Coffee and Walnut Cake

Ingredients

• 225g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 225g Caster Sugar
• 4 Large Eggs
• 225g Self-Raising Flour
• 2 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
• 2 tablespoons Boiling Water
• 100g Walnuts, finely chopped
• 250g Unsalted Butter, softened (for the buttercream)
• 400g Icing Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
• 1 tablespoon Boiling Water
• Walnut Halves, for decoration

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease two 20cm round cake tins.
2. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant coffee in 2 tablespoons of boiling water and allow it to cool slightly.
3. Beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Fold in the self-raising flour, cooled coffee mixture and chopped walnuts until evenly combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins and level the tops.
7. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Leave the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. For the buttercream, dissolve the remaining coffee granules in the boiling water and let it cool.
10. Beat the butter until creamy, gradually add the icing sugar, then mix in the cooled coffee until smooth and fluffy.
11. Sandwich the cakes with half the buttercream, spread the remainder over the top and decorate with walnut halves.

instructions_source: editorial-classic