Walnut Spice Cake with Orange & Brown Sugar Icing
There is nothing like the smell of a fresh baked cake circulating through your home. What’s even better is the aroma of a fresh baked SPICE cake! This Walnut Spice Cake has quickly become one of my favorite cakes. It’s super easy to make, it’s incredibly moist and of course it’s delicious! 
There is enough spice in the cake that you can taste it but it’s not overpowering. The brown sugar icing compliments the flavors in the cake very well. I added a little orange zest to the icing to break up the sweetness and give it a little brightness.
I toasted some spiced walnuts to add as a garnish and give the cake an element of crunch. To give them a little kick, I added a dash of black pepper and cayenne pepper. A last minute decision that made the cake that much more special.
There are probably many holidays parties/potlucks you will be attending this season and if you’re unsure on what to bring…then think no more; this cake is the answer! Beware, this Walnut Spice Cake will make you the star of the night and you better be prepared to take in all the compliments; I’m used to it at this point 😉
Things You Should Know:
- There is not much to this cake, just be sure to watch the cake carefully in the oven; don’t over bake.
- Don’t over mix cake batter.
- Spiced walnut topping is optional.
- Stays fresh for up to three days.
Recipe adapted from Flour Bakery.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground clove
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temp
- 3/4 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
- 4 Tbs unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- orange zest 3-4 swipes
- 3/4 cups walnuts
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- pinch salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- pinch fresh nutmeg
- 1 Tbs white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp water
- 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 10-inch bundt cake pan. Tap out any excess flour.
- Place 3/4 cup of walnuts on small sheet pan and toast for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool and then roughly chop walnuts. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment beat together the butter and oil until well combined. About one minute. On medium speed, slowly add the sugar then vanilla and beat for 2 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Stop mixer and using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated and beat again. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Again stop mixer and scrape the bottom of bowl as needed.
- On low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg-butter mixture and mix until barely combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until almost combined. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn mixer back to low speed, add half of the flour until barely combined then add remaining buttermilk and mix. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn mixer back on and add remaining dry ingredients and mix until JUST incorporated. Fold in toasted chopped walnuts with a spatula. Pour batter in prepared bundt cake pan.
- Bake cake or about 25-30 minutes. Maybe a little longer depending on your oven but check at 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back up when pressed lightly in the middle with your fingertip.
- Keep oven at 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with foil and lightly coat with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, place walnuts and spices together and mix to coat.
- Heat sugar, water, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat. Slowly pour butter mixture over the walnuts and stir to coat.
- Transfer walnuts to baking tray and spread into a single layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and stir walnuts with a wooden spoon. Return to oven and bake for an additional 6 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- In a small sauces pan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the brown sugar and salt. Stir until sugar melts and smooth. Add the milk, continue to stir and bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
- Pour into mixing bowl (or any bowl if using handheld mixer) and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat well until smooth and slightly fluffy. If too thin add more powdered sugar if too thick add a little bit of milk. Add a few swipes of orange zest and mix one last time.
