Walnut Spice Cake

KRI December 2019 Recipe of the Month

Taken from From Vegetables, With Love: Recipes and Tales from a Yogi’s Kitchen
(Revised and Expanded New Edition) by Siri-Ved Kaur Khalsa

Another great layer cake. Try this one with Cream Cheese Frosting for the filling and Persimmon Icing for the top. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ghee or butter cut in thin slices
• 2 cups honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup currants
• ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda

Instructions to make Walnut Spice Cake :

Combine ghee, honey, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wire whisk or electric mixer until creamed and smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flours, arrowroot, spices, and salt. Sift dry ingredients at least once. Combine sour cream and buttermilk in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Add dry mixture and sour cream mixture to creamed mixture, alternating, starting and ending with the dry. Use your hands and squeeze out all lumps. Gently stir in currants, walnuts, and lemon peel. Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Now slowly fold the water into the batter. Do not beat or over mix. Let this sit for at least 10 minutes so that the baking soda can interact with the sour cultures. Pour batter into greased and lightly floured baking pans and bake at 325° for about 35–40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pans. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or maple extract
• 2 tablespoons milk or sour cream

Whip cream cheese, sweetener, and extract together in an electric blender or food processor, until smooth and creamy. Add milk very sparingly, as required, for spreading consistency. The frosting will thicken slightly when refrigerated.

Persimmon Icing 

Yield: about 1½ cups

• ½ cup very ripe Hachiya persimmon pulp
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 12 ounces softened cream cheese

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Teacher