2 Teaspoons of Quality Instant Coffee or 125ml Espresso
3 Teaspoons of Caster Sugar
175g Wyke Farms Salted or Unsalted Butter, softened
175g Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar
3 Large Eggs175g Self-Raising Flour
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons of Milk
100g Walnut Pieces, roughly chopped (save a handful for the topping)
175g Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar
150g Wyke Farms Unsalted Butter, softened
4 Tablespoons of Double Cream
½ Teaspoon Cocoa Powder or Icing Sugar for dusting
Method:
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.
