Ingredients
Scale
- Cake
- 3 cups walnut halves, finely chopped
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup milk (I used almond, use what you love)
- Syrup
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 2-inch pieces fresh lemon peel, yellow part only
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I did this by hand but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and lemon juice. The mixture may look curdled, this is okay.
- In a medium bowl, stir together chopped walnuts, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Alternately add the walnut mixture and the milk to the butter mixture. Mix just until a batter is formed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Make the syrup while the cake cools slightly. In a medium sauce pan, bring water, sugar, and lemon peel to a boil. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until reduced to the consistency of maple syrup. Remove the lemon peel and immediately pour over the cake.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen in pieces, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave about 1 minute.
Notes
Recipe adapted from It’s All Greek to Me by Debbie Matenopoulos
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes