With a mass of left over walnuts this year (I over bought) I set about developing a walnut cake with a little added spice. This cake is moist, light and moreish and I think goes well with a cream cheese icing.

You Will Need:

• 150ml Oil (I used sunflower oil)
• 200g Caster Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1tsp Vanilla Essence
• 200g Self Raising Flour
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 1tsp Ground Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Ground Ginger
• 1tsp Mixed Spice
• 100g Walnut Pieces

Icing and decoration

• 75g Butter
• 300g Icing Sugar
• 100g Cream Cheese
• 1tsp Lemon Juice
• 1tsp Vanilla Essence
• 12 Walnut Halves

Method:

• Line and grease 2 loose bottom 18cm sandwich tins.
• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
• Whisk together the oil and sugar until thick and creamy, then add the vanilla essence.
• Add the eggs one at a time whisking well between each addition.
• Sift and fold in the flour, baking powder and the three spices.
• Gently fold in the walnut pieces.
• Pour into the prepared tins and bake for 25-35mins until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
• Allow to cool in the tins for 5mins before turning out on to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Icing and Assembly:

• Mix all the ingredients (except the walnut halves) together until smooth and creamy.
• Carefully cut the domed risen top off one of the cakes to form a level base.
• Spread a layer of the icing over the freshly levelled cake to sandwich the two cakes together.
• Evenly spread the remaining icing to completely cover the outside of the cake and evenly position the walnut halves around the top.
• Allow the icing to set and serve.