Collective
escape
Passover
nut cake
DAHLIA HEYMAN
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The recipe below comes from 1980’s Modern Jewish Cooking, with minor adjustments in measurement and presentation from my mother. The subsequent icing and decoration is pieced together from memories of her own mother’s Passover baking in the small Roman apartment they shared, in the years following World War II.
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1 ⅓ CUP SUGAR
8 EGGS, SEPARATED
1 TSP GRATED LEMON PEEL
3 TBSP LEMON JUICE
1 CUP FINELY GROUND WALNUTS
½ CUP MATZAH MEAL
Place the sugar and egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Attach beaters and mix on medium speed until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add lemon peel and juice, mixing well.
In a separate bowl, mix whites on high speed until stiff. Fold egg whites, walnuts, and matzah meal into the batter by hand. Fit the cake into a greased round cake pan, filling it three-quarters.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
Icing and
decoration
1 EGG WHITE
½ LEMON
1 ½ TBSP CASTER SUGAR
1 TSP CREAM of TARTAR
(OPTIONAL but HELPS ACHIEVE STIFF PEAKS)
½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED WALNUTS
Squeeze the lemon into the egg white and begin beating, adding the cream of tartar and slowly incorporating the sugar.
Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing evenly over all sides of its surface. Coat with a thin layer of walnuts.