Coffee and Walnut Cake
This combination makes for a great, and very classic cake.
SERVES
12
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
20
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
35
MINUTES
Ingredients
225g soft butter
215g golden castor sugar
3 eggs
40ml strong espresso, cooled
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
100g walnuts, finely chopped
For the icing:
150g soft butter
300g icing sugar
30ml strong espresso coffee
1 tsp milk
To decorate
a handful of walnut halves
Method
Heat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Line an 8in-round tin with baking parchment. I use either a spring-form or a loose-based tin.
Beat the butter and the sugar until they are light and fluffy. I use the whisk attachment in my mixer for this to add lots of air.
Lightly beat the eggs and espresso together with a fork.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and add in the walnuts.
Combine the three mixtures in the mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Make sure to scrape all the butter and sugar from the side of the mixing bowl.
Scoop the batter into your prepared tin and smooth it on top.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Once cool enough to handle remove the cake from the tin and place it onto a wire rack, peeling off the baking parchment. Allow it to cool completely.
To make the icing beat all of the ingredients until light and fluffy. The milk helps to loosen the mixture and makes it easier to spread.
Cut the cold cake into two even-sized discs. Cover the top of each disk with the icing. Sandwich the two discs together so you have a layer of icing in the centre and one on top. Press the walnut halves into the icing to decorate the cake.
