Brown Sugar Walnut Cake

Stressed spelled backwards spells desserts... Maybe that's why i've been baking up a storm lately? Psh, what am I saying? I know that's partly why i've been baking so much. Well that and I have a little obsession with sweet stuff...

No wonder why my jeans fit tighter...

So school stresses me out. A lot. In some ways i'm kind of a perfectionist. I want everything to be as perfect as can be, including grades, so if I don't get a good grade I get depressed and stressed and end up baking cakes and eating them all and...

Ok it's not quiet that bad but really, I don't like school. Shocking right? I'm the first college student who's ever said that before.

It's not like it's even really that hard, it's just the making myself study and do the work and all that. Then you think you studied as much as you possibly can and STILL end up with a less than perfect grade. It's frustrating!

So in times like those, I make a cake to celebrate how truly awesome and smart I am, no matter what my teacher or grades say!

I'm fabulous and I know it!

So for all you college/highschool students or even just hard working people out there, here is a truly delicious cake you can make to celebrate this glorious time of year we call the fall, and salute our teachers/bosses in our now filled out tight jeans! Because we're worth it!

Cake adapted from Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes. Recipe on Food Network here. Frosting adapted from the fabulous and talented Kita from Pass The Sushi. Recipe here.

Brown Sugar Walnut Cake

Cake

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

4- 6 cups confectioners’ sugar

½  cup milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Walnut Crunch

2 cups walnuts, chopped

5 tbls butter, melted

3 tbls brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

First make the walnut crunch. In a medium bowl combine all 3 ingredients and stir to combine. Line a cookie sheet with foil and pour the mixture onto the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes then stir. Bake another 5 minutes. 

Once the mixture has been toasted grease 2 8" cake pans and spread mixture into the bottoms, gently pressing down like a pie crust. 

For the Cake. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared cake pans with the walnuts, trying not to move the walnut mixture too much. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition, until icing reaches desired consistency; you may not need to add all the sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

After letting the cakes cool for a while, gently frost your cake. Cut, serve, eat, enjoy!