder, is the perfect addition to afternoon tea.

Looking for the classic afternoon tea recipe? Here’s our classic coffee and walnut cake.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 432kcals
Fat: 30.2g (14.1g saturated)
Protein: 22g
Carbohydrates: 34.6g (27.9g sugars)
Fibre: 1.6g
Salt: 0.4g

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Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened,
plus extra to grease
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150g golden caster sugar
2 medium free-range eggs
75g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla paste or extract (we like Nielsen-Massey)
65g roasted shelled walnuts, chopped, plus 15 walnut halves
Icing sugar to dust
Cocoa powder to dust

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease and line a 22cm diameter cake tin with baking paper.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl. Leave to cool a little.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then sift in the flour and baking powder and carefully fold in. Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla, then fold in the chopped walnuts.

Spoon into the prepared tin, then arrange the walnut halves on top in a circular pattern. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out without any raw batter sticking to it (the texture will be similar to a brownie).
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.