The original walnut cake recipe, where all the ingredients are measured in spoonfuls, like they did in the olden days. For each egg used, add a spoonful of sugar, and the same amount of breadcrumbs and walnuts. 

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Particularly favorite among mountainous regions, abundant in walnuts, with only small variations depending on whether breadcrumbs are replaced by flour or semolina. The cake’s aroma is yet another point of convention. Most people opt for cinnamon, either plain or mixed with cloves, but you can just as easily add chocolate, cocoa or even shredded coconut for a more exotic flavor. We present here the original classic version of walnut cake, a recipe born in Levidi of Arcadia. 

Variations on the theme

• Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use store-bought rusks, which give a great, rich flavor. 
• Instead of 2 cups of water, pour in one cup of water and 1½ cup of red wine to elevate your syrup. Don’t forget the orange for the taste. 
•  You can forgo both the original and the wine-enhanced syrup for a chocolate one: Melt 300g of couverture chocolate on a bain-marie, then pour in 250ml of hot milk and 2 cups of syrup and stir. Enhance its flavor by adding ½ cup of cognac or Tia Maria liqueur. Pour the mix over the walnut pie immediately after removing it from the oven, while it’s still hot. 

Ingredients

Servings: 16-20

12 eggs, separated
12 tbsp sugar
12 tbsp breadcrumbs
12 tbsp walnuts, ground
1 sachet (2½ tsp) baking powder
the seeds of ½ vanilla pod or 2 vials vanillin or ½ tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest

For the syrup

3 cups sugar (680g)
2 cups water
1 orange peel

Preparation

Make sure to carefully measure all the ingredients, especially the sugar. You don’t need to be as exact when it comes to the breadcrumbs or the walnuts. 

Preheat the oven at 180ºC. 

Mix the walnuts with the breadcrumbs and baking powder in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl, pour in the yolks, sugar and spices. Set the egg whites aside. 

Beat the egg whites into a meringue. 

In the yolk batter, add ⅓ of the solid batter and ⅓ of the meringue. Stir lightly till smooth, making sure the meringue stays fluffy. 

Add half of the solid batter and half of the meringue and blend till smooth, then add the rest of the ingredients. 

Butter a 33x18cm pan and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. 

Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven. Test it with a knife. The cake is ready when the knife comes out clean. 

Let it cool till lukewarm.