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This easy walnut cake recipe is rich, buttery, and perfectly moist, with ground walnuts in every bite. If you love walnuts, you’ll love this simple and delicious recipe—perfect for tea time or dessert! Check out my video guide and tips below to make the perfect cake every time.
Walnut Butter Cake
Two of the most popular baking recipes on Rasa Malaysia are Butter Cake and Brownie Butter Cake, and I’m always excited to try new butter cake variations.
I love simple cakes—rich, buttery, and just sweet enough—the kind that fills the kitchen with the incredible smell of baking. This walnut cake is exactly that, with ground walnuts adding extra flavor and texture to every bite.
If you’re looking for an easy walnut cake recipe, this one is a must-try. It’s soft, moist, and packed with nutty goodness—perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. I love how simple it is to make, yet it tastes like something straight from a bakery. Whether you love walnuts or just want a buttery, classic cake, this is the best walnut cake recipe you’ll ever bake!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich and buttery. The salted butter and vanilla give this cake a rich, buttery flavor that’ll make every bite melt in your mouth.
- Moist and tender. Thanks to the milk and a little care in mixing, this cake stays soft and moist for days. No dry cake here!
- Packed with nutty goodness. Ground walnuts throughout the cake give it that perfect nutty flavor, and the whole walnuts on top add a nice crunch.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This walnut butter cake calls for simple ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salted butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar – I used fine granulated sugar, or castor sugar.
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they blend seamlessly into the batter.
- Walnut – If you want to switch things up, almonds or hazelnuts are a great option too. For the topping, whole walnuts are perfect, but pecans also work really well. When grinding your whole roasted walnuts in a food processor, there’s no need to turn them into a fine powder—just pulse them until they’re a little grainy for the perfect texture.
- Milk – I used whole milk, but you can swap it with sour cream or yogurt if you’d like. Just use the same amount and let it come to room temperature for easy mixing.
For all the details on each ingredient, be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations
Here are some other cake recipes you will like:
- Butter Cake – Keep it simple and classic! Just skip the walnuts for a rich, buttery cake that melts in your mouth.
- Brownie Butter Cake – A fudgy brownie base with a buttery cake layer on top—why choose one when you can have both?
- Blueberry Cake – Swap out the walnuts for juicy blueberries, and you’ll get little bursts of sweetness in every bite.
- Raisin Cake – Soft, buttery, and studded with sweet, chewy raisins. Simple but so good!
How To Make Walnut Cake
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grab two mini loaf pans and grease them with butter so nothing sticks. Then, sift the flour and baking powder together and set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, vanilla extract, and sugar until it’s light, fluffy, and pale—this should take about 4 minutes with a hand mixer on low speed. Then, add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully mixed in before adding the next. Take your time with this step—it helps make the cake nice and airy!
Gently fold in the flour, ground walnuts, and milk until everything is well mixed—don’t overmix, just enough to bring it all together. Pour the batter into your greased pans and give them a little shake to even it out. Now, sprinkle the whole walnuts on top for that extra crunch!
Pop it in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Once it’s done, take it out and let it cool on a wire rack. When it’s cool enough to handle, loosen the edges, remove the walnut butter cake from the pans, and slice it up. Time to dig in!
Secrets To Perfect Walnut Cake Every Time
- I always let my butter, eggs, and milk come to room temperature before starting. It helps everything mix together better and gives the cake that perfect smooth texture.
- When I fold in the flour, ground walnuts, and milk, I make sure not to overmix. I just mix until everything is combined to keep the cake light and airy.
- Roasted walnuts make such a difference! If I’m using raw walnuts, I quickly toast them in a pan to bring out that extra nutty flavor.
- After baking, I let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. It helps the cake set and keeps it from breaking apart when I slice it.
Frequently Asked Questions
I wouldn’t recommend using cake flour. It’ll make the cake too soft and delicate. All-purpose flour gives the best texture. If you’re set on using cake flour, you might need to add a bit more to get the right consistency.
No, the cake would be too soft and crumbly since walnut flour has no gluten. It’s best to use a mix of all-purpose flour and ground walnuts for the right texture.
You could use self-raising flour and skip the baking powder, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The cake’s texture might end up a bit off, so I prefer sticking with all-purpose flour and adding my own baking powder for better control.
To keep the walnuts from sinking, I like to toss them in a little flour before adding them to the top of the cake. This prevents them from sinking in the cake while it bakes.
Yes, this walnut butter cake actually gets better after a day or two! You can totally bake it ahead of time, just let it cool completely, then wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It’ll stay fresh and delicious for a few days.
Yes! Just double everything, but keep an eye on the baking time. If you’re using additional mini loaf pans, they should bake up the same. For a larger pan, you might need a few extra minutes—just check with a toothpick to make sure it’s done.
If your walnuts are burning, it might be because the oven’s too hot or the walnuts are too close to the top heating element. Try turning the temperature down a bit, or cover the cake with a piece of foil halfway through baking to keep the nuts from getting too crispy.
Store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you need it to last longer, pop it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Each slice of cake is only 298 calories.
What To Serve With Walnut Cake
Serve this cake with your favorite beverage. For an afternoon tea, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 4 oz. (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4.5 oz. (130g) salted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 oz. (90g) fine sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 oz. (60g) walnut, processed in a food processor until fine
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 oz. (30g) whole walnut, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two mini loaf pans with butter. Sift the flour and baking powder, and set aside.
- Cream the butter, vanilla extract, and sugar until fluffy and pale (this takes about 4 minutes using an electric hand mixer at speed 2). Add the eggs one at a time, creaming well after each addition before adding the next.
- Fold in the flour, ground walnuts, and milk, mixing until well combined. Transfer the batter to the greased pan and gently shake it to level off. Sprinkle whole walnuts on top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the walnut cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Loosen the cake from the loaf pans and slice it into pieces.
Video
Notes
- I always let my butter, eggs, and milk come to room temperature before starting. It helps everything mix together better and gives the cake that perfect smooth texture.
- When I fold in the flour, ground walnuts, and milk, I make sure not to overmix. I just mix until everything is combined to keep the cake light and airy.
- Roasted walnuts make such a difference! If I’m using raw walnuts, I quickly toast them in a pan to bring out that extra nutty flavor.
- After baking, I let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. It helps the cake set and keeps it from breaking apart when I slice it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just baked this walnut pound and it rocks!! Not too sweet and just perfect! Thank you for great recipe!
Thanks for trying my walnut butter cake recipe.
I love baking. The moment I saw the walnut cake, I tried this recipe. It’s my husband favorite cake and waiting to hear what he has has to say!
The best thing about this cake is that it has few ingredients which is available all the time. Above all, its quick, easy and superb.
The cake was soft and buttery. It had the right amount of sugar. Its a must try.
I am keen to try other cakes. Any suggestions?
Hi Jerrin, you can check out all the other baking and cakes recipes here: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipes/baking-recipes/
Dear Bee,
I just bake walnut cake using your recipe this morning. According from the feedback, i bravely double the ingredients by 10. I’m using 10 aluminium trays size 6 inch. Wow! Thank you so much because the cake was so moist and taste good.
Thanks for trying the recipe.
Photos are very nice. Hope mine will look same. thanks
Hi Bee, thanks for the recipe, I double the ingredients, it really yummy.
Such a great recipe!! I followed your instructions exactly but also added some hazelnuts to the mixture. So tasty! Thanks a lot. Also I didn’t wait for the cake to cool down as it tastes better when it’s still hot in my opinion. To make sure it doesn’t crumble when you flip it you need to butter the baking tray properly and spread some flour all over the tray before you pour the cake mixture into it. Wonderful recipe, not too sweet and moist enough – just perfect!
Hi Dear I tried your recipe and the cake came out well except the bottom layer was burnt not sure what causes the burnt any tips to prevent the burnt otherwise the cake would be perfect. Many thanks N Happy New Year 2016 to you and your family.
Maybe you have bottom heat setting on your oven???
Appreciate v much your reply. Yes I have a small oven I juz realize I had chosen bottom heat so shall I choose both top n bottom heat? Juz to share my family love the cake and commented it’s like those sold at outlet. I will definitely bake it again. Many thanks for sharing the recipe.
Dear Bee appreciate v much your reply. I have the small oven I juz realize I had chosen bottom heat so shall I choose both top n bottom heat? Juz to share my family love the cake and commented it’s like those sold at outlet. I will definitely bake it again. Many thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi can I use cream or yoghurt instead of milk. Thanks
Yes I think so.
Hi, thanks a lot for the recipe. I have replaced the walnuts by almonds. It was so yummy. Love it. Will definitely made them again.. This time with walnuts
Hi my loaf doesnt rise. Its as flat as my dough :(
Hmmm I don’t know what happened the walnut butter cake I have made many times with success.
Do you mean fresh milk or butter milk when you mentioned milk?
Fresh milk.
You don’t say how much milk do I need to put?
The recipe clearly stated 2 tablespoons milk
What are the measurements of the mini loaf pans used for this recipe? I am in Canada and mini pans come in many sizes.
Indeed I was wondering the same. Baking needs exact measurement and size of loaf pan should be mentioned.