Coffee & Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 225 gr. (8 oz.) butter
- 225 gr. (8 oz.) caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 225 gr. (8 oz.) s.r. flour
- 50 gr. (2 oz.) finely chopped walnuts
- 4 tsp. coffee granules, dissolved in 1 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 75 gr. (3 oz.) softened butter
- 225 gr. (8 oz.) icing sugar
- 2 tsp. coffee granules (dissolved in
- 2 tbsp. boiling water)
- A little warmed apricot jam
- A few whole or chopped walnuts to garnish
- Preheat oven to 160°C
- Grease two 20 cm. (8") sandwich tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.
Method
Sift the flour into a bowl and leave to one side.
Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and adding 2 tbsp. of the flour with the last egg.
Gently fold in the sifted flour and the finely chopped walnuts. Pour in the coffee and mix to a soft dropping consistency, adding milk as necessary. The mixture should gently drop off the spoon and be 'slack' rather than stiff.
Divide between the two tins, smooth the tops and gently knock the tins on the work surface to get rid of any air pockets.
Bake at 160°C for about 30/35 minutes until risen, springy to the touch and just coming away from the side of the tins. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then immediately turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool. This ensures the sponge comes away from the sides without sticking.
Spread a little warmed apricot jam over the top of one of the sponges then spread over half the coffee buttercream frosting. Spread a little more warmed apricot jam over the top of the second sponge and spread the rest of the frosting on top. The jam prevents any loose crumbs mixing into the icing. Sprinkle over the chopped walnuts.
To make the coffee buttercream:
Cream the butter until soft and creamy. Add the icing sugar a little at a time (too much and you will be covered in icing sugar!). Halfway through adding the icing sugar, pour in the dissolved coffee then continue beating until it is light and fluffy.
