I’m finally home! I am fighting some major jetlag, but that comes with the territory of a fourteen hour time difference. Yet, even as I struggled to stay awake before dinner, I couldn’t help but get back to work on this blog and project.

Today’s goods: Maple/brown sugar/walnut poundcake, inspired by a similar Martha Stewart recipe. 

  
I started out by sifting a cup and a half of flour, mixing five eggs, and toasting about 3/4 cup of walnuts. Then, I blended two sticks of butter with half a cup of each white and brown sugar- this took nearly ten minutes to get super fluffy. Then, I added 2 tablespoons of my maple syrup and slowly added the eggs, beating well.  

 

Next, I mixed in about a third of a teaspoon of sea salt and gradually added in my flour. The texture at this point was beautiful- kind of ribbony and dense.  

 

Next, I stirred in my toasted nuts and spread the dough into a buttered and floured loaf pan. After an hour at 350 degrees, my cake was ready!  

 

About 50 minutes later, once it was cooled, I sliced the cake and finally gave it a try.  

   

And guys? This is delicious. It’s kind of crunchy on the outside and has just enough sweetness to match the decadence of how rich it is. This is definitely a winning flavor combination and a great homecoming.