Coffee and Walnut Cake

It's been a while since I've baked anything as I've been really busy lately. I decided on this delightful coffee and walnut cake from the primrose bakery book.  I don't like to drink coffee but I like coffee flavoured cakes, ice-cream or chocolate. The cake turned out very light and spongy with a delicious aroma of coffee. In fact my cake was a little too soft and it fell apart a little. Good thing I could cover it up with the icing! It still tasted very good and I would definitely make this again. 

adding coffee and walnuts 

ready to go in the oven

straight from the oven 

adding coffee syrup 

cover with coffee buttercream icing 

decorate with walnuts, I added crushed walnuts as well. 

Recipe from 'cupcakes from the primrose bakery'

For the cake

175g unsalted butter

175g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs, free-range or organic

175g self-raising flour, sifted

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

75g walnuts

1.5 teaspoons instant coffee mixed with 2 tablespoons boiling water

For the syrup

1 tablespoon instant coffee

50g demerara sugar

55ml boiling water

For the coffee buttercream icing (you need 1.5 batches) 

150g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in a small amount of hot water

350g icing sugar, sifted

• Preheat the oven to 170 C.
• Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. 
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition. 
• Add the flour and baking powder and beat well. 
• Grind the walnuts in a food processor for about 30 seconds or so - they should not be too fine. 
• Add the coffee and ground walnuts to the batter and mix again but for no more than 3-4 seconds. 
• The mixture should have a marbled effect and it is very important not to overmix or you will take all the air out of the cakes. 
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until raised and golden brown.
• Insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes - it should come out clean if it is cooked. 
• Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in their tins. 
• Make up the syrup by combining the ingredients in a jug and stirring well to ensure the sugar dissolves completely. 
• After 10-15 minutes, prick the sponges with a fork, brush on the syrup and leave it to soak in. 
• When you are ready to ice the cakes, carefully turn them out of their tins and peel the greaseproof paper from the bases. 
• Place one cake on a plate and spread a thin layer of coffee buttercream over it. 
• Place the second cake on top and use the rest of the buttercream to cover the upper surface. 
• Decorate with walnut halves around the edge.