Coffee and Walnut Birthday Cake Recipe {with video}
A delightfully flavoured cake with creamy coffee buttercream!
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 50 g Walnut halves
- 225 g Caster sugar
- 225 g Room temperature butter plus some for greasing tins
- 200 gramsg Plain flour
- 1 shot Espresso
- 2½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 4 Large eggs
- 1 - 2 tbsp Milk
Buttercream Ingredients
- 350 g Icing sugar
- 175 g Room temperature butter
- ½ shot Espresso
Instructions
Baking the cake!
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350°F.
- Butter two 8inch sandwich tins and line the base of each with baking parchment. Alternatively, use one larger tin, and slice the cakes in half once baked.
- Put the walnut pieces into a food processor and blend to almost a fine powder.
- Add the flour, butter, espresso, baking powder, bicarbonate and eggs into a large bowl or stand mixer. Process to a smooth batter.
- Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor still running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture until you reach a light and creamy consistency.
- Divide the mixture between the 2 your two cake tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the sponge is pulling away from the sides and feels springy to the touch.
- Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, before turning them out onto the rack and peeling off the baking parchment.
- When the sponges are cool, you can make the buttercream.
Making the buttercream!
- In a stand mixer or with an electric whisk, add all of your buttercream ingredients and mix until a light and fluffy buttercream forms.
- If you are making the buttercream by hand, sieve the icing sugar and beat it into the butter with a wooden spoon.
- This cake is all about old-fashioned, rustic charm, so don’t worry unduly: however the frosting goes on is fine. similarly, don’t fret about some buttercream oozing out around the middle: that’s what makes it look so inviting.
- Once you have iced your cake (see youtube video below for a full tutorial on the above cake), gently press the walnut halves onto the top, and add your candles if you wish!