Nothing missing in this glorious gluten-free cake recipe

Based on the traditional German Madeltorte idea, this incredible holiday cake is based instead on walnuts, whose trees are heavy with the dark nut encasements at this time of year. Together with an orange custard filling, and a handy trick inspired by gluten-free cooking expert Sally Fallon using tapioca bread crumbs, this double-decker delight will give you and your family new reason to celebrate. My friend, Leslie Jones, an artist in paints, clays, fibers, and foods, and the woman who created this recipe, highlights the winter’s best seasonal ingredients in this cake. Leslie uses her own chicken’s eggs and walnuts she gets from a nearby farm, which she cleans, cracks, roasts and grates for her own homemade walnut meal. I helped her make this cake, and prepared some excellent Pear and Parsnip Puree alongside.

This recipe is easy and fun to make with young helpers, and stays moist for a few days if made ahead of time. Serves 18-20, although recipe can easily be halved for smaller parties.

Winter Walnut-Orange Torte

Ingredients:

For cake:

2 cups sugar
12 eggs, separated
2 large oranges, grated rind and juice reserved
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups ground walnuts (1/2 cup reserved for custard)
1 ¼ cups tapioca breadcrumbs (see recipe, below*)
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
(1 tsp dried minced orange peel)

For syrup:

1 ¼ cups dry sherry (or white wine)
4 Tb orange juice (strained, fresh-squeezed is ideal)
4 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
½ cup sugar
2 large pieces of orange peel (use a peeler to avoid getting too much pith)

For orange filling:

4 cups orange juice (ideally strained, fresh-squeezed)
1 cup sugar
3 Tb arrow root powder
¼ tsp salt
5 large egg yolks, beaten
(1 Tb orange zest)
(reserved ½ cup ground walnuts from cake recipe)

*To prepare breadcrumbs:

Toast 3-4 slices of tapioca bread, and cool. In a food processor, pulse until desired even breadcrumb consistency. Measure 1 ¼ cups and set aside.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease three 9-in. diameter rounds and line with bottoms with parchment paper circles.

In a large bowl, beat 12 egg yolks and gradually add sugar until a creamy consistency is reached. Add zest of two oranges, the dried minced orange peel (if desired), the juice of two oranges, strained, the cinnamon, the ground walnuts, the prepared tapioca breadcrumbs, and the vanilla extract. Gently combine.

In a separate bowl, (if possible use a chilled copper bowl), beat 12 egg whites until peaks form.

Carefully fold whites into the batter.

Evenly fill baking rounds with batter, and smooth tops with the bottom of a table spoon.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool on baking racks in the pan.

Over the stove heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add all ingredients for the syrup: sherry, orange juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel, and sugar. Reduce heat to low after a gentle simmer starts and cook until liquid achieves a golden-brown color or about 15 minutes.

Carefully pour syrup over cakes, reserving ¼ - ½ cup for custard filling, and continue to cool cakes on racks.

After saturated, or about 15 minutes, remove cakes from pan and keep on cooling racks until custard is ready.

To begin custard, dissolve arrowroot powder in orange juice. Heat double boiler over medium heat, adding in order: orange juice mixture, sugar, and salt until simmering lightly. Temper in beaten egg yolks by adding a tablespoon of the hot juice mixture to the eggs, beating, and slowly incorporating into the rest of the juice so as not to cook the egg. Beat on and off for 10-12 minutes, or until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and add orange zest (if extra orange flavor is desired), and ground walnuts.

On a decorative plate or cake stand, center one of the cake rounds, using three dots of custard to secure. Pour about 1/3 of the custard into the center of the round, using a cake knife or the bottom of a table spoon to spread from the inside out. Top with the second round and cover top and sides with remaining custard. Use powdered sugar and thinly-sliced orange rounds for further decoration if desired.

Here's a wonderful complementary dish to serve with dinner before this cake - Pear and Parsnip Puree

If you aren't up for cooking a fabulous gluten-free cake yourself, head to Mariposa Bakery on Shattuck Avenue, near the Berkeley border for the best baked-for-you versions, or a flourless brownie to die for...