Frosted Walnut Cake: 7-Minute Frosting

For this cake, the main element for me is the frosting, but for the cake itself you can use any regular sponge cake recipe you're comfortable with, just add about 100g or so of chopped walnuts.

For me, I'm still trying to find the perfect sponge cake recipe to complement this frosting, but as soon as I do I'll be sure to post it! In the meantime, the frosting definitely deserves its own post- called 7-minute frosting, it has the texture and make-up of meringue, makes any cake look pretty and tastes pretty darn good too! Worth a try if you're looking to change up the usual buttercream frosting...

7-Minute Frosting Ingredients:

175g/6 oz caster sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of cream or tartar
2 tbsp water
1 egg white
few drops of vanilla extract
8 walnut halves, to decorate

Method:

Place the sugar, salt, cream of tartar, water and egg in a heatproof bowl and beat together with a hand-held electric whisk for 30 seconds.

Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk at high speed for 5-7 minutes, until the frosting stands in peaks when the beaters are lifted out of the mixture. Remove the bowl from the pan and whisk in the vanilla.

If sandwiching two cakes together, make sure the cakes are completely cold, then place one cake on a serving plate and spread with a little of the frosting.Put the remaining cake on top. Working quickly, pile the frosting on top of the cake and spread it over the top and sides with a palette knife, then mark it in decorative swirls.

Before the frosting sets, gently press the walnut halves on to the top of the cake and leave to set before serving.

Enjoy!