I came across this recipe before we left for Italy but wasn’t able to make it until we returned.  This beauty of this cake is that it is very simple with just a few ingredients.  The walnuts shine through and the cake is enhanced with a light taste and scent of citrus.  The recipe calls for orange zest.  Here I used lemon as my wife doesn’t really care for orange flavors in cakes.  Lemon was great but orange would undoubtedly produce a more robust citrus flavor.  The recipe is from Food 52 and I followed it very closely.  However, I think I would add a dash of salt to the mix next time.  The people who ate the cake really enjoyed it but my wife thought it could use a bit of elevation in flavor…which salt usually accomplishes with ease.  Try it as written first and see what you think.  Last thing:  my oven runs hot so I cooked my cake about 8 minutes less than indicated.  If yours tends to do the same, best to check it frequently as the walnuts will burn.

As you look over the recipe, you’ll note that it does not contain flour.  As such, this recipe is gluten free…a real bonus for those of you who need to watch that.

The recipe can be found here.  Enjoy!