But Cardiff took a hard-earned point after equalising with a dubiously awarded 51st minute penalty by Peter Thorne.
After Walton had fired Leeds into a 14th minute lead, Thorne slid home his point-saver in the second half to leave Leeds without a clean sheet in 19 matches.
Goalkeeper Neil Sullivan raced off his line to smother the ball but was adjudged to have brought down Richard Langley, and Thorne calmly sent Sullivan the wrong way from the spot.
Cardiff then had a glorious chance to take all three points but defender James Collins headed fractionally off target from a right-wing free-kick executed by skipper Graham Kavanagh.
David Healy relished playing in his favourite position in the Leeds attack. Cardiff goalkeeper Tony Warner denied the striker twice inside the opening four minutes before Gary Kelly was just wide with an 18-yard drive after fine work by Julian Joachim, Danny Pugh and Aaron Lennon.
Cardiff claimed they should have had an earlier penalty when Jobi McAnuff sprinted past Gary Kelly who recovered to challenge him and the winger lost his balance, but referee Neale Barry was unimpressed.
The 17-year-old Walton scored when he first exchanged passes with Lennon on the right wing before a lay-off to Healy on the edge of the box.
He continued his run into the area and after taking a return pass from Healy he drove his first goal of the season on home soil underneath the advancing Warner from 12-yards. He was later replaced with 5 minutes to go by Matthew Spring, who was once again overlooked from the start.
Cardiff lost striker Cameron Jerome who limped off in the 30th minute and was replaced by Alan Lee.
And the Welshmen's luck was out again on the stroke of half-time when Japanese midfielder Junichi Inamoto, on loan from Fulham, saw his speculative shot strike the underside of the bar and bounce out.
Lennon was substituted early in the 2nd half, he was suffering with a stomach bug. Clarke Carlisle replaced him, with Leandre Griffit surprisingly left on the bench.
Both sides deserved credit for attempting to play attractive football on a heavy Elland Road pitch.
However, the Whites never tested Warner in a disappointing 2nd half.
Throughout the match Cardiff fans were well segregated after trouble between the rival supporters in the past.