For my last masterclasses I chose to prepare this walnut financier cake because it’s easy, quick and incredibly moist!
I added a crunchy layer made of walnut praliné, and topped it with an airy whipped ganache, with caramel flavor, which balances perfectly the bitterness of the walnut.
This is the perfect comfort cake!
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This cake is made of:
- a walnut financier cake
- a walnut crunch
- a whipped ganache (Caramelia chocolate of Valrhona)
- chocolate frosting
Walnut financier cake
You can prepare the batter in advance and freeze it for a few weeks. It can as well be frozen once cooked, wrapped in a cling wrap and placed in an airtight container, for a maximum of two weeks, otherwise the taste will be affected. You can just brown the butter in advance and store it in the fridge, and melt it when needed.
Equipment
- Scale
- Saucepan
- Nylon mesh strainer
- Stand mixer with flat beater
- Loaf pan (approx. 16cmx8cmx6cm)
- Basting brush
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 150 g Butter
- 60 g Acacia honey
- 200 g Icing sugar
- 110 g Flour Type 55 if available
- 3 g Baking powder Use precision scale if possible
- 2 g Salt Use precision scale if possible
- 85 g Whole almond powder Raw, with skin
- 25 g Walnut powder Raw
- 240 g Egg whites The whites of around 7 eggs
- 1 pinch Tonka bean Optional
Instructions
- Grease the loaf pan with little melted butter (use the brush). Place it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Flour the pan and remove the excess flour.
- Brown the butter*: place it in the saucepan on medium heat and cook it until it starts forming bubbles and then when the color turns to caramel and it stops "singing" transfer it into a bowl to stop the cooking process and strain it using an extra thin nylon mesh strainer.
- Add the honey and salt to the browned butter.
- Preheat the oven at 160°C.
- Sift TOGETHER flour, icing sugar and baking powder.
- Place them with the almond and walnut powders (and tonka bean if you wish) in the bowl of the stand mixer equipped with the flat beater.
- Add the butter and honey warm mixture to the dry ingredients and mix using the flat beater (at low speed).
- Add the egg whites (at room temperature) in 2 to 3 times, and combine (mix at low speed).
- Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes (check the doneness with a toothpick it has to come out clean).
- Unmold the cake and let it cool down on a cooling rack.
Notes
Walnut crunch
This crunch is easy to prepare, once you have the walnut praliné ready (please check Essentials). It can be prepared in advance and stored in a jar in the refrigerator for a few weeks, or frozen for up to two months.
Equipment
- Scale
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 70 g Walnut praliné Homemade if possible*
- 30 g Almond butter Plain, roasted and mixed almonds
- 10 g Puffed rice
- 25 g Roasted and chopped walnuts
- 1 pinch Fleur de sel French sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients using a spatula or a spoon.
Notes
Caramelia whipped ganache
In order to get the perfect texture, the whipped ganache needs a few hours to set before being whipped.
Equipment
- Scale
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Cling wrap
Ingredients
- 70 g Caramelia chocolate 36% of Valrhona
- 45 g UHT cream 35% milk fat
- 120 g UHT cream (cold) 35% milk fat
- 1 pinch Fleur de sel French sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate pistoles at 45°C using a double boiler (Bain-Marie) or microwave (not recommeded).
- Bring the 40g of cream to boil.
- Add the warm cream gradually to the melted chocolate (in 3 steps). Take the time at each step to stir energetically using the spatula with small circular movements in the very center. This will insure the perfect and homogeneous incorporation of the cream into the chocolate (make an emulsion)*.
- Add the cold UTH cream (the 120g).
- Add the Fleur de sel.
- Cover with cling wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours .
- Whip the ganache (like a chantilly) and use immediately.
Notes
Crunchy chocolate frosting
This frosting can be prepared in advance and stored in a clean jar for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or even placed in the freezer (not ideal for the chocolate, but I do it sometimes if I have any leftovers).
Equipment
- Scale
- Stainless steel mixing bowl
- Saucepan
- Hand blender
Ingredients
- 150 g Milk chocolate Jivara 40% of Valrhona
- 40 g Grapeseed oil
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate pistoles using a double boiler (Bain-Marie) or microwave (not recommeded).
- Add the grapessed oil and blend.
- Use at 37°C.
Notes
Montage
Cover the cake once properly cooled with a thin layer of walnut praline crunch using an angled spatula (1). Place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile whip the ganache and pour it into a piping bag with 10mm tip. Cover the cake with around 110g of whipped ganache (2) and smooth it in order to get a nice bump (3). Let the ganache set in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Reheat the chocolate frosting (around 37°C) and dip the top of the cake in it (4).
Decorate with chopped walnuts.
Place the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes to let the frosting set.
Bon appétit!
