Sue’s Coffee & Walnut Cake

Instructions

Serves: 8-10
Time: 1h 20 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 6

STEP 2
Line 2, round 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Grease the sides and dust with a little flour.

STEP 3
If using instant coffee, mix it with 125ml of boiling water and stir till dissolved. Divide your coffee in half and sweeten one half with the caster sugar.

STEP 4
Beat together the butter and muscovado sugar with an electric whisk until smooth and light. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them to the cake mix a little at a time, beating between each addition. Don’t worry if the mix curdles slightly-this will right itself once the flour is added.

STEP 5
Add ½ of the unsweetened coffee to the mix and then add the flour, baking powder and milk. Beat well again and finally stir in the walnuts.

STEP 6
Spoon the mixture into the two cake tins, dividing it equally. Smooth it over and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cake has left the sides of the tin and is firm to the touch. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

STEP 7
To make the icing-mix the muscovado sugar with the remaining unsweetened coffee until it forms a thick paste. Melt the butter in a small pan or microwave, and then beat together with the sugar paste and cream until it is light and fluffy and has thickened enough to spread easily.

STEP 8
When the cake is cooled, drizzle the sweetened coffee over both halves of the underside of each cake. Spread 2/3 of the icing over one half of the cake and place the other half on top.

STEP 9
Spread the rest of the icing over the top of the cake and decorate with the reserved walnut pieces. Dust with a little cocoa powder.