The classic coffee and walnut cake is what baking is all about. It’s standard fare for a bake sale or indeed café offering something sweet but nutty, infused throughout with coffee. Why crunchy walnuts work so well with coffee flavour is a bit of a mystery but it does. You can also be a bit fancy about the coffee such as calling it Brazilian, Colombian or Java coffee flavour.
The recipe is a tried and tested version and I’ve looked at the versions sold in grocers for style. The stronger the coffee the less you need so it becomes a matter of judgement and experience in our view. The key is getting the coffee flavour throughout the cake, filling and icing and then have walnuts liberally sprinkled throughout to give a bit of nutty crunch.
The sugar used need be no darker than soft brown sugar but it does have an impact on the depth of flavour. I think darker the better but that’s again a matter of taste.
Preparation time: 45 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes – need cooling time too.
Serves 8 to 10 people. It’s not for anybody with a nut allergy.
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Equipment:
Ingredients:
For the coffee and walnut cake:
- 225g/8oz pack unsalted softened butter, with extra for greasing the tins
- 100ml strong black coffee made with 2 tbsp instant coffee granules, or 75ml/2fl oz strong espresso coffee – cooled. Use tablespoon amounts at various times in this preparation but make sure you have enough to use in the cake itself, the filling and the icing. If you have any spare, we suggest drizzling some into the cake when its made but it need only be a teaspoon per cake layer otherwise it will become a bit soggy in parts!
- 260g/9oz self-raising flour, sifted
- 250g/8½oz golden caster sugar or soft dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 85g/3oz walnut, 2 tbsp roughly chopped and the rest finely chopped.
For the buttercream icing:
- 2 tsp instant coffee
- 150g unsalted butter
- 280g-300g icing sugar, sifted
- 150g walnuts – chopped and/or whole for decoration of the top
- grated chocolate or chocolate sprinkles (optional)
For the filling:
- 100g icing sugar, sifted, plus a little extra for dusting
- 150ml double cream
- 100g mascarpone, at room temperature
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/350ºF/gas 4.
- Grease with butter 2 x 20cm round springform cake tins and line with non-stick baking parchment.
- Dissolve the coffee granules in roughly 100ml of boiling water or prepare a batch of espresso coffee and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Espresso coffee is stronger so slightly less volume need be prepared. Remember: Set aside at least 1 tbsp coffee each for the filling and the buttercream icing.
- Beat and cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and any of the remaining coffee in a large bowl with an electric whisk until lump-free. The mixture should be relatively light and fluffy. The beaten eggs are best added a little at a time and making sure to whisk between each addition. It avoids scrambling where possible.
- Using a large spoon, fold in the flour and baking powder. Some chefs add the flour along with the butter and sugar but it seems more straightforward to do it after the creaming.
- Fold in half the chopped walnuts.
- Divide the mixture between the tins and roughly spread. Scatter some of the roughly chopped walnuts over one of the cakes.
- Bake the cakes for 25-30 mins until golden, risen and springy to touch. Put a thin skewer and insert into the centre of the cake and see if it comes out clean. It’s baked then.
- Drizzle the plain cake with a teaspoon of any remaining coffee. Remove the cakes from the tins and leave to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
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Meanwhile, make the filling: beat together the icing sugar, cream and mascarpone, then fold in the reserved 1-2 tbsp coffee. Spread the icing over the plain cake, then cover with the walnut-topped cake and dust with a little icing sugar.
For the buttercream icing: Beat together the butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in the coffee and mix until well combined. Cover the top with the icing and decorate with the remaining walnuts.
A coffee and walnut cake like most cakes wont freeze! Keep in a cool, dry place in a tin.
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