Frank's Recipes! Walnut Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

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Walnut Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

10 to 12 Servings

CARAMEL
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup whipping cream

SYRUP
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark rum

CAKE
3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup walnuts
5 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FROSTING
5 3-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
25 to 30 walnut halves

CARAMEL
Stir sugar and water in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream. Stir until caramel is smooth. Return to medium heat. Stir until caramel returns to boil and color deepens slightly, about 1 minute. Pour into a small bowl. Refrigerate until cold.

SYRUP
Stir water and sugar in small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to boil. Remove from heat; add rum.

CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment. Sift first 3 ingredients into bowl. Finely grind walnuts and 2 tablespoons dry ingredients into processor.

Combine eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture resembles softly whipped cream, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, heat mixture until cool and heavy ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture in 3 additions; fold in each addition. Sprinkle walnut mixture and melted butter over and fold in. (Do not overfold or batter will deflate.) Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until test inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Cut around cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.

FROSTING
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in 1 1/3 cups cold caramel sauce in 4 additions.

FINAL ASSEMBLY
Cut cake in half. Place bottom half, cut side up, on plate. Drizzle with 5 tablespoons syrup. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over. Place top half, cut side down, on top. Drizzle with 5 tablespoons syrup. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top and sides of cake. Drizzle 3 tablespoons caramel sauce onto top. Using tip of knife, swirl decoratively. Press chopped nuts onto sides of cake. Place nut halves around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill).

NOTE
Whisking and beating the eggs is very important, as there is no leavening in this cake, and it depends on the volume of the egg mixture. I couldn't taste the rum sauce and think it could be omitted.