Coffee and Walnut Cake

Coffee and walnut cake is a classic British bake, made with deliciously rich and moist sponge, flavoured with rich coffee, and studded with crunchy walnuts. It's filled and topped with silky-smooth coffee-flavoured buttercream frosting, making it an ideal treat for any coffee lover!

Whether you are a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this cake is a must-try for anyone who loves the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the satisfying crunch of nuts.

My easy coffee and walnut cake recipe is a popular choice for an afternoon tea, bake sale, or any special occasions. It's a quick and straight forward recipe, where the combination of coffee and walnuts creates a unique flavour profile that is both sweet and savoury.

Unlike the American-style coffee cakes (see my Pumpkin Sour Cream Coffee Cake as an example), this cake actually does contains coffee. If you are looking for other traditional and classic British bakes, be sure to check out my Victoria Sponge Cake recipe or my Lemon and Elderflower cake.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Cake assembly
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

Have a look at the ingredients you will need to make this walnut coffee cake:

• Butter.
• Sugar.
• Instant Coffee.
• Eggs.
• Self-raising flour.
• Baking powder.
• Walnuts.

Additionally, to make buttercream, you will also need extra butter, icing sugar and double cream.

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card and the full list of the ingredients.

Instructions

Hint: To make sure the sponges are levelled, use a cake leveller or a large serrated knife, and cut off the domed tops. Alternatively, when assembling the cake, flip the sponges upside down, before adding buttercream.

Cake assembly

Once the sponges are cool, it's time to add the coffee buttercream to our cake. The recipe below makes enough buttercream to fill the cake and pipe the decorative swirls on top.

If like me, you would like to go for the semi-naked design, with the crumb coat and more intricate piping decoration, you will need to double the amount of frosting. Any leftover buttercream can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Substitutions

• Butter - This walnut and coffee cake calls for unsalted butter, but margarine, like Stork, will also produce great results! If you are using margarine, there is no need to bring it to room temperature before using in the recipe.
• Sugar - I typically use golden caster sugar in this recipe, but you can use granulated or white caster sugar. Light soft brown sugar will also work just fine.
• Instant Coffee - Use instant coffee granules or an espresso powder for the sponges and the buttercream. Alternatively, you can prepare the freshly brewed ground coffee, before using it in the same way. You can also use a decaffeinated coffee, if you want to make sure the cake doesn't contain any caffeine.
• Flour - You can swap self-raising flour for plain flour (same amount), but you will need to add 2 teaspoon of baking powder to it.
• Walnuts - As the name states, it is a walnut coffee cake. However, if you do not want to use walnuts, you can opt in for hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, or any other type of your favourite nuts.
• Double cream - I'm adding it to the buttercream to avoid that cloyingly sweet frosting. Double cream (heavy cream) will balance out the sweetness and will also create the smoothest texture in this coffee cake buttercream, but feel free to skip it from the recipe.

Variations

• Coffee and walnut cupcakes - This recipe can be used to make cupcakes instead of cake. It should yield 10-12 cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes for 15- 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Decorate with coffee buttercream.
• More coffee flavour - You can add more, or less coffee to the sponges and to the buttercream, to suit your taste. If you would like to intensify the coffee flavour, you can also add a tablespoon of coffee extract to both, the buttercream and the cake.
• Add an extra spice - Adding a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom to the cake batter will intensify and elevate that coffee flavour even more!
• Decaffeinated coffee cake - Use a decaf coffee in cake batter and in buttercream to make sure this recipe does not contain any caffeine.
• Gluten free coffee and walnut cake - Use the gluten-free self-raising flour and gluten free baking powder to turn this cake into gluten free version.

Equipment

• Electric mixer - Freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer.
• Mixing bowls.
• Baking tins - To make this moist coffee walnut cake, you will need two 20cm (8") round cake tins. Alternatively, you can also use 7" or 6" round baking tins (for three layered cake), just remember that different size tin will require adjusting baking times.
• Baking paper - To line the bottom of each baking tin.
• Piping bag with nozzle - Optional. If you would like to pipe some decorative rosettes or swirls, you will need a piping bag fitted with piping tip. Alternatively, you can just spread the coffee buttercream over the cake using an offset spatula or a palette knife. I used large closed star nozzle to pipe my design (I was totally inspired by Thida Bevington's Instagram page and her piping designs!).

Storage

Store any leftovers of this coffee and walnut cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

The sponges (plain, without any icing) can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap each sponge tightly in a double layer of clingfilm, before transferring to the freezer. Defrost at room temperature for 3-4 hours, or in the fridge overnight.

Buttercream can be also frozen separately in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the fridge, then bring it to room temperature and re-whip it briefly before using.

Top tip

When making a walnut cake, it's important not to chop the nuts too finely because it can affect the texture and taste of the cake. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Texture: Chopping the nuts too finely can result in a cake that has a uniform texture throughout. This can make the cake feel less interesting to eat, as there won't be any crunchy or chewy bits to break up the texture.
2. Flavour: The flavour of walnuts can be lost if they are chopped too finely. By leaving them in larger pieces, you can experience the full flavour of the nut in every bite.
3. Moisture: Nuts release oil when they are chopped, which can make the cake denser and more moist. If the nuts are chopped too finely, the excess oil can cause the cake to become greasy and heavy.
4. Appearance: Chopped walnuts add a nice visual appeal to a cake. By chopping them too finely, you lose the contrast of the nuts against the cake.

It's important to chop the walnuts just enough to add some texture and flavour to the cake, but not so much that they lose their unique characteristics. Aim for a variety of sizes, with some larger pieces mixed in with the smaller ones, to create a more interesting and flavourful cake.

I recommend chopping the nuts with a knife, rather than in the food processor.

FAQ

To pin this recipe and save it for later, use the button on the recipe card or on the photos above.

If you try this recipe, or any other recipe on Anna Banana, please take a moment to rate the recipe and/ or leave me a comment. I love hearing from you, but it also helps other readers who are thinking of making the recipe.

📖 Recipe

This recipe was originally posted in November 2020. It has been updated with the new photos, revised recipe and tips in March 2023.