Karithopita Olympic Walnut Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F; butter and flour a 13 x 9 baking pan.
• In a bowl combine the walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, breadcrumbs, flour, and baking powder.
• In a small glass, dilute the soda with the cognac.
• Beat the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
• In a large bowl mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar and then add the eggs yolks; mix in the soda with the cognac, and add the milk and the walnut mixture, beating until well combined; fold in 1/4 of the beaten egg whites to lighten batter, then carefully fold in the rest; it is ok if a few white streaks show in the batter; spread into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Cool cake completely (it is very important that the cake is cooled before pouring on hot syrup because otherwise it will turn mushy).
• For the syrup: Mix all the ingredients together in a medium saucepan; bring it to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes; remove cinnamon stick and pour hot syrup over cooled cake; let the cake cool completely (from the addition of the hot syrup) before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Grease an 8- or 9-inch round pan.
• Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale yellow.
• Stir in orange juice, brandy and vanilla.
• Combine semolina and baking powder and fold into egg yolks.
• In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
• Fold in walnuts, nutmeg and orange zest.
• Fold 1/2 of whites into yolk mixture, then fold in remaining whites.
• Spread in pan and bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool on rack.
• While cake is baking, combine water, sugar, lemon rind and cinnamon in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook until sugar is melted.
• Set aside to cool slightly.
• Pour hot syrup on cake, place 8 walnut halves around the top outside edge and 1 in the center and serve.

Steps:

• For the syrup: Heat the sugar, honey, water, and brandy over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn heat to low and add in cloves, cinnamon stick, and orange rind. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes and remove from the heat. Remove the orange, cloves and cinnamon stick and cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• For the Cake: In a medium bowl mix together walnuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and clove.
• In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add in the egg yolks and continue whipping. Add in the walnut mixture slowly, and mix until well blended.
• In a very clean bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter until the mixture is completely incorporated.
• Grease a 12 by 9-inch baking pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the syrup over the cake, until it is drenched in syrup. Cover with a kitchen towel and let cool. Cut into diamonds and serve.