Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
This Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake is such a classic bake – a delicious coffee sponge studded with walnuts, topped with coffee buttercream and even more walnuts.
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Coffee
Am I allowed to admit that I haven’t always been the biggest fan of coffee? I know, I know! I’m not sure what has changed recently, but I am obsessed with coffee at the moment. It’s so strange how your taste buds can change as you get older, isn’t it?
So, as well as drinking it by the bucketload, I thought, why not make a coffee cake? It’s such a classic bake, and I can’t believe I’ve missed out on it until now.
With the colder weather setting in here in the UK, I just wanted a cosy and delicious bake. This Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake is the perfect autumnal treat – it’s just so yummy when paired with a good TV series and a cosy cardigan.
Loaf Cakes
I love a loaf cake recipe. I have so many on my blog at the moment, including my Jaffa Cake Loaf Cake, Jammie Dodger Loaf Cake and Millionaire’s Loaf Cake.
They’re just so easy to make, as they’re smaller than a regular cake. You don’t need to worry about splitting the batter between multiple tins – just pour it into your loaf tin and pop it into the oven.
The one problem with loaf tins, though, is that no two 2lb loaf tins are the same size. It can be frustrating, as different tins may take longer or shorter to bake. For example, the tin I baked this cake in is thinner but taller compared to the tin I used for another cake today, which is wider and shallower.
I have no idea why there isn’t a standard-sized loaf tin, but there we go! Depending on the size of your tin, your cake may need to bake for longer at a slightly lower temperature.
Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
Coffee and walnut loaf cake is so simple and easy to make. Alongside the standard cake ingredients, this recipe only has two extras: coffee and walnuts.
Whenever I bake a cake, I always use self-raising flour, and this one is no different. I used light brown sugar, but this can be substituted with caster sugar if you prefer. The light brown sugar just gives the cake a slight hint of caramel flavour.
Related Recipes
You can use either unsalted butter or a baking spread like Stork – both work perfectly, and it really comes down to personal preference. Personally, I prefer baking spread, as I find it makes a moister, softer cake.
The coffee can be any type of instant coffee dissolved in water, although you could use a coffee flavouring or an espresso from a coffee machine.
For the walnuts, I used walnut halves and cut a few of them in half again. I like that when you’re eating the cake, you get different-sized chunks of walnut.
Coffee Buttercream
To make the buttercream, you need to use unsalted butter. As mentioned above, either unsalted butter or baking spread will work in the cake, but for the buttercream, it must be unsalted butter – the type that comes wrapped in foil, usually in 250g blocks.
As with the cake, the coffee added to the buttercream can be instant coffee dissolved in hot water, coffee flavouring, or espresso from a machine.
I piped the buttercream onto the cake using a 2D star piping tip.
Alternatives
I used instant coffee dissolved in water for both the cake and the buttercream, but you can also use coffee flavouring or espresso.
You could also leave the walnuts out completely.
Equipment
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Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
Ingredients
For the Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
- 200 g Unsalted Butter or Baking Spread
- 200 g Light Brown Sugar
- 200 g Self-Raising Flour
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tbsp Instant Coffee (dissolved in 2tbsp of boiling water)
- 150 g Walnuts (chopped)
For the Coffee Buttercream
- 200 g Unsalted Butter
- 400 g Icing Sugar
- 2 tbsp Instant Coffee (dissolved in 2tbsp of boiling water)
Decoration
- Leftover Walnuts
Instructions
To Make the Coffee and Walnut Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan) and line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Leave it to one side.
- In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until completely combined.
- Pour the mixture into your loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes.
- Leave to cool for 15-20 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool.
To Make the Coffee Buttercream
- Add the butter and icing sugar to a large bowl and mix until completely combined.
- Add the dissolved coffee and mix until completely combined.
- Add the buttercream to a large piping bag and pipe onto the top of your cake. Decorate with the leftover walnuts.
Notes
- This coffee and walnut loaf cake will last 3+ days in an airtight container.
- I used this 2lb loaf tin
- I used an instant coffee dissolved in water for the cake and buttercream. But you can use either a coffee flavouring or an espresso from a coffee machine.
- I use this 2D star piping tip.