Kenwood Disaster Chef 2015 Week 5 Recipe Challenge – Walnut Cake

Walnut And Strawberry Cream Layer Cake

Recipe created by Miranda Gore Browne, Great British Bake Off finalist and cookery writer

Makes: A double layered cake            

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Equipment:  Two, 8 eight inch loose bottomed sandwich tins, Kenwood, Chef Sense with whisk & K-Beater attachment

Method

For the cake sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C
2. Line two 8 inch loose bottomed sandwich tins – use a little butter to grease the tins then cut a circle of non-stick baking paper to fit the base and a long strip of baking paper to go around the edge (the butter will help this stick to the tin)
3. Cream together the butter and sugar in the Kenwood Chef Sense using the whisk attachment until pale and primrose yellow. This will take about 3 minutes
4. Break the eggs into a jug and beat a little with a fork. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture a little at a time, mixing well after each addition, this will take about 2 minutes
5. Sift the flour and baking powder then use the Kenwood Chef Sense folding mechanism to fold the mixture with the milk and vanilla extract, this will take about 2 minutes
6. Use a food processor or rolling pin to grind the 50g of walnuts, crush or chop the remaining walnuts into small pieces
7. Replace the whisk attachment on the Chef Sense with the K-beater. Fold the walnuts into the cake mixture on a low speed.
8. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tins and bake in the preheated oven for about 25mins or until springy and, when inserted, a skewer comes out clean.

For the strawberry cream

1. Whip the cream in the Kenwood Chef Sense using whisk attachment – until stiff and thick – watch it carefully as this will only take about 1 minute and if you whip it for too long it will go buttery
2. Hull and halve the strawberries, brush clean with a piece of damp kitchen paper
3. Push about 50g strawberries through a sieve to make strawberry purée – put this to one side and use to drizzle over the cream before putting the second cake on top
4. Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to cool in their tins for about 5 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack to cool completely
5. Finely slice 100g of strawberries and add 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, leave to stand in the balsamic vinegar whilst the cake is baking, drain before gently folding into the cream – this will take just a few seconds
6. Once the cakes are cold, spread the strawberry cream on top of the bottom layer
7. Slice approx 100g strawberries and spread thinly on top of the cream. Drizzle over the strawberry purée. Place the second cake on top
8. Decorate with the remaining strawberries, a few edible flowers and mint leaves (or some more walnuts) and dust with icing sugar