This is a cake for the serious coffee lovers…it’s deliciously light and moist with a shot of rich espresso and a slight nuttiness throughout (the cake, not the baker!) It’s a really simple cake to make, but it looks far swisher when it’s finished. The key is in the espresso shot. You’ll need to make this beforehand and allow it to go cold before you use it – that does mean that your kitchen will smell amazing whilst you’re baking. If you loved my Coffee Cupcake recipe, you’ll love this even more!
It’s definitely a grown up cake, but who wants to share something so gorgeous with the kids anyway (you could always make my Easy Iced Cupcakes to keep them out of the way whilst you eat this!) It’s perfect for sharing with friends over great coffee and will serve around 10 people (we may have even squeezed a couple more portions out of this one!) If you want to make your own, here’s how:
Ingredients:
(for your cake)
- 175g butter
- 175g caster sugar
- 175g self raising flour
- 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
- 3eggs
- 2 tablespoons cold espresso
- 50g crushed walnuts
(for the buttercream frosting)
- 75g butter
- 175g icing sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons of espresso
- Halved walnuts for decorating
Equipment Needed:
- Mixing bowl x 2
- Metal dessert spoon (+ 1 additional to help you spoon the mixture into the cases)
- Tablespoon (this is approx. 15ml – you could also use a mini liquid measurer)
- Scales
- Measuring jug (or a large mug will be fine!)
- Whisk
- 2 x 7″ cake tins
- Baking parchment
- Cooling rack
- Knife/spreader – I like to use a silicone spatula
Method
- In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy (to cream the two, use a metal spoon and press and drag the mixture against the side of the bowl…you’ll hear the sugar crunching)
- Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl
- In a jug, whisk the eggs together
- Add to the mixing bowl, along with the coffee, and combine gently in a figure of 8 movement until smooth (be careful not to overwork the flour by stirring to vigorously)
- Add your crushed walnuts and fold in gently
- Line your cake tins with baking parchment
- Spoon the mixture equally between the two cake tins and bake in the oven (Gas Mark 4/180 degrees Celsius) for 25-30 minutes (when you check your cakes are ready use a cake tester or very thin knife in the middle of the cake – if it comes out clean, it’s cooked!)
- Leave your cakes to cook on the rack
- In another bowl, mix the butter, icing sugar and coffee and stir until it is a creamy consistency
- With a knife or spreader, spread half of your icing over one of your cakes and sandwich it with the other cake on top
- Spread the rest of the icing on top of the cake
- Press on your walnut halves in whatever pattern you choose
- Leave the buttercream to set
I love these classics, there’s something really comforting about them – you can’t beat excellent quality home baking! If you like this cake, you’ll love my Victoria Sponge recipe.
Want to see how I make my espresso shots – read all about my Bialetti espresso maker here
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