What an ambitious undertaking! I have a cousin in Michigan who harvests BWs and she sent me a recipe for a cake that’s been in her family for many, many years. She also told me how her husband gets the husks off:

To get the husks off, take a short piece of plastic PVC pipe, with an outside diameter just a little bigger than the average walnut. Mount the pipe vertically in a vice or something solid. Place walnut with husk on top of the pipe and hit it with a hammer. The nut will go thru the pipe, the husk will fall off.

Black Walnut Cake
from Bonnie G, Michigan

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup black walnuts, chopped
1- 3 oz. can flake coconut

Cream butter and shortening and gradually add sugar. Beat well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beat well after each. Combine buttermilk and soda until dissolved. Add flour to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add 1 cup walnuts and the can of coconut. Stir well. Beat egg whites (room temperature) and cream of tartar until stiff. Fold carefully into batter. Pour into 3 9-inch well-greased pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool. Spread frosting between layers and frost sides and top. Press walnuts into the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup butter
1-8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat until light and fluffy.

I don’t have access to black walnuts, so I’ve never made this cake, but it sounds wonderful. Enjoy!

Did you?