Walnut Cake No Eggs Or Butter

Want more desserts with walnuts? Try my walnut brownies, baklava cheesecake, or oat flour banana bread next. My family likes to push me to the limits of my creativity–and I accept said challenge. Inspired by my spice cake, I wanted a cake that’s creative yet filled with familiar flavors we can all agree on. With crisp walnuts and a tangy cream cheese frosting, the results are a richly flavored cake with an irresistibly moist texture…and did I mention it has three tiers?!

Why I love this recipe

A deceptively easy cake recipe. Don’t let the size fool you. This entire cake is made in one mixing bowl, and the steps are just as easy as any other cake recipe. Egg-free. And if you use vegan cream cheese, it’s dairy-free too! Warm, spiced flavor. The cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnuts mesh perfectly together, infusing every bite with warming flavors.

Ingredients needed

Flour. You can use cake flour if you want, but I think all-purpose flour is just fine. Use gluten-free flour if needed, but make sure it has xanthan gum added. White sugar AND brown sugar. I used a mix of both sugars, but if you want a more caramelized flavor and a darker sponge, use only brown sugar. Baking soda. To create bubbles and help the cake rise. Don’t use baking powder, as it won’t have the same effect. Cream of tartar. When combined with baking soda, cream of tartar helps produce more bubbles and results in a lighter cake. Vinegar. This also reacts with baking soda to mimic what eggs would do. Use white or apple cider vinegar. Oil. Any neutral-flavored oil will work. If not dairy-free, use unsalted butter. Milk or water. I used unsweetened almond milk, but water yielded similar results. Walnut halves. Finely chopped. Avoid toasted or salted walnuts as they could overpower the cake. Cinnamon. To complement the walnut flavor. Vanilla extract. A must for any cake. Salt. To balance the flavors. Cream cheese frosting. I find the subtle tartness pairs SO well with the sweet and moist cake. Of course, vanilla frosting is also fine.

How to make a walnut cake

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 3- Cool and frost. Let the cake layers cool on a cooling rack. Once cool, stack them with sheets of frosting between each cake layer and on top. Chill until set.

Arman’s recipe tips

Bake a single-layer cake. Cut the ingredients into thirds. Don’t overmix the cake batter. The more mixing, the more air gets lost, making for a dense and chewy cake. This is especially key when you add the walnuts, as too much mixing will make them sink to the bottom. Toss the walnuts in flour. I tested several methods to see which yielded an even distribution of walnuts in the cake. Adding them straight in worked fine for me, but if you want, you could lightly warm them in the oven at 350F, then toss them in flour before folding them into the cake. Let the cakes completely cool before frosting them. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and slide off. Make a vanilla buttercream frosting. Use an electric mixer to cream butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a splash of milk until smooth.

Storage instructions

To store: Store any remaining cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To freeze: Place the cake in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 3 months.