Coffee and Walnut Cake

Name: Coffee and Walnut Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 175 g Unsalted butter (room temperature); 175 g Golden caster sugar; 3 (large, free-range or organic) Eggs (large, free-range or organic); 175 g (sifted) Self-raising flour (sifted); 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder; 75 g Walnuts; 1 1/2 tbsp Instant coffee (mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water); 1 tbsp Instant coffee (for syrup); 50 g Demerara sugar (for syrup); 55 ml Boiling water (for syrup); 1 1/2 batches Coffee butter frosting (see page 32); 10-12 Walnut halves (for decoration)

An inspired take on Delia Smith's classic, this Coffee and Walnut Cake is finished with a coffee butter frosting and is a firm favourite among coffee cake lovers.

1h 0m

Medium

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Ingredients

Unsalted butter (room temperature) 175 g

Golden caster sugar 175 g

Eggs (large, free-range or organic) 3 (large, free-range or organic)

Self-raising flour (sifted) 175 g (sifted)

Baking powder 1 1/2 tsp

Walnuts 75 g

Instant coffee (mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water) 1 1/2 tbsp

Instant coffee (for syrup) 1 tbsp

Demerara sugar (for syrup) 50 g

Boiling water (for syrup) 55 ml

Coffee butter frosting (see page 32) 1 1/2 batches

Walnut halves (for decoration) 10-12

Instructions

Prepare oven and tins

Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan) / 190°C / 375°F / Gas Mark 5. Grease two 20cm cake tins and line them with baking paper.

Cream butter and sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and smooth, about 3-5 minutes using an electric hand whisk.

Add eggs and flour

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and baking powder and beat thoroughly.

Add walnuts and coffee

Grind the walnuts in a food processor for about 30 seconds; do not grind too finely. Add the coffee and ground walnuts to the batter, mixing again but no more than 3-4 seconds. The mixture should have a marbled effect; avoid over-mixing to prevent releasing air.

Bake

Divide the batter evenly between the two tins and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until risen and golden. Insert a skewer into the centre of one cake; it should come out clean.

Make the syrup

Leave the cakes to cool in the tins after removing them from the oven. Meanwhile, mix the syrup ingredients (instant coffee, demerara sugar, and boiling water) in a measuring jug, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Soak with syrup

After 10-15 minutes, prick the cakes with a fork and brush with the syrup, allowing it to soak in.

Assemble and decorate

When ready to frost the cake, carefully turn the cakes out of the tins and peel off the baking paper from the bottom. Place one cake on a plate and thinly spread a layer of coffee butter frosting. Top with the second cake and cover the top with the remaining frosting. Arrange walnut halves around the edge as decoration.