Coffee and Walnut Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the sponge:
50 grams walnut pieces
225 grams caster sugar
225 grams soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)
200 grams plain flour
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
4 large eggs
1 - 2 tablespoons milk
For the buttercream frosting:
350 grams icing sugar
175 grams soft unsalted butter
2 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder (dissolved in 1
tablespoon boiling water)
approx. 10 walnut halves (to decorate)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350°F.
- Butter two 20cm / 8inch sandwich tins and line the base of
each with baking parchment.
- Put the walnut pieces and sugar into a food processor and
blitz to a fine nutty powder.
- Add the 225g/2 sticks butter, flour, 4 teaspoons espresso
powder, baking powder, bicarb and eggs and process to a smooth batter.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- When the sponges are cool, you can make the buttercream.
- Pulse the icing sugar in the food processor until it is
lump free, then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing.
- 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.
- If you are doing this by hand, sieve the icing sugar and
beat it into the butter with a wooden spoon.
- Then beat in the hot coffee liquid.
- Place 1 sponge upside down on your cake stand or serving
plate.
- 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.
- 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.
- Gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing
all around the edge of the circle about 1cm apart.
Recipe copied and pasted from http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/COFFEE-AND-WALNUT-LAYER-CAKE-5307
