Easy Coffee Walnut Cake

Coffee Walnut Cake is a deliciously easy soft and fluffy cake recipe. Recipe also for a lovely vanilla coffee frosting. A nice cake for the holidays!

Coffee Walnut Cake! What a delicious and easy cake recipe!

For this recipe, we've used a simple basic vanilla cake recipe and made some adjustments to give a coffee flavor.

We've kept the recipe simple, using basic cake techniques, so you will learn (if you don't already know), the creaming method.

This is when you beat the butter until it's really pale in color. This ensures you will get a fluffy texture in your cake.

If you don't beat the butter for long enough to see it change in color, your cake will likely be a little dense and maybe even greasy.

So don't skimp on this part of the instructions!

It is a light, fluffy sponge cake, and the flavor is rich in coffee. We've used instant coffee granules mixed with some hot water.

This is purely for convenience. if you happen to have a coffee machine at home, by all means make up 3 tablespoons of strong expresso coffee if you prefer.

The simple vanilla and coffee buttercream frosting adds a delicious creamy, sweet flavor.

We've made this into a sandwich cake, so we have a layer of coffee frosting in between in addition to the top. If you wanted to frost around the sides of the cake, you sure can!

This coffee walnut cake uses 2 round cake pans, and you can use one deep round pan instead, but be aware the cook time will be a little longer, around 40 minutes, so be sure to test.

The cake itself is not overly sweet, but we suggest, when you are making the buttercream frosting to give it a taste and add more or less sugar to your taste.

We think the sweetness is a perfect amount but I know some of you have a very sweet tooth!

This coffee cake freezes very well, so if you needed to make ahead, or perhaps you wanted to freeze in portions, then all you need to do is wrap it very well in some plastic wrap and simply defrost to room temperature when you wish to eat it.

So enjoy our delicious easy coffee walnut cake, it's by far the best coffee walnut cake recipe I know!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160 C, 325 F. Grease and lightly flour two 8 inch or 20 cm loose-bottomed round cake tins. I place a disc of parchment in the base of each tin so the cake comes out very easily.

2. Sift flour, salt and baking powder.

3. Lightly beat eggs and add vanilla in a small bowl.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

** NOTE: Creaming the butter and sugar is VERY important to get a fluffy texture to the cake crumb.

Please make sure you use your mixer and cream until you see the color of the butter turn almost white. It will take you around 5 - 7 minutes for this to happen, and it is worth the extra time taken!

4. Add egg mixture and coffee, a little at a time to the batter. Then add half the flour, then milk, then the rest of flour.

5. Transfer the cake batter mixture equally into the 2 baking tins and bake 30 - 35 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

6. Allow the cakes to rest for 2 minutes then remove from pans and place UPSIDE DOWN on a cooling rack. Allow to COMPLETELY cool before frosting.
*** Please note, bake times will vary slightly so please check for doneness after 25 - 30 minutes of baking.

For the Buttercream Frosting

7. Add the softened butter (it MUST be softened) vanilla, coffee granules and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and start by using a wooden spoon to combine.

Once combined, use a mixer and beat the butter, coffee, sugar and vanilla until the mixture is fluffy.

At this point, taste the buttercream for sweetness. If you want more, just add some more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it is to your liking.

8. When the cakes have COMPLETELY cooled, place the first cake on the plate, then take some frosting and spread evenly over the top.

Then add the second cake on top and continue to frost all over the cake.

Arrange the walnuts on the top, and also around the side of the cake if you wish.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our post. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe

If you love baking, try out this delicious Easy Plum Frangipane. It's a really easy recipe and you can serve these alongside an Afternoon Tea with your Coffee Walnut Cake.