Bon Apetit/April 2004

Spiced Walnut Cake with Lemon Sorbet, Honey, and Mint
Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Calories % from Fat Fat Sodium Carbohydrates Protein Cholesterol
20 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A


INGREDIENTS:
SYRUP: 4 cups water 2 cups sugar 8 whole cloves
2 large lemons CAKE: 3 cups all purpose flour 2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 8 large eggs
1 cup whole milk 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts 4 pints lemon sorbet
warm Greek honey or clover honey chopped fresh mint



1 FOR SYRUP: Mix 4 cups water, sugar, and cloves in large saucepan. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel from lemons in strips; add strips to saucepan. Stir over high heat until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until syrup is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain syrup into small bowl.
2 FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and oil in large bowl until blended and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with milk in 3 additions. Fold in walnuts.
3 Transfer batter to prepared dish. Bake until cake is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Using skewer, poke holes all over top of cake. Pour cold syrup over hot cake, 1/4 cupful at a time, allowing syrup to be absorbed before next addition. Cool cake.
4 Cut cake lenthwise into 4 strips; cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Arrange on plates. Scoop sorbet alongside. Drizzle sorbet with honey; sprinkle with mint.

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