Chocolate Walnut Cake
Servings 20 slices
This chocolate walnut cake is super moist and rich chocolaty with toasty walnuts. It’s also easy to make vegan and dairy-free.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup (110 grams) walnuts plus another 2 cups (220 grams) walnuts for the topping
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar or coconut sugar or 1 cup (320 grams) honey
- 1 3/4 cups (218 grams) flour see notes
- 3/4 cup (85 grams) cocoa powder I used Dutch-process
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs 50 grams each, out of shell, or 2 chia eggs for vegan
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk of choice
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) water boiling (not a typo)
For the frosting:
- 3 cups (510 grams) semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips, chopped
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk of choice
- 3/4 cup (168 grams) refined coconut oil or unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Toast the walnuts:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Spread 3 cups (330 grams) of walnuts on a large baking sheet.1 cup (110 grams) walnuts
- Bake for 7-12 minutes, stirring after every 5 minutes, or until they smell toasty.
- Remove from the oven, place the pan on a cooling rack, and let cool for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the batter.
For the cake:
- Keep the oven at 350 °F (175 °C). Line a 9"x13" pan with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar (not honey!), flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar, 1 3/4 cups (218 grams) flour, 3/4 cup (85 grams) cocoa powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Take 1 cup (110 grams) of the cooled walnuts and chop coarsely (you'll chop the rest later). Set aside.
- To the dry mix, add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and honey, if using (note that honey isn't listed along with the other ingredients below - don't forget it, if using!). Mix for 2 minutes on medium and then stir in boiling water. The batter will be almost as thin as water. Stir in the chopped walnuts.2 large eggs, 1 cup (240 ml) milk, 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup (240 ml) water
- Pour into the parchment-lined pan.
- Bake for 22-48 minutes (the bake time varies widely, depending on the oven and choice of ingredients - see the post for more info) until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, but no liquid.
- Place on a cooling rack and let cool completely, about 2-3 hours, before frosting.
- It can be covered and stored at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
To make the frosting:
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together the chocolate, milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until melted and completely smooth. Remove from the heat.3 cups (510 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk, 3/4 cup (168 grams) refined coconut oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Let it cool about 15-20 minutes (it should be a bit thicker than when you took it off the heat). Meanwhile, chop the rest of the walnuts coarsely.
- Pour the frosting over the cooled cake. Toss the nuts over the top.
- Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the frosted cake for up to 3 months.
Notes
- For the flour, you can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or for gluten-free, use 1 3/4 cups (242 grams) Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Baking Flour or 1 3/4 cup (218 grams) King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour.
- To make the chia eggs for this recipe, mix together 2 tablespoons of ground chia seed with 6 tablespoons of water until well combined. Let sit for about 1-2 minutes or until goopy like regular eggs.
- If you want to use canned coconut milk, I recommend using 1/2 cup of that + 1/2 cup of water for the cake batter. That’ll thin it down so that it’s like regular milk. For the frosting, use 6 tbsp coconut milk + 6 tbsp water.
- I recommend something neutral like refined coconut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. I use extra-virgin olive oil from Aldi and Lidl and can't taste it once the cake has cooled. Don't use a very strong, expensive olive oil, or you'll be able to taste it. You can use light olive oil if you have it.
- If you're dairy-free, use dairy-free milk, coconut oil and dairy-free chocolate.
- If you're vegan, use vegan milk, chia eggs, coconut oil and vegan chocolate.
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
- Adapted from Hershey's One Bowl Chocolate Cake.
Nutrition
Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 6gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 278mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 4gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 73IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 3mgNet Carbs: 42
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