Difficulty: Intermediate (Level 2)
Grate or finely chop the walnuts.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
Beat the yolks with the caster sugar until frothy. Stir in the rum.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gently fold them into the yolk mixture. Lightly incorporate the walnuts and starch.
Pour into a generously buttered 25 cm springform pan, bottom lined with greased parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated moderate oven (th. 4/5 – 190°C) for 50 minutes.
Unmold onto a wire rack to cool.
Prepare the glaze while the cake is still warm: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon coffee extract to the center and stir, gradually adding more extract until smooth. If too thick, add water drop by drop.
Spread the icing over the cake center, tilting to coat the surface evenly.
Decorate with walnut kernels.
Source: Top 100 Desserts, Larousse.
