Coffee and Walnut Cake

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Came up with this recipe whilst experimenting with using coffee in the sponge and walnuts in the icing rather than the other way round as normally is used.

Ingredients

Cake Mix

• 125g/4oz Butter
• 125g/4oz Soft brown sugar
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 225g/8oz Plain white flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 225ml/8 fl oz Strong Coffee
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Fudge Icing

• 75g Margarine
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 300g icing sugar
• 60g Walnuts (finely chopped)
• Further 40g walnuts for topping

Mise en place

• Preheat oven Gas mark 5 or 190 degrees.

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs a little at a time.
3. Sift the flour & Bicarbonate of soda and fold in.
4. Add the coffee a little at a time. The consistancy should be such that the mixture will drop softly off the spoon.
5. Grease a 7in round tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.
6. Pour the mixture into the tin and place near the top of the oven for 55 - 60 minutes or until springy and brown on top.
7. Leave on a rack to cool.

Finishing

1. Make up the icing by mixing the icing sugar with the milk then adding the other ingredients.
2. Cut the cake in half and spread icing on top of the bottom layer.
3. Place the top layer on top and finish with the rest of the icing and the remaining walnuts.

Serving suggestions

Good with coffee :-)

Chef's notes

The results appear to be good although I need one more trial run to be sure after making a few tweaks to the cooking process. I also might experiment with adding a little more cinnamon.