Easy Walnut Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

I Love Simple Cakes

I don’t bake cakes that often, because elaborate and overly fanciful cakes just seem too over-the-top (at least for me).

In my opinion, I’d rather leave those fancy cakes to professional bakers who spend their waking hours dedicated to the craft.

What I don’t mind baking, however, are easy, fuss-free cakes that don’t require 3 days of preparation time, or a degree in baking, or something to that effect. In fact, the simpler a cake is to make, the great the possibility of me baking it (and often).

Having a slice of cake with a cup of tea or hot coffee is my idea of comfort, especially during the cooler months.

Some of my favorite (easy) cake recipes include:

• Gluten-Free Coffee Cake (Dairy-Free)
• Blood Orange Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Lemon Yogurt Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Ingredient Notes + Substitutions

• Walnuts: Since this is a walnut cake, walnuts are essential here. Unless of course you don’t care about the walnuts, then you can use other types of unsalted nuts such as pecans, pistachios, almonds, or cashews.
• Almond Meal: I used my homemade almond meal, but you can also use store-bought almond meal or almond flour if you prefer. Alternatively, if you want to have a stronger walnut flavor, feel free to use walnut meal instead.
• Tapioca Starch: If you don’t have tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour), you may also use arrowroot starch instead.
• Baking Powder: In this gluten-free walnut cake recipe, baking powder is the only leavening agent, so make sure you add it in. If you have Celiac disease or are gluten-intolerant, make sure you use certified gluten-free baking powder.
• Eggs: Make sure the eggs are at room temperature and that you separate the eggs into yolks and egg whites and use them separately. I have not tried this recipe without eggs, and I don’t think it will work without them, so I don’t recommend replacing the eggs with something else.
• Salt: Using a very small pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 teaspoon) helps to give more structure to the egg whites and allows them to reach their full volume when beaten.
• Sugar: I used normal white sugar, but you may also use light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, or coconut sugar if you prefer. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using Lakanto monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index, and will not raise your blood sugar.)
• Orange Juice/Zest: For best results and taste, I highly recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly grated orange zest.
• Coconut Oil: I prefer using refined coconut oil when baking because it has a less pronounced coconut taste (compared to extra virgin coconut oil that has a stronger coconut flavor and smell). You may also use melted vegan butter instead. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use normal butter or ghee instead.
• Powdered Sugar: Sprinkling a light dusting of powdered sugar (also called confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar) always makes any dessert look a little fancier. If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, you can make your own by blending white sugar in a high-speed blender until you a super fine powder. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using powdered Lakanto monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 powdered sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index, and will not raise your blood sugar).

How to Make Gluten-Free Walnut Cake (Step by Step)

1. Preheat and Grease

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan and then place a parchment paper round on the bottom, and cover the sides with parchment paper.

2. Chop Walnuts

Roughly chop walnuts until you get very small pieces.

3. Combine Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, almond flour, tapioca starch, and baking powder.

4. Beat Egg Yolks

Beat the egg yolks in another large bowl until frothy, then add slowly add in the sugar, and beat until it turns pale yellow.

5. Add Yolk Mixture to Dry Ingredients

Pour the egg yolk mixture into the bowl with dried ingredients, add orange juice, zest, and coconut oil. Mix well until combined.

6. Beat Egg Whites

Beat egg whites and salt with an electric hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form.

7. Fold Egg Whites into Batter

Gently fold in beaten egg whites into the batter, until just combined (be careful not to over-mix).

8. Pour Batter into Prepared Cake Pan

Pour the walnut cake batter into the prepared pan, place pan on baking sheet, and bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

9. Cool Completely Before Removing

Let the sweet walnut cake cool completely on a wire rack before removing pan sides.

10. Remove Cake From Pan

Invert the cooled cake onto platter and then remove parchment paper.

11. Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the cake and serve.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Use Lemon Instead of Orange: If you prefer the taste of lemon instead of orange, feel free to substitute the orange juice and zest with fresh lemon juice and zest instead.
• Make Chocolate Walnut Cake: If you love the taste of chocolate, feel free to add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
• Make Muffins: I used a springform pan to make this cake, but you can also divide the batter between a regular 12-cup muffin mold instead to make walnut muffins (bake the muffins at 350F for 40 minutes).
• Make a Walnut Loaf: Alternatively, you can also use a regular loaf pan to make a gluten-free walnut loaf.
• Make a Layer Cake: If you’d like to make a more elaborate cake, you can prepare a double batch of this cake and spread frosting between and on top of each layer. Top the cake with walnut halves for a beautiful finish.

Recipe FAQs: