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Apple Walnut Cake

Apple Walnut Cake with Whipped Egg Whites

A moist apple and walnut cake made with tart Granny Smith apples, finely ground walnuts, vanilla, and whipped egg whites. The separate egg-white method gives this rich fruit-and-nut cake a lighter texture
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Ingredients

  • 450 –500 g prepared Granny Smith apples
  • 10 –15 ml lemon juice
  • 200 g all-purpose flour
  • 4 g baking powder
  • 5 g baking soda
  • 3 g salt divided
  • 150 g walnuts
  • 3 medium eggs separated
  • 200 g granulated sugar
  • 9 g vanilla sugar
  • 5 –10 g butter for greasing the pan
  • baking parchment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional heat. Grease a 20 cm round pan and line the bottom with baking parchment.
  • Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1–1.5 cm pieces.
  • Toss the apples with 10–15 ml lemon juice.
  • Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground, but do not process into a paste.
  • In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, half the salt, and ground walnuts.
  • Separate the eggs carefully.
  • Whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar and vanilla sugar until smooth and slightly lighter.
  • Beat the egg whites with the remaining salt until soft peaks form.
  • Add the apples to the flour-walnut mixture and toss well.
  • Add the yolk-sugar mixture and stir. The batter will be very thick.
  • Stir about one quarter of the whipped egg whites into the thick batter to loosen it.
  • Fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions, working gently.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared 20 cm pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake at 180°C for 40–45 minutes.
  • If the surface becomes too dark after 30–35 minutes, loosely cover it.
  • Check the center with a wooden skewer. A few moist crumbs are fine, but there should be no raw batter.
  • Cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes.
  • Remove carefully and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

The batter will be very thick before the whipped egg whites are added. Do not add milk. First stir in a small portion of the whipped whites to loosen the mixture, then gently fold in the remainder. Use fresh walnuts and cool the cake completely before slicing for the cleanest texture.