Coffee and Walnut Cake

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Serves 12. Recipe is from Penny Nichols.

Cake:

8 ozs. unsalted butter

8 ozs. sugar

3 large eggs

1½ fl. ozs. strong coffee

8 ozs. self-rising flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2½ ozs. walnuts, chopped fine

Buttercream topping:

2 ozs. unsalted butter

4 ozs. cream cheese

12 ozs. powdered (confectioners’) sugar

1 fl. oz. strong coffee

Walnut pieces to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.

2. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until very light and pale.

3. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next egg.

4. Add the coffee to the mixture and stir well. Add the flour, baking powder and chopped walnuts and stir well to completely combine. Spoon the cake mixture into the cake tins. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake is golden-brown. Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. Remove paper.

5. For the buttercream topping, beat the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar together in a small bowl until pale and light. Add the coffee and mix well. Spread the buttercream over the top of each cake, then place one cake on top of the other. Decorate the top of the cake with walnut pieces.