Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
Servings: 12 slices
My all time favourite coffee and walnut loaf cake with an espresso vanilla glaze.
INGREDIENTS LIST
- 250 g butter (softened)
- 250 g soft light brown sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 60 ml espresso coffee (two shots of espresso or 1 tsp instant coffee made with 2 tablespoons of warm water)
- 100 ml milk
- 250 g self-raising or plain flour (all-purpose)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 70 g walnuts (chopped )
Coffee Buttercream
- 250 g icing sugar (US powdered sugar)
- 45 g butter
- 30 ml espresso coffee (or 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water)
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
Decoration
- 30 g walnuts
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 170°C fan / 375°F / Gas 5 and line a 2-pound loaf pan (900g) with baking or parchment paper.
- Instant coffee: if you are using instant coffee, mix it with tablespoons of water and leave to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the milk and the espresso coffee.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt into the bowl and stir until you have a smooth batter. Finally, incorporate the chopped walnuts.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth over the surface of the cake batter to level it.
- Baking: Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and a toothpick or skewer comes out with a sticky crumb or two attached. Watch it carefully as it has a tendency to easily over bake. Tent the cake with foil for the final 15 minutes if it is browning too quickly.
- Allow the cake to cool in the baking tin/pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Buttercream: Make the coffee and melt the butter over a low heat or in a microwave. Whisk together the icing sugar, coffee, salt and butter in a small bowl, then drizzle it over the cooled loaf and scatter the chopped walnuts on top.
- Allow the cake to set before slicing.
Notes & Tips
Decorating: Check out my variations section on the blog post for more ideas.
Storage: This cake will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. If you’ve topped your cake with a frosting, then store it in the fridge.
Freezing: Freeze the loaf whole or cut it into slices in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
