Coffee and Walnut Cake
 
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
 
Author:
Type of recipe: Layer Cakes
Cuisine: British
Yield: 8-10
Ingredients
(All ingredients must be at room temperature unless otherwise noted):
For the cake:
  • 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 225 g (1 cup) light-brown sugar, packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 60 ml ( ¼ cup ) strong espresso coffee, freshly brewed and cooled
  • 225 g (1¾ cups) self-raising flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 60 g ( ½ cup ) walnuts
  • 2 - 4 tablespoons (30 - 60 ml) milk (optional)
For the Coffee Buttercream:
  • 2 tbsp strong espresso coffee, freshly brewed, and cooled
  • 170 g ( ¾ cup ) unsalted butter
  • 345 g (3 cups) confectioner's or icing sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) milk (optional)
Method
For the cake:
  1. Preheat the oven (electric) to 350º F (180ºC) and place the oven rack in the center position.
  2. Butter two, 8-inch (20 cm Ø) round cake pans (bottom and sides). Line the bottom of both pans with parchment paper and butter the top surface of the parchment paper as well. Set aside.
  3. Sift together flour and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl), beat butter at medium-high speed until soft and creamy.
  5. Add light brown sugar and beat for 3-4 more minutes until light and fluffy. With a rubber spatula, scrape down batter from paddle, sides and bottom of the bowl. Repeat as necessary along the way.
  6. With the mixer still running, now at medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next egg. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
  7. If you have been using your electric mixer, switch it off now and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour in 2-3 batches.
  8. Just before the flour is almost totally incorporated, add the coffee and chopped walnuts and keep going just until combined.
  9. If needed, add a little milk until you have a smooth batter that drops reluctantly off the spoon.
  10. Divide the batter evenly (you can use a kitchen scale here for higher accuracy) between the two prepared pans and smooth the top surface with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
  11. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top springs back when lightly pressed, and a cake tester inserted in the center of one of the cakes comes out clean. If not, check every 2 minutes until it does.
  12. Let cool inside the pans for 5 minutes.
  13. Finally, unmold the cakes and let them cool completely upside down on a cooling rack before frosting.
For the Coffee Buttercream:
  1. In the bowl of your electric (stand or manual) mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until soft.
  2. Gradually, sift in the confectioner's sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy for 3-4 minutes more.
  3. Add the cooled coffee and mix until evenly combined.
  4. If needed, add a little milk, one tablespoon at a time, to desired consistency.
Assembling the cake:
  1. Transfer one cake to a cake stand or serving plate (the bottom layer cake will always be the one that turned out less attractive from the oven) and with an offset spatula (or a spoon) spread a generous layer of the coffee buttercream evenly over the bottom cake to the edge.
  2. Place the second cake atop buttercream and spread a new frosting layer on top of the cake. Using an offset spatula generously spread it evenly.
  3. You can arrange a few walnuts halves on top to decorate.It keeps covered at room temperature for 2-3 days (up to 4 days if kept in the refrigerator, although it must be served at room temperature).Firma Rosa M Lillo
Notes
- If you are not much of a coffee person, try the decaf version; the cake is just delicious through and through.
- The flavours and deliciousness of this cake just keep getting better after the first day, but then, you'll have to sit and wait... I know, I know, that's quite a test to pass, isn't it?
- Nacional Coffee Cake Day: April 7th
Recipe by Pemberley Cup & Cakes at https://pemberleycupandcakes.com/en/2014/11/11/coffee-and-walnut-cake/