Always loved to BAKE !!

I've always loved to bake.... Cookies, cupcakes, brownies and cakes, biscuits, cornbread, even coffeecake !! In all the years I've been married, though, I don't believe I've ever made my mom's recipe for Black Walnut Cake.
I run across the handwritten 3 x 5 cards every once in awhile, but never have gone to the trouble-- before yesterday, that is. For one thing, it calls for Black Walnuts, which are hard to find ( I'm not sure why) and it also specifies Cake flour, instead of regular, which I never have on hand. The third obstacle was the baking pan, which is a tube pan, but Not a bundt pan. Anyhoo, I saw the black walnuts one day at Dierbergs, and decided to take the leap.... I even purchased a special pan at Viking for the task ! Another trip back to the store for the cake flour, which I had forgotten to get, and then one final one, because I was totally out of butter, and needed a cup of it !
My grandbaby sat up in her highchair watching me mix the batter. I'd like to teach her to love to bake, too, someday.... You finish the batter by folding 4 whipped egg whites into the batter. It looked just the way I remembered it did when my mom used to make it. (She was an excellent cook in every way, I think!)
Here's the recipe. Maybe you won't wait 40 years to try it ! Ha !

Black Walnut Cake

Sift 2 cups sugar
Beat until soft 1 cup butter

Add the sugar gradually. Blend these ingredients until they are very light and creamy. Beat in one at a time:
4 egg yolks
Sift before measuring: 3 cups cake flour. Resift with 3 tea. bakingpowder. Add these ingredients in 3 parts to the butter mixture alternately with third of :
1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk
Beat the batter until it is smooth after each addition
Beat in:
1 tea. vanilla
1/2 tea. almond extract (optional) ( I put it in )
1 cup chopped nut meats
Whip until stiff but not dry:
4 egg whites
1/8 tea. salt
Fold them lightly into the cake batter. Bake the cake in greased loaf or 8 in. tube pan in a moderate oven 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or ice with carmel icing.