Dulce de leche and walnut cake - Pilar Hernández's Chilean Kitchen
For New Year's, we went to celebrate at some friends' house and also took the opportunity to celebrate the host's birthday (thanks for everything, Pelao!), so I offered to bring a cake: the request couldn't have been more traditional and Chilean—dulce de leche and walnut cake.
Ingredients · Servings 20
- 180 grams of walnuts toasted in a pan over medium heat, about 8 minutes
- 85 grams of granulated sugar
- 30 grams of flour without baking powder (if you have bread flour or one with more gluten, use that)
- 4 eggs plus 1 yolk
- 3 egg whites for the meringue
- 30 grams of granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 30 grams of melted, hot butter
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 walnut cakes
- sweet syrup
- 3 jars of dulce de leche or 1 1/2 kilos of dulce de leche in a bag, warmed in the microwave to make it easier to spread, empty each jar into a bowl and heat for about 30-45 seconds, stir well
- 2 cups chopped walnuts for garnish and sprinkling, toasted
Method · PT-497396H58M15S
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F. Prepare three 9-inch (23cm) round cake tins, lining the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper. In a food processor, finely grind the walnuts with the 85 grams of granulated sugar. Combine with the flour in a large bowl and stir. Using an electric mixer, add the eggs one at a time to the flour, walnut, and sugar mixture, beating on low speed. Add the egg yolk, and once incorporated, beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and light (as shown in the photo).
- In another very clean bowl, make the meringue. Beat the egg whites at high speed until foamy. Add the pinch of salt and vanilla, then, while beating at low speed, slowly add the 30 grams of granulated sugar in a steady stream. Continue beating at high speed until you obtain a firm and glossy meringue, about 5 minutes.
- Carefully add the meringue to the nut and egg mixture, 1/3 first, and incorporate with a spatula using concentric movements. This lightens the mixture and allows you to gently incorporate the rest of the meringue.
- Then add the remaining 2/3 and gently fold it in, being careful not to deflate the batter. Finally, add the butter by sprinkling it over the batter and then folding it in.
- Divide the batter into three 23cm diameter molds, weighing them to ensure each has the same amount (about 210 grams). Level them out and tap them a couple of times against the counter to release any bubbles.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cakes are dry to the touch and golden brown on the surface.
- In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar, stirring over low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat. Let it cool.
- Remove the cooled sponge cakes from the pan, reserving the nicest and most even one for the final layer. Spread a little dulce de leche on the plate where you will assemble the cake. Place the first sponge cake on the plate and drizzle it with 1/3 of the syrup, cover with a layer of warm dulce de leche, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts as shown in the photo.
- Repeat with the next layer, finish with a layer of sponge cake, moisten with the remaining third of syrup and cover the entire cake with dulce de leche, sprinkle with the walnuts and if desired put the remaining dulce de leche in a bag with a star-shaped nozzle and decorate as desired.
- Let it rest overnight.
Description
An old, simple, and very tasty recipe. Classic flavors.
for the sweet syrup to moisten the cake,
- To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F. Prepare three 9-inch (23cm) round cake tins, lining the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper. In a food processor, finely grind the walnuts with the 85 grams of granulated sugar. Combine with the flour in a large bowl and stir. Using an electric mixer, add the eggs one at a time to the flour, walnut, and sugar mixture, beating at low speed. Add the egg yolk, and once incorporated, beat at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and light (as shown in the photo).
- Carefully add the meringue to the nut and egg mixture, ⅓ first and fold it in with a spatula using concentric movements; this lightens the mixture and allows you to gently incorporate the rest of the meringue.
- Then add the remaining two-thirds and fold in gently, using a spatula, so the batter doesn't deflate. Finally, add the butter by sprinkling it over the batter and then folding it in gently.
- To make the syrup: In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar, stirring over low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat. Let it cool.
- To assemble the cake: Remove the cooled sponge cakes from the pan, reserving the nicest and most even one for the final layer. Place a little dulce de leche on the plate where you will assemble the cake. Place the first sponge cake on the plate and drizzle it with ⅓ of the syrup, cover with a layer of warm dulce de leche, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts as shown in the photo.
