Hungarian Layered Walnut Cake with Jellied Soured Cream

I love the freshness of soured cream. The best way to introduce it to filling for cakes is to mix it with cream cheese and add a little bit of gelatin to it, so it can keep a form without losing its freshness, its smooth and velvety consistency nor taste qualities.

This cream would be perfect on its own as well, in a glass layered with fruit and nuts for example.

Although an unusual combination, I liked how it paired with the walnut cake base, whose recipe is adapted from the book Culinaria Hungary. I don't believe a recipe including walnuts can produce anything different from a pure delight. Besides Hungary's traditions in patisserie and desserts are renowned.

Recipe:

About 200 gr walnut kernels are required for the whole recipe.

for the cake base:

6 eggs separated

1 cup icing sugar

1 cup flour

1 tbsp choco powder (can be replaced with carob flour if you use)

4 tbsp ground walnuts

1 tsp baking soda or baking powder

for the jellied soured cream :

450 gr soured cream

250 gr cream cheese

3 tbsp icing sugar

2 medium-size ripe bananas

1 pack ( 1.5 tbsp) gelatin powder dissolved in 4 tbsp water

to cover the cake's top and sides:

150 ml whipping cream

the rest of the walnuts

Method:

Start with the walnut kernels. Wash the kernels well 4-5 times, drain and place in a microwave oven to dry: full power for 1.5 minutes, stop and mix, then another 1.5 minutes and leave for 3 minutes. Then one last time on full power for 1 minute and leave to cool a bit.

Chop the walnuts in a kitchen chopper or a blender until they start to look like a rough grainy powder. Set aside.

For the cake:

Start beating the eggwhites with a pinch of salt until they start to raise their volume and become fluffy. Add half of the icing sugar gradually while beating and continue to beat until the eggwhites become firm and glossy.

In a deep bowl beat the yolks with the rest of the icing sugar.

Start folding in one tbsp of the eggwhites and one tbsp of the flour to the yolks. At the end add the walnuts powder and the baking soda or baking powder.

Place in a lined cake tin and bake at 180 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and set aside to cool down.

Using a thread cut the whole cake to three disks each of them 1.5 cm high.

Alternatively bake the three parts of the cake separately.

for the jellied cream:

In a bowl beat the cream cheese with the sugar. Add the blended bananas and mix well. Then fold in the soured cream. The cream should acquire rich velvety consistency.

Cover the gelatin powder with the water and leave for 5 minutes to absorb. Place a bowl with water on medium heat and don't allow it to boil. In the water place the bowl with the gelatin. Stir occasionally until the gelatin dissolves completely.

Take two tablespoons (tbsp) of the cream and add to the gelatin, mixing energetically. Add about one cup more of the cream to the gelatin mix, beating well.

Finally, add the mixture with the gelatin to the rest of the cream mixture, mix very well and place in the fridge for half an hour.

Assemble the cake :

In the meantime start assembling the cake. It is best to use a springform. Place the first disk of cake on bottom of the form and cover with half of the cream. Leave in the fridge until set. Place the second cake disk on top of the cream and cover with the remaining cream. In he fridge to set.

Cover with the remaining disk and leave overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform. Beat the whipping cream and cover the cake well. Sprinkle generously with the powdered walnuts covering the top and sides.

Store in a fridge and consume within 3-4 days.