Dark Chocolate Walnut Gateau
Chocolate and walnuts are a marriage made in heaven. Giving a favourite an even healthier twist, this cake comes with a serving of oats too. It’s flourless, gluten free, moist and delicious. Make it ahead as a tea cake or dessert.
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Walnut Oat Base
- 30 g clarified butter {ghee}
- 150 g walnuts
- 40 g quick cooking oats
- 15 g brown sugar
Dark Chocolate Filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean scraped {or 1vanilla extract}
- 15 g coffee powder
- 100 g dark chocolate melted
- 2 tbsp Water
- 4 egg whites
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 30 g oatmeal
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 10 g powdered sugar for sifting
Mascarpone Caramel Cream
- 200 g mascarpone chilled
- 2-3 tbsp salted caramel sauce
- Salted caramel sauce to drizzle
Walnut Oat Base
Run walnuts, oats and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in food processor till ground. Add the clarified butter/ghee and pulse till it all comes together.
Gently press this into the bottom and up the sides of the baking tin to form a base.
Dark Chocolate Filling
Place the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer. Add 50g brown sugar, pinch of cream of tartar and beat on high speed to stiff peaks. Reserve in a separate bowl.
Place the egg yolks in the same bowl of the stand mixer. Beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes until thick and mousse like. Add the remaining 50g brown sugar, coffee powder and scraped vanilla bean, and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Gently stir in the oats flour and baking powder.
Fold in the melted chocolate and water.
Gently fold in the beaten egg whites, beginning with a quarter at a time.
Turn the filling over the walnut base and spread uniformly. Sprinkle over with 1 tbsp brown sugar
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, cool in the pan for another 15-20 minutes
Loosen sides, and leave to cool completely for about 2 hours. The centre will drop/sink
Chill, then top with the mascarpone cream.
Topping
Whisk the mascarpone until smooth.
Take 2-3 tbsp and whisk in the salted caramel sauce to loosen, the gently fold this through the remaining mascarpone. Taste and add more sauce if desired.
Top the chilled cake with this, add some salted caramel popcorn if you like.
Slightly warm a little more salted caramel sauce and drizzle over to finish.