Coffee and Walnut cakes are very popular due to their lovely classic flavour combination. This recipe harnesses those qualities but also adds a rich and crunchy filling and topping.

Serves: The recipe here is for 2 cakes, each giving 10 -12 slices. I can’t imagine it being a problem if you simply halve the amounts for just one cake.

Time: 60 – 70 minutes for the cakes; 40 – 45 minutes to make and use the filling/topping

Level: Not especially difficult

Need: 2 x 20cm loose-bottomed tins with high sides or built up using parchment

Cake ingredients

2 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp hot water
250g/9oz S.R. flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
250g/9oz golden caster sugar
250g/9oz butter/Stork – softened
4 eggs, lightly beaten
100g/3½oz chopped walnuts

Method for the cake

Oven 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4. Grease and line the tins
Dissolve coffee in hot water & leave to cool.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl & mix
Add in sugar, softened butter and beaten eggs. Mix with electric whisk then stir in the chopped walnuts
Spoon mixtures into the tins. Level the surface and tap the tins on your work surface a couple of times to get rid of any trapped air in the mixes.
Bake for 32 – 37 minutes
Cool in tins for 5 – 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack

Filling/topping ingredients

100g/3½oz Sugar
150g/5½oz Walnuts
500g/18oz Mascarpone or full fat cream cheese
250g/9oz Icing sugar
A few shakes of strong Coffee extract and/or 1 tsp coffee dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water

*NB There’s leeway with the filling/topping ingredients; the amounts can be scaled up or down by at least 10% should you wish to do so

Method for the Filling/topping

1. To make the walnut praline, melt sugar in a saucepan until caramelised

2. Add 100g/3½oz walnuts and stir or shake them around for a couple of minutes until well coated.

3. Pour onto tray or parchment and leave to cool.

4. Pulverise into fragments – I use a mini food processor, but you could put them into a bag and bash with a rolling pin.

5. Beat the mascarpone well and sift in the icing sugar. Beat some more, then stir in the coffee extract/coffee.

6. Stir in the praline and use this mixture to combine/top the cakes. (For two cakes I’d recommend 30% filling & 20% topping for each.)

7. Use the remaining 50g/1¾oz walnuts to decorate the tops in any way that you fancy.

Gallery

I hope you enjoy this lovely cake (or cakes). If you want more cake recipes click this link, or have a look at my site for lots of other great recipes, both sweet and savoury. Below are a few that I’d love you to try:

Strawberry Sponge Cake