Chocolate-Glazed Picnic Cake with Toasted Walnuts

By eveweb

Ingredients

• Cake
• 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
• (stir or sift before measuring)
• 1 1/2 cups (325 mL) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
• (sift before measuring)
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
• tsp (1 mL) salt
• cup (125 mL) unsalted butter (1 stick)
• cup (175 mL) buttermilk
• cup (175 mL) coffee or water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla essence
• Glaze
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter (1 stick)
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) coffee or water
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
• (sift before measuring)
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
• 3 cups (750 mL) icing sugar
• (sift before measuring)
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped toasted walnuts
• or pecans

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from lcbo.com

Preparation

Step 1

. Adjust rack to oven centre; preheat to 400F (200C). Grease and flour (or use a dusting of very fine dry bread crumbs) a 10 x 15-inch (25 x 38-cm) jelly-roll baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly stir flour with sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a small pan, melt butter over low heat.

3. Measure out buttermilk; add coffee, eggs and vanilla. Beat with a fork until well mixed.

4. Add buttermilk mixture at once to flour mixture; stir until half mixed. Add melted butter; stir until just combined with a few lumps remaining. Turn into pan; smooth top. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until edges pull away from sides and centre of cake is firm to a light touch.

5. Meanwhile make glaze immediately. In a small pan, melt butter with coffee over medium heat until hot. Whisk in cocoa; stir 2 to 3 minutes or just until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and icing sugar.

6. When hot cake comes out of the oven, immediately spread with still-warm glaze mixture. Immediately sprinkle with nuts. Cool completely on a rack; then cover tightly with plastic wrap (make sure ends of wrap overlap underneath the pan) for transport or to store at room temperature for up to 2 days. (Cake freezes very well for up to 2 weeks; defrost with wrappings still in place to avoid moisture accumulation on glaze.)