The cake I am looking for was in a Gourmet magazine in the early '60s.  I checked with Gourmet magazine, and they said they don't keep issues or recipes from that far back.

This cake is made in a tube pan(angelfood cake pan), has about 2 cups finely chopped walnuts, a ton of butter and cookd forever!  It is also very dense, so much so that when you pick up the pan it is very heavy.

The cake is also very rich!  You need only a very thin slice or you will be overwhelmed by it.  It freezes well.

If you have the Gourmet magazines from that far back the recipe was at the very back of the magazine.  They used to feature a special recipe there every month.

I've been serching for this recipe for years.  None I have received comes close to what I remember.

Lee in MA

Walnut Cake

Work 3 sticks or 1 1/2 cups butter until it is creamy and gradually beat in 2 cups sugar until the mixture is smooth. Mix in 6 egg yolks, lightly beaten. Mix 3/4 cup milk with 1/4 cup brandy and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Sift 3 1/2 cups flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir the two mixtures alternately into the egg mixture. Add 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts to the batter. Beat 6 egg whites until they are foamy, add 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, and beat the whites until they hold definite peaks. Fold the meringue into the batter gently but thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a 10-inch tube pan, oiled, lined with brown paper, and oiled again. Bake the cake in a slow oven (275*F.) for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until it tests done. Cool the cake on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Remove it from the pan and cool the cake completely. Peel off the paper carefully and sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar.

Think  this might be the one?

Also, did you look on the web site "epicurious."  That's the site for recipes from Gourmet, (before it went of business last year), and Bon Appetit. I don't know how they archive, , but I do know, as a subscriber for decades, they do repeat recipes----a lot!! and I have found some very old recipes there......

You might also check their cookbooks, which are collections of recipes from the mag.

The March issue of Bon Appetit (done by the same company that used to do Gourmet) also had a recipe for "Walnut Cake" ---it was super-rich and heavy and moist,  used almond flour, and served chilled.