|
100 g/4 oz butter or margarine, softened
400 g/14 oz caster (superfine) sugar
3 egg yolks
100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
10 ml/2 tsp baking powder
120 ml/4 fl oz milk
100 g/4 oz/1 cup walnuts
4 egg whites
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup double (heavy) cream
5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)
Cocoa (unsweetened chocolate) powder for
dusting |
|
Method:
Cream together the butter or margarine
and 75 g/3 oz of the sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in
the egg yolks, then fold in the flour and baking powder alternately
with the milk. Spoon the dough into two greased and floured 25 cm/10
in cake tins (pans). Reserve a few walnut halves for decoration, chop
the remainder finely and sprinkle over the cakes. Whisk the egg whites
until stiff, then add the remaining sugar and whisk again until thick
and glossy. Spread over the top of the cakes and bake in a preheated
oven at 180°C/ 350°F/gas mark 4 for 25 minutes, covering the cake with
greaseproof (waxed) paper towards the end of cooking if the meringue
begins to brown too much. Allow to cool in the tins, then turn the
cakes out with the meringue on the top.
Whip together the cream and vanilla essence until stiff. Sandwich the
cakes together, meringue-side up, with half the cream and spread the
remainder on top. Decorate with the reserved walnuts and sprinkle with
sifted cocoa.
|
