I recently baked this for our wedding anniversary – anniversary cake is a thing… right?! As an alternative to chocolate cake, coffee and walnut is one of my favourites, and the addition of the candied walnut makes this cake really rather special. Of course, it’s super easy, and well worth the little extra effort of the sweet crunchy walnuts on top.
Coffee Walnut Traybake
Ingredients
Cake
100g butter of baking spread
100g caster sugar
140g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tbsp warm water
50g chopped walnuts
Frosting
75g unsalted butter
225g icing sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp instant coffee mixed with 2 tsp warm water
Candied walnuts
40g chopped walnuts
15g caster sugar
10g unsalted butter
Method
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and line an eight inch square pan with baking paper or reusable liner. Two skinny pieces crossed over works a treat.
- Put all your cake ingredients into a bowl and mix. I use a stand mixer on medium speed until it’s well combined.
- Pour the cake mix into your tin.
- Bake for around 30 minutes, until it’s springy to the touch and starting to pull away from the sides.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
Candied walnuts
- Spread a piece of baking paper on a chopping board, ready for the nuts once they’re done.
- Pop all the ingredients into a small pan or frying pan on a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly.
- Once the butter and sugar starts to melt, keep an eye on the nuts, stirring to keep the mixture moving.
- The nuts should be darkening and looking lovely and sticky, it should take no longer than 5 minutes in total.
- Tip out the walnuts onto your baking paper and immediately separate them quickly with forks. You’ll be able to crumble them more once they’re cooled.
Frosting
- Beat the butter, icing sugar, coffee and milk together, starting on a low speed and increasing to a high speed once it’s started to combine. The frosting will become lighter in colour, so keep mixing for a few minutes until it’s light and airy.
- Spread onto your cooled cake.
- Crumble and sprinkle the candied walnuts on top so each piece will get a delicious crunch.
- Cut into nine pieces and enjoy!
☕❤☕
Recipe adapted from a Mary Berry classic.
