Layered walnut cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Shortcrust Dough
01 -
500g all-purpose flour
02 -
200g powdered sugar
03 -
230g butter
04 -
2 large eggs
05 -
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or mix 1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract with 18g sugar)
06 -
Zest from half a lemon
07 -
A pinch of salt
→ Apple Filling
08 -
1kg tart-sweet apples (like Granny Smith, Boskoop, or Braeburn), peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced into 2.5mm pieces
09 -
60g sugar
10 -
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or mix 1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract with 18g sugar)
11 -
50g raisins
12 -
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 -
1 tablespoon rum
→ Nut Filling
14 -
30g sugar
15 -
1 tablespoon honey (such as acacia honey)
16 -
60ml milk (or apple juice)
17 -
150g finely ground nuts
18 -
1 tablespoon rum
→ Poppy Seed Filling
19 -
30g sugar
20 -
1 tablespoon honey (such as acacia honey)
21 -
60ml milk (or apple juice)
22 -
150g ground poppy seeds
23 -
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or mix 1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract with 18g sugar)
24 -
Zest from 1 lemon
25 -
1 tablespoon rum
→ Plum Filling
26 -
6 tablespoons powidl or thick prune puree (blend 12 pitted prunes with a little water)
→ Glaze
27 -
1 large egg, room temperature
28 -
1 tablespoon water
29 -
Powdered sugar for dusting
# Instructions:
01 -
Combine the dry ingredients. Add diced butter, working it into the mixture with your fingertips until crumbly. Toss in the eggs, mixing just until it forms a dough. If sticky, sprinkle in a little flour. Let it chill for 45 minutes.
02 -
Coat the apple slices with sugar, vanilla sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and rum. Let the mixture sit and soak up the flavors.
03 -
Warm the milk, sugar, and honey until they dissolve. Remove from heat, stir in the ground nuts and rum, then leave to cool.
04 -
Heat milk, honey, and sugar to dissolve. Take off the heat, mix in the poppy seeds, vanilla sugar, lemon zest, and rum. Set aside to cool.
05 -
Set the oven to preheat to 190°C (standard heat).
06 -
Roll the dough out to about 3mm thick. Use two-thirds of it to line the bottom and sides of a springform pan (20-23cm). Wrap the pan in foil to secure it. Bake it blind for 15 minutes.
07 -
Spread a layer of poppy seed filling first, followed by the nut mixture. Add the soaked apples with their juices on top. Finish with the prune puree or powidl.
08 -
Use the leftover dough to cut 1.3cm strips. Arrange these into a lattice pattern on top of the filling. Brush the lattice with beaten egg.
09 -
Place on the middle rack and bake for 50 minutes. Once baked, let it fully cool on a wire rack—preferably overnight.
10 -
Carefully remove the cake from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving it.
# Notes:
01 -
Use fresh poppy seeds for the best taste—they can go rancid over time.
02 -
Letting the cake rest overnight makes it taste even better.