The crisp fall air means we get to enjoy cool weather favorites. Black Walnut Cake is a traditional homemade cake recipe that includes some surprising ingredients. First off, a dark beer is added to give the cake a richness that can't be replicated. Then, black walnuts are added to give it an earthy taste. If you have never tried black walnuts, they are worth a look.
When we lived in Nebraska, we had dear friends who would bring bags of black walnuts, already shelled, to the local craft shows. For $4.00, you could buy a quart sized freezer bag of perfectly cleaned, shelled nuts. Everyone in the town appreciated the nuts, but now that I no longer live anywhere near black walnut trees, I painfully buy tiny bags of them at the store for 5 times that price. I miss both my wonderful neighbors, and their walnuts.
This cake has changed over the years to become my signature dessert. Right down to the homemade cream cheese frosting, every part of it has been tweaked to suit my family's tastes. I hope you love the moist, rich flavor, and come to make it as often as I do once the weather turns colder.
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