A high altitude recipe for a one layer walnut chocolate chip cake, with fudgy dark chocolate ganache frosting. This easy walnut cake recipe is tender, buttery, moist and chocolatey, and the not-too-sweet ganache is the perfect complement to the cake.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for coffee and walnut cake, maple walnut shortbread, and brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Just One Layer. I love an impressive layer cake with buttercream, but I also really enjoy developing one layer cake recipes. A smaller cake like this one is unfussy, simple to make and decorate, and perfect for a family who doesn’t want too much leftover cake. And this chocolate chip walnut cake looks so tempting with a generous sprinkling of chocolate chips and chopped walnuts on top of the ganache.
Easy to Make. You don’t need a mixer to make the cake or the frosting, just a bowl and whisk.
Not Too Sweet. With rich chocolate ganache instead of sweet buttercream or icing, this walnut and chocolate chip cake has a perfect balance of sweet, salty, nutty and buttery flavors.
High Altitude Tested. I test all the recipes on my site at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cake
- Butter. Use unsalted butter, or omit the extra salt in the recipe if you use salted butter. I brown the butter first, which gives this chocolate walnut cake a very rich, nutty, flavor.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
- Eggs. Gives the cake structure and moisture.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Milk + Sour Cream. A combination of whole milk and sour cream adds fat and richness for a moist, tender cake.
- Flour. All-purpose flour gives the cake structure and strength.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the walnuts.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent.
- Walnuts. Finely chopped walnuts add a nutty flavor, but also moisture.
- Chocolate Chips. You can use semi sweet or dark chocolate chips. I used mini, but you can also use regular sized morsels.
Ganache
- Chocolate + Cream. For a rich, creamy ganache frosting, you only need good quality dark chocolate and heavy whipping cream. I like to use Chocolove 55% Dark Chocolate.
- Chocolate Chips + Walnuts. To decorate today’s chocolate chip cake with walnuts, sprinkle a little of both on top of the ganache for a pretty finish.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, or spray it with non-stick baking spray.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done. Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, milk and sour cream, until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture, chopped walnuts and chocolate chips to the wet ingredients, and fold everything together with a spatula until moistened and combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 35-38 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched, or a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack, covered with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely.
- This cake will have a golden brown crust around the edges, very much like a pound cake, and it’s absolutely delicious. If you prefer, you can trim off the dark edge before serving.
Ganache
- Chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl.
- Pour the cream into a saucepan, and warm it over medium heat, just until hot and beginning to simmer around the edges.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, then stir it together until it smooths out into a creamy ganache.
- Pour the ganache on top of the cake, spreading it out to the edges. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for another 30-40 minutes until the ganache is set and firm.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with more chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Cut into 16 squares (for small servings) or 9 squares (for larger servings).
Recipe Variations
Sheet Cake. For a larger sheet cake, double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan.
Layer Cake. You can turn this walnut chocolate chip cake into a layer cake, too, if that’s what you like. Bake the batter in two 6-inch cake pans, or double the recipe and bake it in two 8-inch cake pans. See these recipes for chocolate truffle cake and chocolate fudge cake for tips on frosting layer cakes with ganache.
Chocolate Buttercream. This chocolate walnut cake recipe would also be great with chocolate buttercream instead of chocolate ganache.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chocolate chips in the ganache instead of chopped chocolate?
While you could use chocolate chips, they don’t melt as smoothly as a good quality bar of chocolate does. So your ganache won’t be quite as smooth and creamy if you make it with chocolate chips.
Will this recipe work with other types of nuts?
Yes, you can make this walnut chocolate chip cake with other nuts, like almonds or pecans.
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Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude One Layer Walnut Chocolate Chip Cake with Ganache
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- ½ cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
Ganache
- 4 oz good quality chocolate (55% cacao), roughly chopped
- 4 oz heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp semi sweet mini chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, or spray it with non-stick baking spray.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done. Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, milk and sour cream, until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture, chopped walnuts and chocolate chips to the wet ingredients, and fold everything together with a spatula until moistened and combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 35-38 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched, or a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack, covered with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely.
- This cake will have a golden brown crust around the edges, very much like a pound cake, and it's absolutely delicious. If you prefer, you can trim off the dark edge before serving.
Ganache
- Chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl.
- Pour the cream into a saucepan, and warm it over medium heat, just until hot and beginning to simmer around the edges.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, then stir it together until it smooths out into a creamy ganache.
- Pour the ganache on top of the cake, spreading it out to the edges. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for another 30-40 minutes until the ganache is set and firm.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with more chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Cut into 16 squares (for small servings) or 9 squares (for larger servings).
Any changes for cooking at sea level?
Karen, please see my FAQs for some helpful info: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/baking-faqs/
Wow! This was delicious!! Every one of your recipes my mom and I make come out awesome! Thanks so much for sharing them!! We live in Pueblo so we’re pretty close in altitude.