Coffee and Walnut Cake

This Coffee and Walnut Cake is a British teatime classic and one I have never made before. I’ve eaten other versions of this cake in the past and thought it about time I made one myself. This coffee and walnut cake has a very light sponge studded with walnut pieces and an unashamedly rich and luscious coffee infused mascarpone frosting. Will one slice be enough? Probably not!

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
180g butter, at room temperature
180g caster sugar
3 eggs
180g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water (I used espresso)
60g walnut pieces

For the frosting
250g mascarpone cheese
85g icing sugar, sifted
1½ teaspoons instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1½ teaspoons hot water (I used espresso)
Walnut halves, to decorate

2 x 20cm diameter sandwich tins, greased and base-lined

Preheat the oven to 180oC/160oC fan/350oF/Gas 4.
Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the walnuts and coffee. Divide the cake mixture between the two prepared tins and level out the surface of each.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and the sponge springs back when gently pressed or a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing cakes from the tin. Once cooled carefully peel off the paper.

To make the frosting, beat together the mascarpone, icing sugar and coffee until smooth and creamy. Spread slightly less than half of the frosting over one of the cooled cakes, then place the second cake on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and decorate with walnut halves to finish.