Coffee and walnut cake

This little gem of a cake is a perennial British favourite, sure to be found at bake sales, village fetes and coffee mornings. There's no need for any fuss or frills, the coffee and walnut cake's charm lies in its rustic simplicity. Two layers of coffee-infused sponge cake laced with toasted walnuts and liberally sandwiched with airy coffee buttercream. All you need is a thick slice and a good hot cuppa. Maybe a dainty cake fork if you're feeling fancy.

When I originally posted this recipe, I paired my coffee buttercream with this lovely cake recipe from BBC Good Food because I earnestly wanted to wowed by the classic Victoria sponge base. Yet deep down, I knew I'd keep experimenting. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the buttery crumb of a Victoria sponge but it makes the kind of slice you want to skip lunch for. In my heart, I dreamed of a lighter cake; still moreish but less hefty. The recipe below is the result of that experimentation. The cake is soft and fluffy, studded with just enough toasted and chopped walnuts and liberally brushed with coffee soaking syrup. The cake itself isn't too sweet because I've accounted for the addition of the dreamiest coffee buttercream you'll ever have. It is not optional - and it tastes just like the cold coffees my Appoi loved. I'd suggest using light brown sugar instead of white; it'll make your cake extra soft and add a caramel tone that begs to be paired with coffee. So yes, even if you're a diehard traditionalist, try my version please. And tell me what you think. Just remember, there is a lot of coffee in this cake so this is strictly one to wow the coffee lovers.

'We are not here for long. So let's at least make ourselves something good to eat.'
- Nigel Slater, A Year of Good Eating: Kitchen Diaries III

Serves 8.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup walnuts, plus 8 more to decorate
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown or white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (preferably the lighter cake flour/supreme sponge variety)
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

METHOD

In a hot, dry pan over medium heat, toast the 1/3 cup of walnuts for 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently, or until golden and fragrant. Cool and then roughly chop.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter 2 8' round tins and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper.

Beat butter and sugar together until pale and creamy, for a minimum of six minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

Dissolve the instant coffee granules in one tablespoon of just-boiled* water. Add 1/2 cup cold milk and combine well before stirring in the vanilla.

Alternately add the flour and coffee milk to the butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.* Gently fold in the walnuts with a spatula.

Spoon the mix into the prepared tins and bake for 15-20 mins or until it's golden and an inserted fork comes out clean.

While the cakes are in the oven, make the coffee soaking syrup. Dissolve 1 tablespoon each of instant coffee granules and sugar in 1/4 cup just-boiled water. Leave to cool.

Leave the cakes in their tins for 5 mins before loosening the sides with a knife and turning onto a wire rack. While still hot, use a pastry brush to liberally brush the cakes with the soaking syrup (you may not need all of it). Alternatively you could use a spoon to sprinkle, as evenly as possible, the syrup over the cakes. Cool completely.

Notes: Light brown (not dark or demerera) sugar and the cake flour/supreme sponge variety of self-raising flour will give you a ultra soft cake. But if you only have white and regular self-raising flour, that's fine. What is mandatory is beating the butter and sugar really well to incorporate air into the cake.

Where I've said 'just-boiled' water instead of boiling, I just mean wait a minute or two after boiling the water before pouring it over the coffee as it otherwise scalds the coffee and makes it bitter.

I've used slightly salted Lurpak butter but add 1/4 teaspoon salt if you're using unsalted butter.

When alternately adding the flour and milk, it's easiest if you add the flour a quarter at a time and the milk a third at a time, so you start and end with the flour.

Coffee buttercream

Enough to sandwich and top an 8' cake.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 - 2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

METHOD

Dissolve the instant coffee in 1 teaspoon of just-boiled water. Add the milk and leave to cool.

Beat the butter and icing sugar for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Add the coffee and beat until thoroughly incorporated.

Notes: Universal frosting tip: add a pinch of salt if your frosting tastes too sweet, and especially if your butter is unsalted.

To assemble, spread half the coffee buttercream over one layer of the cake. Sandwich with the second cake layer and then smooth the rest of the buttercream over the top. Decorate with the eight reserved walnuts (or add one more in the middle if you so wish).

Hi.

Feb 13 Coffee and walnut cake