Aunt Grace’s Cake: The Recipe

Aunt Grace’s Cake – Photo: L. Weikel

I hear you! I’m listening!

It was only a matter of time, I suppose. I’ve posted many photos of my valiant efforts to recreate the (extremely unconventional) birthday cake of my childhood, which I refer to as ‘Aunt Grace’s Cake,’ not only here in Ruffled Feathers, as part of my 1111 Devotion, but also in a number of posts over the years on FB.

I say it’s an extremely unconventional birthday cake because, let’s face it: how many little kids would like – or at least express a preference for – a walnut torte? Walnuts really are an acquired taste. (The icing, on the other hand, is absolutely drop-over amazing.) So I actually think my mother was quite crafty in how she marketed the specialness of this cake to me as a little kid. She had great taste!

Brief History

As best as I can tell, this recipe is Hungarian. It was brought here to the United States not written on paper anywhere, but rather etched in the memory of Grace Jancosko*, who immigrated here from Hungary as a child with her family.

Aunt Grace was not actually related to me by blood, but she was a decades long good friend of my mother’s, and thus our whole family. Over those years, she generously shared the delicacies of her heritage, a partial list of which includes walnut torte (a/k/a Aunt Grace’s Cake), 23 layer cake, stuffed cabbages, kiffels (Christmas morning wasn’t Christmas without a tin of Aunt Grace’s kiffels getting passed around lovingly – with an eagle eye that no one took too many!), and a dumpling soup that was mouth wateringly delicious.

I know I’m forgetting some of her other dishes. And I know my brother and sisters had affectionate nicknames for some of those dishes, which I’m not quite sure I remember. I think our family called the dumpling dish ‘globby soup’ or something like that? All I remember is that it tasted like comfort-food heaven.

Cut to the Chase

Because I know from reading the comments I’ve seen not only on FB but also via email and text messages I’ve received, there’s a clamoring for Aunt Grace’s recipe. Thus, I will cut to the chase and offer you the recipe as I received it, I believe from one of my sisters.

Aunt Grace’s Cake (“Walnut Torte”)**

12 egg yolks (set aside the whites for later use)

1 lb. powdered sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 lemon rind, grated

3 Tbsp. bread crumbs

1 lb. walnuts (generous pound)

Mix first five ingredients together with a mixer, then add walnuts and mix well.

Beat egg whites until stiff, then gently fold into the batter until well mixed.

Divide mixture evenly between 3 round pans that have been greased and floured.

Bake at 350 degrees approx. 25-30 minutes. (Start checking with a wooden toothpick after 20 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, it’s ready.)

Icing:

3 eggs

½ lb. (2 sticks) sweet (unsalted) butter

1 lb. powdered sugar

3 – 3 oz. bars of premium (34-38%) milk chocolate (I prefer Black & Green or Icelandic), melted in a double boiler

Note: I use organic versions of all the ingredients.

________________________________________________________

Fun Fact: Until last night, I never realized that Hungary is known for its exceptionally high quality walnuts. It only makes sense, then, that a recipe such as this one would have made the trip across the ocean and survived to this day.

_________________________________________________________

*Aunt Grace’s last name, Jancosko, was her married name. I do not know her maiden name, and I apologize for that.

**The recipe I have copied down from my sister also refers to this as ‘Dyos Torte.’ However – that same name is also applied to the ’23 layer cake,’ which is a veritable work of art. I’m not sure which cake technically is known as a Dyos Torte.

The recipe for the ‘23 layer cake’ is almost identical to this recipe except there are NO WALNUTS and a slight variation in the other ingredients. The recipe calls for DOUBLING the icing ingredients (YUM). But: I’ve never made it. So If there’s a request for that recipe, I’ll provide it; but since I’ve never made it (and can’t even offer you a photo), I’m going to hold off for now.

I extend my deepest appreciation to the memory of Aunt Grace, and hope, by sharing this recipe, I’m honoring and doing justice to the love and wonderful memories she provided me and my family by sharing her culinary heritage.

Please let me if you give this a try!