Maple Walnut Cake

Ingredients

65 gr butter
110 gr brown sugar
2 eggs
325 gr cake flour
9 gr baking powder
2 gr baking soda
650 gr maple syrup
120 ml water
2 nbsp
120 gr walnuts
475 ml whipping cream
75 gr powdered sugar
1 maple extract up to double this amount

Instructions

FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 180ºC . Grease two 8 to 23 cm round cake pans. Using electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs in thin stream. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl. Alternate adding dry ingredients, syrup and hot water to butter mixture, blending until smooth. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely. Wrap, chill thoroughly.

FOR praline: Lightly grease baking sheet. Boil syrup in heavy small saucepan until candy thermometer registers 150ºC (hard-crack stage). Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts. Pour onto prepared sheet. Cool until set. Transfer to processor and mix to fine powder.

FOR WHIPPED CREAM: Beat cream with sugar and extract to stiff peaks.

TO ASSEMBLE: Cut off top crusts from cake layers. Set 1 layer on platter. Spread lightly with whipped cream. Sprinkle lightly with praline. Top with second cake layer. Spread top and sides lightly with whipped cream. Spoon remaining whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe lattice design atop cake; pipe border around bottom edge of cake. Press praline onto sides; sprinkle any remainder on top. Serve Maple Walnut Cake chilled or at room temperature.