Coffee and Walnut Layer Cake (2024)

Neither of my grandmothers, nor indeed my mother, was a baker but this cake is nonetheless the cake of my childhood. When I was little, I used to make it for my younger sister's birthday every year, beating away vigorously with my bowl and wooden spoon. This, however, is a simplified version: everything just goes into the processor. the cake I made and ate when young was more milky coffee than espresso, but here I've bolstered it without consideration to my children. If that's your constituency or concern here, or if you yourself have a nostalgic longing for muted sweet comfort, replace the 4 teaspoons of instant espresso powder with 2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules dissolved in a tablespoonful of boiling water.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Neither of my grandmothers, nor indeed my mother, was a baker but this cake is nonetheless the cake of my childhood. When I was little, I used to make it for my younger sister's birthday every year, beating away vigorously with my bowl and wooden spoon. This, however, is a simplified version: everything just goes into the processor. the cake I made and ate when young was more milky coffee than espresso, but here I've bolstered it without consideration to my children. If that's your constituency or concern here, or if you yourself have a nostalgic longing for muted sweet comfort, replace the 4 teaspoons of instant espresso powder with 2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules dissolved in a tablespoonful of boiling water.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

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  KITCHEN

  2010

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350°F.
2. Butter two 20cm / 8inch sandwich tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.
3. Put the walnut pieces and sugar into a food processor and blitz to a fine nutty powder.
4. Add the 225g/2 sticks butter, flour, 4 teaspoons espresso powder, baking powder, bicarb and eggs and process to a smooth batter.
5. Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor still running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture: it should be a soft, dropping consistency, so add more milk if you need to. (If you are making this by hand, bash the nuts to a rubbly powder with a rolling pin and mix with the dry ingredients; then cream the butter and sugar together, and beat in some dry ingredients and eggs alternately and, finally, the milk.)
6. Divide the mixture between the 2 lined tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the sponge has risen and feels springy to the touch.
7. 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.
8. When the sponges are cool, you can make the buttercream.
9. Pulse the icing sugar in the food processor until it is lump free, then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing.
10. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add it while still hot to the processor, pulsing to blend into the buttercream.
11. If you are doing this by hand, sieve the icing sugar and beat it into the butter with a wooden spoon.
12. Then beat in the hot coffee liquid.
13. Place 1 sponge upside down on your cake stand or serving plate.
14. Spread with about half the icing; then place on it the second sponge, right side up (i.e. so the 2 flat sides of the sponges meet in the middle) and cover the top with the remaining icing in a ramshackle swirly pattern.
15. 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.
16. Gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing all around the edge of the circle about 1cm apart.

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350°F.
2. Butter two 20cm / 8inch sandwich tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.
3. Put the walnut pieces and sugar into a food processor and blitz to a fine nutty powder.
4. Add the 225g/2 sticks butter, flour, 4 teaspoons espresso powder, baking powder, bicarb and eggs and process to a smooth batter.
5. Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor still running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture: it should be a soft, dropping consistency, so add more milk if you need to. (If you are making this by hand, bash the nuts to a rubbly powder with a rolling pin and mix with the dry ingredients; then cream the butter and sugar together, and beat in some dry ingredients and eggs alternately and, finally, the milk.)
6. Divide the mixture between the 2 lined tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the sponge has risen and feels springy to the touch.
7. 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.
8. When the sponges are cool, you can make the buttercream.
9. Pulse the confectioners' sugar in the food processor until it is lump free, then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing.
10. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add it while still hot to the processor, pulsing to blend into the buttercream.
11. If you are doing this by hand, sieve the confectioners' sugar and beat it into the butter with a wooden spoon.
12. Then beat in the hot coffee liquid.
13. Place 1 sponge upside down on your cake stand or serving plate.
14. Spread with about half the icing; then place on it the second sponge, right side up (i.e. so the 2 flat sides of the sponges meet in the middle) and cover the top with the remaining icing in a ramshackle swirly pattern.
15. 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.
16. Gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing all around the edge of the circle about 1cm apart.