Author Notes
This is without a doubt the recipe in French Country Cooking that I’ve cooked most often this past year. We baked it for all the workshops, almost every day for the restau- rant, and, in between, for ourselves. When you look over the list of recipes in the book you might not think this was the showstopper; so many others jump out first, seemingly richer, more delicious. But there is more to this cake than meets the eye. First of all, it’s delicious but not too sweet, which is nice in and of itself, but it also means that Oddur has the excuse to serve a small glass of sweet wine, maybe an old Pineau from the Charentes, which goes incredibly well with the deep nutty flavor of the cake. Those who like whipped cream won’t be disappointed because I serve it with a generous dollop on the side. This cake may not generate too much excitement beforehand, but after you’ve had it you’ll fall in love. And that is the best sort of food love, not just a quick crush, but love that lasts. Reprinted with permission from French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson (Clarkson Potter 2016). —Mimi Thorisson
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Ingredients
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5 1/2 tablespoons
(80 grams) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
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1 cup
(150 grams) walnuts, plus 5 walnut halves for decorating the cake
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2/3 cup
(130 grams) granulated sugar
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3
large eggs
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3 tablespoons
dark rum
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1 tablespoon
honey, plus more for drizzling
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1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1 pinch
fine sea salt
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1/3 cup
(40 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
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1/4 cup
(30 grams) cornstarch
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1 teaspoon
baking powder
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confectioners' sugar
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whipped cream, for serving
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Grease a 7-inch / 18 cm Bundt pan with butter.
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Finely chop the walnuts or pulse them in a food processor until you have coarse crumbs. In a large bowl, combine the walnuts and granulated sugar and mix well. Mix in the butter, eggs, rum, honey, vanilla, and salt.
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In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Fold the dry ingredients into the walnut mixture.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Unmold and let cool for 10 minutes.
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Sprinkle a dash of confectioners’ sugar into a small sauté pan and
add the 5 reserved walnut halves. Cook over medium-low heat for a few seconds, until the nuts are slightly golden. Arrange the walnuts on top of the warm cake and drizzle with a little honey before serving. Serve with whipped cream.
Mimi Thorisson is the author of Manger, a blog devoted to French cooking, and the host of La Table de Mimi on Canal+ in France. After a career in television and having lived in Hong-Kong, Singapore, London, Reykjavik, and Paris, she settled with her photographer husband, five young children, two older stepchildren, and the family's fourteen dogs in a rural farmhouse in Médoc.
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