French Walnut Cake

• plain flour↗250g g

  plus extra for dusting

• sugar↗50g g
• cold butter↗125g g

  cut into cubes

• egg↗1

  beaten

• vanilla extract↗½ tsp
• milk↗about 2 tbsp
• yolk↗1

  (freeze the white for another recipe)

• milk↗200ml ml

  plus a drop and extra for glaze

• sugar↗400g g

  plus extra for serving

• walnuts↗275g g

  finely chopped

• butter↗150g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Mix the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter and either quickly pulse or rub between fingers to form crumbs. Add the egg and vanilla and enough milk for the dough to come together. Knead briefly, then divide the dough in half, making one piece slightly larger than the other. Shape discs, wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. If the second method is chosen, remove from the fridge 30‑40 minutes before rolling out.

2. 2

   Roll out the smaller disc between sheets of flour‑dusted parchment paper, forming a disc about 25 cm in diameter. Use a shallow 23 cm tart tin as a guide, leaving about 2 cm overhang, or a 25 cm plate. Place in the refrigerator while you roll out the other portion of the dough.

3. 3

   Roll out the larger disc large enough to line a tart tin, pressing it into the edges and trimming as needed. Place it in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 230 °C/210 °C fan/gas 8. Mix the yolk and a drop of milk in a small bowl and set aside for the glaze. Add sugar to a wide heavy saucepan, add 100 ml water and stir over low‑medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and boil rapidly, swirling the pan but not stirring, for about 10 minutes until the caramel turns pale‑gold. If you have a candy thermometer, the temperature should be 160 °C.

5. 5

   Let it cool for 2 minutes, then carefully add the milk (it will bubble), followed by the walnuts, butter and a pinch of salt. Stir well, including any crystallized sugar crust on the pan edge, and cook for 5‑8 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and turns a pale straw colour (114 °C on a candy thermometer).

6. 6

   Place the frozen tart shell in a baking tray. Pour in the hot nut mixture, quickly brush the edge with some of the yolk‑milk glaze, then cover with a chilled dough lid, pressing firmly to seal (be careful, the filling is still hot). Lightly brush more glaze, pierce the centre and bake, reducing the temperature to 200 °C/180 °C fan/gas 6. After 15 minutes lower to 150 °C/130 °C fan/gas 2 and return the tart, brush again with glaze, sprinkle sugar and bake another 25 minutes until golden‑brown. Let cool completely on a rack before removing from the tin. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.