Fudgy Chocolate Cake with Walnut Cream Sauce / Torta al Cioccolato con Panna e Noci

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Butter a 9 x 1 1/2-inch round baking dish. Line the dish with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pan and lightly butter the paper. Set aside.
3. Place the walnuts in a medium size sauté pan and over low heat stir them until they smell fragrant. Do not let them burn. Cool and transfer 1 1/3 cups of the nuts to a food processor and process them until coarsely ground. Set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Stir in the chocolate and mix until smooth and well blended. Set aside.
5. Beat the eggs and sugar in a medium size bowl with a hand held mixer until the mixture thickens. Stir in the salt, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla or orange liquor. Stir in the walnuts, then stir in the chocolate and pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not over bake the cake. It should remain moist. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes.
7. Run a butter knife along the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake and invert the pan onto a cooling rack. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Invert the cake and place it on a cake plate.
8. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute making sure that the paste is smooth and well blended. Slowly pour in the cream and stir in the remaining sugar and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sauce is smooth and has thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining walnuts and 1 teaspoon of vanilla or orange liquor.
9. To serve, cut the cake into wedges and pour some of the sauce over the top.