Cooking time: 1 hour plus cooling, then 10 minutes
ingredients
serves 8
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup fine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium-sized eggs, separated
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup milk
small pinch of salt
FOR THE FROSTING
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) cold water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 walnut halves
method
1. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.
2. Cream the butter in a medium-sized bowl with a wooden spoon, add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks with a quarter of the flour. Add the chopped walnuts with half the milk, half of the remaining flour and mix again. Mix in the remaining milk and flour.
3. Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. Using a metal spoon, fold the whites into the cake mixture. Pour the mix into 2 greased 8 inch cake pans.
4. Bake 35 - 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tins, then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
5. To make the frosting, put the sugar and water into a heavy-bottomed pan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cream of tartar and vanilla and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile whisk the egg whites until stiff. Remove the syrup from the heat and allow the bubbles to subside completely. Pour the hot syrup onto the whisked egg white, beating at high speed all the time. Continue whisking at high speed until the frosting thickens, turns opaque and will coat a spoon. It should be almost cold.
7. Working quickly, pour about a third of the frosting over one cake, sandwich the other on top and pour over the remaining frosting. Spread the frosting with a spatula, dipping it from time to time into a jug of hot water to keep it warm and wet. Fluff the frosting over the top and sides of the cake and decorate with the walnut halves.
