• Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Grease 2 8" round cake pans generously with shortening, then dust with flour.

Make the cake:

• In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, sugar, oil, milk, eggs and extract.
• Mix for two minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Fold in the black walnuts.
• Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when you touch it.
• Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then run a knife along the outside of the pans to loosen the cakes.
• Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once the cakes are cool, use a long knife to split each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers.

Make the whipped cream:

• *Homemade whipped cream works best if the cream and mixing bowl are very cold. Refrigerate the mixing bowl for at least 20 minutes before making the whipped cream.*
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until it is stiff and can hold peaks. This will take several minutes of mixing.

Assemble the cake:

• Place one cake layer on a cake plate.
• Top with 1/4 of the whipped cream.
• Repeat with the other 4 layers. Sprinkle nuts between the layers if you'd like, or garnish the top with nuts.
• Store this cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator and serve it the day you make it.