A moist, rich cake built on finely ground walnuts, with just a little flour and eggs beaten until thick for lift. Brown sugar and a brush of warm honey give it a lightly caramelized top crowned with walnut halves. Makes 10 servings in about 1 hr 55 min.
Prep20 min
Cook35 min
Cooling1 hr
Total
1 hr 55 min
Servings
10
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
1 ¼ cups (150 g)walnuts, walnut pieces, for the cake
½ cup (60 g)all-purpose flour
1 tsp (4 g)baking powder
1 pinchfine salt
4(200 g)eggs, large, room temperature
6 tbsp (80 g)granulated sugar
⅓ cup (70 g)light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (125 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus a little for the pan
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the springform pan with a little of the unsalted butter and line the bottom with parchment.
Pulse the 150 g walnut pieces with the all-purpose flour in a food processor in short bursts until finely ground, stopping before the nuts turn pasty. Tip into a bowl and stir in the baking powder and fine salt.
Beat the eggs, granulated sugar and light brown sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes, until pale, thick and the mixture falls from the beaters in a ribbon.
On low speed, beat in the melted unsalted butter, dark rum and vanilla extract. Fold in the walnut mixture with a spatula in two additions, just until evenly combined.
Pour the batter into the pan and set the walnut halves in a ring around the top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden, the center springs back when pressed and a skewer comes out clean.
Brush the warm honey over the top of the hot cake. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, release the ring and let cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour.
Tips
Taste a walnut first: walnuts go rancid quickly, and a bitter nut will spoil the cake.
Grinding the walnuts with the flour keeps them from turning into butter in the processor.
Serve slices with a pool of crème anglaise, as they do in the Périgord.
Good with crème anglaise and strong black coffee.
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How long does it take to make gâteau aux noix du périgord (périgord walnut cake)?
Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to rest. The recipe makes 10 servings.
How should I store gâteau aux noix du périgord (périgord walnut cake)?
Keep covered at room temperature up to 3 days.
Can I make gâteau aux noix du périgord (périgord walnut cake) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
A Sunday dessert of the Périgord, home of the AOP Noix du Périgord walnuts, made with finely ground walnut kernels and often a touch of rum or vanilla, and served with crème anglaise or strong coffee. Serve it with crème anglaise and strong black coffee.
Variations
Individual cakes: divide the batter among 12 buttered muffin cups, top each with a walnut half and bake 18 to 20 minutes instead of 30 to 35.
Orange-zest version: beat 1 tsp (2 g) finely grated orange zest into the eggs with the sugars; bake time unchanged.
Rum-free: replace the rum with 4 tsp (20 ml) milk; bake time unchanged.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 10 servings this recipe makes.
203Calories / serving
6.8gFat
30.5gCarbs
4.3gProtein
22.1gSugar
Whole recipe (10 servings):
~2030 cal ·
68g fat ·
305g carbs ·
43g protein ·
221g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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