Italian Walnut Cake: gluten-free, torta di noci
This is a traditional Calabrian Italian walnut cake recipe; called torta di noci. This is a gluten-free flourless cake made with only 3 ingredients. Walnuts, sugar and eggs and a little optional lemon or orange zest if you'd like. This is an easy cake to prepare and is best made the day before serving. A perfect cake for a special occasion for gluten-free guests. It is surprisingly light and we love the nutty flavour of walnuts with a hint of orange. Then served with berries and ice cream. Also great with coffee for breakfast, Italian style.
Takes = 15 minutes
Bakes = 50 minutes
Make = 8-10 serves (20cm round springform cake tin)
Ingredients
- Toasted walnuts, ground – 300g (about 3 & 1/2 cups)
- White sugar, or caster – 200g (2/3 cup)
- Eggs, large – 3 (separated)
- Lemon or orange zest – 1 tablespoon
- Powdered/icing sugar to serve
- Berries to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170˚C fan and lightly toast the walnuts for 10 minutes on a baking tray. Cool the walnuts for about 20 minutes.
- Grind the walnuts into a course meal in a food processor or similar.
- Prepare a 20cm cake tin grease and paper lined on the base.
- Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy.
- Add in the zest and walnut meal and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they form a stiff peak.
- Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture until well combined.
- Pour into your prepared cake tin. Place the tin on a tray and bake in the lower third of your oven for about 40-50 minutes.
- Let the cake completely cool in the cake tin before removing it. After ten minutes I loosed the sides of the cake with a plastic knife or spatula so I can ensure it will come out. Once cool. Wrap and cover. Then serve the next day.
- Dust with a sprinkling of icing/powdered sugar and serve with berries, and cream or ice cream. As the Italians do this cake is perfect for breakfast the next day!