How to make coffee walnut cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 225g of unsalted butter, softened
- 225g of caster sugar
- Four free-range eggs, large and beaten
- One tbsp of instant coffee granules, mixed with one tbsp of boiling water
- 225g of self-raising flour
- 75g of chopped walnuts
Buttercream icing
- 175g of butter, softened
- 300g of icing sugar
- Three tbsp of instant coffee granules, mixed with one tbsp of boiling water into a paste
- 50g of chopped walnuts
- 12 walnut halves
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark four, ensuring it’s fully preheated. Prepare two 20cm round cake tins by greasing them thoroughly and lining the bases with baking parchment.
Using a hand mixer or whisk, beat the butter together with the sugar until the texture becomes very light and airy.
Gradually incorporate the pre-beaten eggs into the mixture, adding a spoonful of flour with each addition to help prevent the batter from separating. Beat well after each inclusion.
Stir in the remaining flour, coffee, and chopped walnuts, mixing until everything is fully combined and the batter is evenly blended.
Evenly transfer the mixture into the two prepared tins, smoothing the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cakes have risen well and turned a deep golden-brown. Once baked, take them out and let them sit for two minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While the sponges are cooling, prepare the coffee-flavoured buttercream. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and fluffy. Mix in the coffee and finely chopped walnuts, then place the buttercream in the fridge for about 15–20 minutes to firm up slightly.
Once the sponges are fully cooled, spread half of the buttercream over the top of one cake, then place the second sponge on top. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the top surface of the cake and garnish with whole walnut halves.