Walnut Syrup Cake

Source: Wheat-Free Gluten-Free Dessert Cookbook by Connie Sarros

Not overly sweet, this flourless Grecian cake stays moist several days if kept covered. The Glazed Walnuts may be made several days ahead.

Makes: (9 x 13-inch) cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup cream of rice
3 teaspoons baking powder
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Cinnamon Syrup (recipe follows)
Glazed Walnuts (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Cream butter. Add sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Add eggs slowly to mixture and continue beating until light. Stir together dry ingredients, then add alternately to butter mixture with the milk. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan; bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and score top of cake into diamond-shaped pieces. Pour warm Cinnamon Syrup slowly over cake. When cake is cool, cut into diamond-shaped pieces and cover with foil. Allow cake to set several hours for syrup to be absorbed. To serve, place a glazed walnut half on each piece.

Cinnamon Syrup:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
1 tablespoon orange juice

Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar; boil 10 minutes without stirring. Cool syrup 5 minutes before pouring over cake.

Glazed Walnuts:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 pound walnut halves

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, then cook rapidly without stirring to 300 degrees F (or until a few drops of syrup poured into a cup of cold water form hard, brittle threads that break when pressed). Remove pan from heat and stir in walnuts, 1/2 cup at a time; toss to coat evenly. Remove nuts from syrup with two forks and place on wire racks lined with wax paper. Cool until glaze is firm. Store in an airtight metal tin.