Coffee Walnut Cake

Original recipe was double this and made a round cake for 12; next time would make as a tray bake or do an extra half in loaf tin as when cut in half the top part broke. 

For the cake

·         4oz unsalted butter

·         4oz caster sugar

·         2 eggs, beaten

·         4oz plain flour, sifted

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         2 tsp Tesco Finest Costa Rican coffee

·         2oz walnuts, chopped

 

For the icing

·         3oz unsalted butter

·         8oz icing sugar, sifted

·         2 tsp Tesco Finest Costa Rican coffee, mixed with 1 tbsp hot water and cooled

·         Walnuts, halved, to decorate

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Butter and flour a loaf tin.
2. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand whisk for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time and beat well between each addition. Then fold in the flour and baking powder using a large metal spoon. Mix the coffee powder with 1 tbsp of warm water and fold into the cake mix with the chopped nuts.
3. Add the cake mix to the prepared tin and smooth the surface flat. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the surface of the cake is slightly springy to touch.
4. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely, about 10-15 more minutes.
5. To make the icing, beat the butter together with the icing sugar and cold coffee until smooth. Split the cooled cake with half of the filling and then cover the top with the rest of the filling and decorate with the chopped nuts.