Make a delicious walnut cake recipe topped with candied walnuts and filled with a quark, sour cream, and honey filling.
This walnut cake with candied walnuts is the perfect cake for Christmas this year.
It has a wintery flavor from the walnuts and a wintery appearance with its creamy white quark-honey layers. It’s best made a day in advance, which reduces hassle on Christmas day, and it tastes absolutely wonderful.
Check out more Christmasy cakes: Non-Alcoholic Christmas Fruitcake, Christmas Cookie Cake, or Last-Minute Mincemeat Cake.
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Why will you love it?
This is another cake I've been making for several years. Just like the Chocolate Gateau, this walnut cake has been a favorite not only for our family but also for others. Many people keep coming back, asking me to bake this quark cake with candied walnuts for them again.
The fact that so many people want it repeatedly is a strong testament to how good this walnut cake really is!
How to make the walnut cake?
Make the batter
- Step #1: Preheat the oven, butter two 20 cm/8-inch springforms or cake pans, and refrigerate them while you prepare the rest.
- Step #2: Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Step #3: Melt the butter and let it cool slightly while you mix the rest of the ingredients.
- Step #4: Fold the mixed dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Fold the melted butter as well.
- Step #5: Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared springforms or cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Step #6: Leave to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove carefully and let cool completely on wire racks.
Make the filling
- Step #1: Mix quark, sour cream, and honey to taste with a spoon; do not use a mixer or kitchen machine, or the filling will be too runny.
- Step #2: Whisk cream and whipped cream stabilizer until stiff and carefully fold into the quark mixture.
- Step #3: Slice each cake once so that you have 4 cake slices.
- Step #4: Layer the cake slices and the filling.
- Step #5: Place in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before serving or overnight.
Make candied walnuts
- Step #1: Let the sugar and the honey caramelize in a non-stick pan.
- Step #2: Stir in the chopped walnuts and the cinnamon and stir to coat all over.
- Step #3: Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and leave to cool completely.
- Step #4: Top the walnut cake with the caramelized nuts just before serving.
Good to know!
Baking temperature: Keep the temperature low. When I first made this cake, baking at a higher temperature resulted in an undercooked center, dry edges, and uneven rising. Lowering the temperature and slightly increasing the baking time solved these issues perfectly.
As shown in the pictures, the cakes are now evenly baked and rise nicely throughout.
Whipped cream stabilizer
The stabilizer for whipped cream (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) is a very common ingredient in Germany - Sahnesteif, but may be harder to find elsewhere. I use Dr. Oetker Whip It - stabilizer for whipped cream (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) or similar products.
The higher the fat content of the cream, the stiffer the whipped cream will be; 40% fat is ideal. If the fat percentage is lower (30-38%), the whipped cream might struggle to hold its shape, which can be an issue when decorating a cake.
Try using a cream with a high-fat percentage or look for a stabilizer to help the whipped cream maintain its texture.
Make in advance
You can make the whole cake in advance and refrigerate it until the next day. However, only top it with the caramelized walnuts before serving or just a few hours in advance.
You can bake the cakes two days in advance, let them cool, wrap them well, and refrigerate them until ready to use.
Walnut Cake with Candied Walnuts
Equipment
- 2 Springforms or cake pans 20 cm/8-inches
Ingredients
Walnut cake:
- 8 eggs large
- 250 g granulated sugar 9 oz/ 1 ¼ cups
- 200 g unsalted butter 7 oz/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon
- 200 g ground walnuts 7 oz/ 1 ⅔ cups
- 200 g all-purpose flour 7 oz/ 1 ⅔ cups
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling:
- 500 g low-fat quark 1.1 lbs/ 2 cups + 2 tablespoons
- 200 g sour cream a stiffer kind, 7 oz/ ⅔ cup
- 4 tablespoons clear honey or more to taste
- 400 g heavy cream 14 oz/ 1⅔ cups
- 2 sachets stabilizer for whipping cream – Whip it!, Note 2
Candied walnuts:
- 75 g granulated sugar 2.5 oz/ ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon clear honey
- 100 g walnuts chopped, 3.5 oz/ ⅔ cup
- a pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
Walnut cake:
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/ 300°F. Butter the springforms or cake pans and place them in the fridge while you prepare the rest.
- Wet ingredients: Beat the eggs and the sugar until pale and fluffy. 8 eggs + 250 g granulated sugar/ 1 ¼ cups
- Melt the butter and let cool slightly while you mix the rest of the ingredients.200 g unsalted butter/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon
- Dry ingredients: Mix the ground walnuts, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon and fold into the egg mixture. Fold the melted butter in the mix as well.200 g ground walnuts/ 1 ⅔ cups + 200 g all-purpose flour/ 1 ⅔ cups + 2 teaspoons baking powder + 1 teaspoon cinnamon + butter
- Bake: Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared springforms or cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove carefully and let cool entirely on wire racks.
Filling:
- Mix the quark, sour cream, and honey to taste with a spoon; do not use a mixer or kitchen machine, or the filling will get too runny.500 g low-fat quark/ 2 cups + 2 tablespoons + 200 g sour cream/ ⅔ cup + 4 tablespoons clear honey
- Whip the heavy cream shortly. Slowly add the whipped cream stabilizer and continue beating until stiff. Carefully fold the heavy cream into the quark mixture.400 g heavy cream/ 1⅔ cups + 2 sachets stabilizer for whipping cream
- Slice each cake once so that you have 4 slices. Layer the cakes and the filling. Place in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before serving or overnight.
Candied walnuts:
- Caramelize: Let the sugar and the honey caramelize in a non-stick pan. Stir in the chopped walnuts and the cinnamon and stir to coat all over. Transfer the walnuts to a tray lined with baking paper and leave to cool completely.75 g granulated sugar/ ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon clear honey + 100 g walnuts/ ⅔ cup + a pinch of cinnamon
- Sprinkle the caramelized walnuts on top of the cake just before serving.
Notes
- Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
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Cream stabilizer: Higher fat content in cream makes whipped cream stiffer, with 40% fat being ideal. Lower fat (30-38%) can cause it to lose shape, especially when decorating cakes. Use high-fat cream or a stabilizer to keep it firm.
Laura Dembowski says
This cake is gorgeous! You have made some really awesome recipes - I have to catch up 🙂
Rosa says
This sounds amazing!!
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
Adina, you've done it again. This cake is stunning. I have only had chocolate walnut cakes, so I very much would like to try a version without. I am so behind in Christmas shopping this year and will have to complete it this weekend. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I absolutely LOVE walnuts and honey, so this cake has my name written all over it!! Such a stunning cake, girlfriend! Cheers!
grace says
what a beautiful cake! each component is wonderful, though i might eat all of the walnut before they made it to the top. 🙂
Anca says
Every time I read one of your recipes with eggs I wonder how large are the large eggs in Germany. It's quite funny.
The cake looks delicious, my favourite cake is made with caramelized walnuts.
Adina says
🙂 A medium egg has between 53 and 63 g in Germany. I've read many recipes stating that an American large egg weighs about that much as well, that is why I mention it when I feel it is important for the recipe... I love anything made with caramelized walnuts as well...
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Those caramelized walnuts look totally irresistible1
Adina says
Danke Angie, they are really so sweet and crunchy, one cannot stop popping them in the mouth before they even make it on the cake.
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Yes and yes! This caramelized walnut cake is perfect in every way. I so want this in my life. YUM.
Adina says
I hope you try it, Anu.