Venetian Chocolate Walnut Cake inspired by Marcella Hazan

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups shelled walnuts
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 ounces dark chocolate (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Grated lemon or orange zest
• 8 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon nocino Italian walnut liqueur or brandy (optional)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder and softly whipped cream (for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Yield: One 8-inch cake ---

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 350 (175 C) degrees. Coat the sides of an 8-inch springform pan with olive oil or softened butter and line the bottom with a piece of parchment.

3. 3

   Put the walnuts and sugar in a food processor and grind until fine crumbs form. Add the chocolate and zest and pulse a few times to chop the chocolate into small chips.

4. 4

   Whip the egg whites and salt in a mixer with the whisk attachment until they form stiff peaks.

5. 5

   Sift the flour over the egg whites and fold it in gently. Add the walnut mixture in 2 or 3 additions and fold it in carefully (the volume will decrease slightly. Stir in the nocino or brandy, if using.

6. 6

   Transfer the batter to the pan. Bake on the middle oven rack 30–35 minutes, until the cake is puffed and a toothpick inserted in the middle emerges without crumbs but with a little melted chocolate.

7. 7

   Cool in the pan 10 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan; invert onto a rack, remove the parchment paper. Turn the cake right side up and cool completely.

8. 8

   Sift a light layer of cocoa powder over the cake. Slice into wedges and serve with side of softly whipped cream.