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Coffee and Walnut cake covered in buttercream and topped with walnuts on a white cake stand with a slice removed from it showing the layers inside. A pack of golden caster sugar next to it
50Total Time
25Prep Time
25Bake Time
8Serves
Easy

Coffee & Walnut Cake

Quick and easy

13 Reviews

About the bake

Coffee & Walnut cake is a staple classic in most recipe collections. Our version is made up of three soft layers of sponge, sandwiched and topped with a creamy coffee buttercream, the ideal cake of choice to serve at any coffee morning with friends and family. It is also a favourite for those rainy days when you just want to whip out your apron and bake something yummy. 

50Total Time
25Prep Time
25Bake Time
8Serves
Easy

Method

  1. Step 1:

    Preheat the oven to 170°c (fan 150°c, gas mark 3). Grease and base line 3 x 20cm sandwich tins

  2. Step 2:

    Place the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix together preferably using an electric mixer until you get a crumb consistency.

  3. Step 3:

    Mix the coffee granules with one tablespoon of warm milk in a large jug. Add the rest of the milk, eggs and maple syrup. Slowly add this to the crumb like mixture and gently beat until well combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

  4. Step 4:

    Divide the mixture equally between the three tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when pressed gently. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.

  5. Step 5:

    While the cake is cooling make the icing: Beat the butter until very soft ad slowly start adding the icing sugar, do this a spoonful at a time or you will have an icing sugar cloud in your kitchen. When all the icing sugar has been added, beat until smooth and slightly lighter in colour.

  6. Step 6:

    Add coffee extract and beat again until fully incorporated. Sandwich the three cake layers with the icing and then cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing. Decorate with halved walnuts.

Ingredients

  • For the Cake

    • 120g Butter (unsalted, softened)
    • 400g Billington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
    • 360g Allinson's Plain White Flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
    • 1 pinch Salt
    • 350ml Milk (plus 1 tbsp extra for mixing with coffee)
    • 2 tbsp Coffee granules
    • 3 Egg(s) (free range)
    • 2 tbsp Maple syrup
    • 100g Walnuts (chopped)
  • For the Icing

    • 250g Butter (unsalted, softened)
    • 500g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
    • 2 tbsp Nielsen-massey coffee extract
    • A handful Walnuts

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