Chocolate Chip Walnut Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 6 oz. good quality chocolate (around 55% cacao), chopped
• 6 oz. heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (for topping)
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (for topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Make the cake: ---

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 350°. Move the rack to the center of the oven. Line a 9 x 13” baking pan with enough parchment paper to have some overhang.

3. 3

   Brown the butter. Melt over medium heat until golden brown and nutty-smelling, with a few visible solids. Scrape butter and any solids into a bowl. Cool 10 minutes.

4. 4

   In a medium bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk and sour cream.

5. 5

   In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold into the wet mixture, along with the walnuts and chocolate chips.

6. 6

   Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top springs back and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, covered with a clean towel.

7. 7

   While the cake is cooling, make the ganache topping.

8. 8

   Make a double boiler. Fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While the water is warming, place a heat-proof bowl over the saucepan (a stainless bowl works great for this). The bowl shouldn’t be touching the water.

9. 9

   Add the chocolate and heavy whipping cream in the heat-proof bowl and stir until the chocolate has melted and combined with the heavy cream to make a ganache. Set aside to cool.

10. 10

    Once cooled, use a butter knife, back of a large spoon or an offset spatula to spread the ganache onto the cooled cake, covering the whole cake.

11. 11

    Sprinkle mini chocolate chips and chopped walnuts on top.

12. 12

    Grasping the overhang of parchment paper, carefully remove the cake and set on a cutting board.

13. 13

    Using a large knife, cut into squares and serve. Cover and refrigerate any leftover cake for up to 5 days, or freeze.