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    Home » Recipes » Cakes, biscuits and dessert recipes

    Coffee and walnut layer cake

    Published: Apr 17, 2021 · Modified: Jun 16, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    A slice of classic coffee and walnut layer cake covered with a layer of creamy buttercream frosting is the perfect tea-time treat. This easy recipe was passed down to me by my Granny, and I'm sharing it today so you can try it too.

    Closeup of a coffee walnut cake.
    Jump to:
    • My favourite cake
    • Recipe information
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Questions
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    My favourite cake

    When I was little, one of my favourite treats was to go shopping with my Granny on a Saturday morning because once her shopping was done she'd take me to the local tearoom for a slice of cake.

    I loved going to the cake shop and standing in front of the glass-fronted display trying to decide which cake to have. There were so many to choose from. Slices of chocolate cake, Victoria sponge cake filled with jam and cream, juicy apple pies and my particular favourite, a slice of coffee and walnut layer cake covered with coffee buttercream.

    I think my preference may have had something to do with the size of the cake. It towered above the other cakes on display and quite filled my plate once it had been laid on its side. The crumb was soft and moist, with little bits of walnuts mixed in for extra texture and the cake was filled and covered with thick layers of creamy coffee-flavoured buttercream. Each slice was topped with half a walnut which I always picked off and saved for last.

    I've mentioned in other posts that my Granny was always baking in the kitchen - you can see an example in this post for her bacon and egg pie - so of course, I asked her to make a coffee and walnut cake at home. And being a Granny, she did as all good Grannies would do, and she got to work in the kitchen. This recipe is the result. I may have tweaked it slightly over the years, but it still remains my Granny's coffee and walnut cake. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

    A slice of coffee walnut cake on a plate.

    This coffee and walnut cake has a soft, moist texture and is packed with nuts.

    Recipe information

    **You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this coffee and walnut cake on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**

    • Prep time - 15 minutes
    • Cooking time - 20 - 25 minutes
    • Yield - 1 x 8" 2-layer cake
    • Calories - 591
    • Main equipment - electric hand mixer. Of course, you can get away with using a wooden spoon and plenty of elbow grease, but an electric hand mixer takes all the hard work out of mixing the cake.

    Ingredients

    I've separated the ingredients into cake and frosting.

    For the cake

    Ingredients for coffee walnut cake.

    Chopped walnuts - you will need some walnuts for the cake mixture and some for decoration. If you don't have walnuts, substitute them for pecan nuts.

    Self-raising flour - if you only have plain flour, you can make self-raising flour by adding one teaspoon of baking powder to each cup of flour.

    Brown sugar - this adds a lovely caramel flavour to the cake. You could use white caster sugar instead.

    Eggs - the recipe calls for 4 medium-sized eggs, but you can use large eggs. If your eggs are on the small side then add an extra egg.

    Butter - if you don't have butter you can get away with using margarine. My Granny's original recipe used margarine, but I've changed that for butter. For easy mixing make sure your butter is at room temperature.

    Instant coffee granules - these should be dissolved in boiling water

    Baking powder - even though the recipe calls for self-raising flour, you will need an additional teaspoon of baking powder to help the cake reach great heights.

    Salt - this is optional, but it does enhance the flavour of the cake.

    For the coffee buttercream frosting

    Ingredients for coffee buttercream frosting.

    Icing sugar - this is also known as confectioner's sugar or powdered sugar depending on where in the world you live.

    Butter - I wouldn't recommend substituting this for margarine. Butter provides a much better flavour and texture for the buttercream frosting.

    Instant coffee granules - dissolved in boiling water.

    Instructions

    Mix the cake batter

    Steps for mixing the coffee walnut cake.
    • Dissolve the coffee granules in ¼ cup of boiling water and set aside to cool.
    • Chop the walnuts into small pieces. If you want to decorate the cake with whole walnut halves, remove about 16 halves and set them aside. If you want to decorate the cake with chopped walnuts, chop them all, then remove about ½ a cup of walnuts and set them aside.
    • Measure the sugar and butter into a mixing bowl and mix either with an electric hand mixer or with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. There should be no lumps of butter in the mix (image 1 above).
    • Next, add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. The mixture will look as if it has curdled but don't worry, this is perfectly normal and will right itself once the flour has been added (image 2 above).
    • Add the flour, salt, baking powder and cooled coffee, and mix until there are no streaks of flour left (image 3 above).
    • Finally, stir in the chopped walnuts (image 4 above). Don't forget to save about half a cup of chopped walnuts for decorating the cake.

    Prepare the cake pans and bake

    Steps for lining the baking pans and baking the cake.
    • Brush 2 x 8" (20cm) cake pans with sunflower oil.
    • Take a square piece of baking parchment and fold it into half, then fold into quarters, and finally fold again into eighths.
    • Measure the baking parchment from the centre of the baking pan to the edge and cut away any excess with a pair of scissors (image 1 above).
    • Unfold the baking parchment and lay it onto the base of each baking pan (image 2 above).
    • Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two cake pans.
    • Bake in a preheated oven (180C / 360F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the cakes are golden brown and a wooden toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out cleanly. Remember not to open the oven for the first 20 minutes or you will run the risk of the cake sinking in the middle.
    • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before covering with coffee buttercream frosting.

    Mix the frosting

    Steps for making the coffee buttercream.
    • Dissolve the coffee granules in 1 tablespoon of boiling water and allow to cool.
    • Measure the icing sugar and butter into a bowl. If the butter is at room temperature it will be soft enough to mix easily (image 1 above).
    • Mix the butter and icing sugar until it all comes together in a thick ball and all the icing sugar has been incorporated.
    • Now add the dissolved coffee granules and mix through.
    • Use half of the mixture to sandwich the two layers of cake together. I like to turn one cake upside down and use that as the bottom layer. That way, if your cake has risen to a point in the middle you will have a nice flat surface to spread the frosting onto.
    • Spread the remaining coffee buttercream on top and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts. If you prefer, you can decorate the coffee cake with walnut halves instead.
    A forkful of coffee walnut cake.

    A slice of coffee and walnut cake makes the perfect tea-time treat.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Questions

    How do I know when the cake is cooked?

    The cake will be cooked when it is firm to the touch.
    You can also test for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer or toothpick into the cake at various places. If the skewer comes out cleanly with no wet batter sticking to it, you will know the cake is ready.
    Do remember not to open the oven door for the first 20 minutes or you run the risk of the cake sinking in the middle.

    Can I make this coffee cake as a traybake?

    Yes, you can bake this cake as a tray bake. You will need a 13" x 9" baking tray deep enough to hold all the batter. Line the tray with baking parchment to prevent sticking, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out cleanly.

    You can also use this mixture to make individual coffee walnut cakes in a muffin tin. Grease the muffin tins with a little butter, or brush lightly with sunflower oil before spooning the mixture into the holes. You may find the muffins will need slightly less cooking time. Check for doneness after about 18 minutes.

    If you bake your coffee cake in either of these ways you might have too much frosting because there are no layers, so you can halve the quantities for the coffee buttercream.

    Does this cake freeze well?

    Yes, this cake freezes very well. However, I would freeze the cake before adding the frosting.
    Just wrap each layer of cooled cake in greaseproof paper or baking parchment and either cover with plastic wrap or place them into a large ziploc freezer bag. The cake can be frozen for up to 6 months.
    To use, allow to defrost on the counter before frosting.

    How long does the coffee cake stay fresh?

    The cake will remain fresh for up to 4 days. I like to keep my cake covered in the refrigerator, especially in the summer months, so that the frosting stays firm.

    Save for later

    If you like the look of this coffee and walnut cake why not pin it to one of your Pinterest boards so you can make it later? Just click on the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    Visit my cakes, biscuits and dessert recipes page for other recipes. Here are a few you may enjoy:

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    📋The recipe

    A 2-layer coffee walnut cake covered with buttercream frosting and chopped walnuts.

    Coffee and walnut layer cake with coffee buttercream frosting

    A slice of classic coffee and walnut layer cake covered with a layer of creamy buttercream frosting is the perfect tea-time treat. This easy recipe was passed down to me by my Granny, and I'm sharing it today so you can try it too.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Baking, Easy cakes
    American, British
    Calories 591
    Prep 25 minutes minutes
    Cook 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 8" round layer cake
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
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    4.50 from 2 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • 2 x 8" round cake tins
    • Mixing bowl
    • Electric hand mixer
    • Wooden spoon
    • Baking parchment

    Ingredients

    Coffee and walnut cake

    • 7 ounce (200g) butter room temperature
    • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar (or 8 tablespoons)
    • 4 medium eggs
    • 1½ cups (200g) self-raising flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cups (100g) chopped walnuts
    • 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 4 tablespoons boiling water

    Coffee buttercream

    • 2½ cups (300g) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
    • ¾ cup (150g) butter room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
    • ½ cup (40g) chopped walnuts

    Instructions

    Coffee and walnut cake

    • Preheat oven to 180°C / 360°F
    • Dissolve the coffee granules in ¼ cup of boiling water and set aside to cool.
    • Chop the walnuts into small pieces. If you want to decorate the cake with whole walnut halves, remove about 16 halves and set them aside. If you want to decorate the cake with chopped walnuts, chop them all, then remove about ½ a cup of walnuts and set them aside.
    • Measure the sugar and butter into a mixing bowl and mix either with an electric hand mixer or with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
    • Next, add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. The mixture will look as though it has curdled but don't worry, this is perfectly normal and will right itself once the flour has been added.
    • Add the flour, salt, baking powder and cooled coffee mixture and mix until there are no streaks of flour left.
    • Finally, stir in ¾ dups chopped walnuts.
    • Brush 2 x 8" (20cm) cake pans with sunflower oil.
    • Line the base of each pan with baking parchment.
    • Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two cake pans.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until the cakes are golden brown and firm to the touch. A toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the cakes should come out cleanly.
    • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before covering with the coffee buttercream.

    Coffee buttercream

    • Dissolve the coffee granules in 1 tablespoon of boiling water and allow it to cool.
    • Measure the icing sugar and butter into a bowl. Mix the butter and icing sugar until it all comes together in a thick ball and all the icing sugar has been incorporated.
    • Now add the dissolved coffee granules and mix through.
    • Use half of the mixture to sandwich the two layers of cake together. Then spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.

    Notes

    Do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes or you stand the chance of the cake sinking in the middle.
    When sandwiching the cakes together, turn one cake upside down and use and use as the bottom layer.  This way you will have a nice flat surface to spread the buttercream on to.
    You can also bake this cake as a tray bake in a 9" x 13" cake pan.  
    To freeze the (unfrosted) cake, wrap each of the layers in a sheet of greaseproof or baking paper and the cover with plastic wrap or place them in a large plastic freezer bag.  Freeze for up to 6 months.  Allow the cakes to defrost on the counter top and then cover with coffee buttercream frosting. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories - 591kcal | Carbohydrates - 56.7g | Protein - 8g | Fat - 38.6g | Saturated Fat - 19g | Cholesterol - 141mg | Sodium - 347mg | Potassium - 193mg | Fiber - 1.5g | Sugar - 39.4g | Calcium - 60mg | Iron - 2mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.50 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Sue

      August 20, 2023 at 5:48 pm

      4 stars
      Love this recipe, cake was delicious!
      In regard to the walnuts,it is 50grams that we use for the actual cake?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • VJ

        August 21, 2023 at 3:30 pm

        Hi Sue, Glad you enjoyed the cake. With regards to your question - I think my recipe is a bit ambiguous. It was one of my earlier recipes and I perhaps wasn't quite as detailed as I am now. You will need 100 grams of chopped walnuts (3/4 cup) for the cake and an additional half a cup for decoration. (I've added the recipe to my list of 'recipes to update'). Thank you for your comment.

        Reply

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