This delicious coffee and walnut cake is soft, rich, and full of flavor. It’s made with real coffee, crunchy walnuts, and a smooth buttercream on top. Perfect for birthdays, tea time, or any day you want something sweet and homemade.

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Ingredients Needed:

Cake:

225g of unsalted butter, softened
225g of caster sugar
4 free-range eggs, large and beaten
1 tbsp of instant coffee granules, mixed with 1 tbsp of boiling water
225g of self-raising flour
75g of chopped walnuts

Buttercream Icing:

175g of butter, softened
300g of icing sugar
3 tbsp of instant coffee granules, mixed with 1 tbsp of boiling water into a paste
50g of chopped walnuts
12 walnut halves

How To Make Coffee and Walnut Cake Recipe?

Preheat the oven: set it to 180°C, then grease and line two 8-inch cake tins with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugar: beat the butter with the sugar in a bowl until smooth and fluffy.
Add eggs and flour: slowly mix in the beaten eggs, adding a spoonful of flour each time to stop it from splitting, and beat well after each mix.
Stir in coffee and nuts: add the rest of the flour, the dissolved coffee, and chopped walnuts, then mix gently until combined.
Bake the cakes: divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and risen. Let them cool in the tin for 2 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the buttercream: mix the butter with icing sugar until smooth, then stir in the coffee paste and chopped walnuts. Chill in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes so it firms up.
Assemble the cake: spread half the buttercream on one cake, place the second cake on top, then cover with the rest of the buttercream and top with walnut halves.

Hairy Bikers Coffee and Walnut Cake Recipe

Recipe Tips:

Use soft butter only: if the butter is too cold, it won’t mix well with the sugar, and your cake will be heavy. Leave it out for at least 30 minutes before starting.
Don’t skip the coffee paste: mixing the coffee with hot water helps it blend smoothly into the batter and buttercream, giving a rich flavor without lumps.
Add eggs slowly: pouring all the eggs in at once can make the mix split. Add a little at a time with some flour to keep it smooth and creamy.
Let the cakes cool fully before frosting: if the cakes are even slightly warm, the buttercream will melt and slide off. Always wait until they’re completely cool.
Chill the buttercream before spreading: popping it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes helps it set and makes it easier to spread evenly on the cake.

How To Store Leftovers?

Refrigerate: let the coffee and walnut cake cool down to room temperature first. Then place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring it back to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Freeze: once the cake has cooled, wrap the layers (without frosting) tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 485 kcal
Total Fat: 30g
Saturated Fat: 14g
Cholesterol: 110mg
Sodium: 160mg
Potassium: 130mg
Total Carbohydrate: 47g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 35g
Protein: 5g

Try More Hairy Bikers Recipes:

Hairy Bikers Coffee and Walnut Cake Recipe

Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

485

kcal

Ingredients

Cake:
225g of unsalted butter, softened
225g of caster sugar
4 free-range eggs, large and beaten
1 tbsp of instant coffee granules, mixed with 1 tbsp of boiling water
225g of self-raising flour
75g of chopped walnuts
Buttercream Icing:
175g of butter, softened
300g of icing sugar
3 tbsp of instant coffee granules, mixed with 1 tbsp of boiling water into a paste
50g of chopped walnuts
12 walnut halves

Directions

Preheat the oven: set it to 180°C, then grease and line two 8-inch cake tins with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugar: beat the butter with the sugar in a bowl until smooth and fluffy.
Add eggs and flour: slowly mix in the beaten eggs, adding a spoonful of flour each time to stop it from splitting, and beat well after each mix.
Stir in coffee and nuts: add the rest of the flour, the dissolved coffee, and chopped walnuts, then mix gently until combined.
Bake the cakes: divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and risen. Let them cool in the tin for 2 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the buttercream: mix the butter with icing sugar until smooth, then stir in the coffee paste and chopped walnuts. Chill in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes so it firms up.
Assemble the cake: spread half the buttercream on one cake, place the second cake on top, then cover with the rest of the buttercream and top with walnut halves.

Notes

Use soft butter only: if the butter is too cold, it won’t mix well with the sugar, and your cake will be heavy. Leave it out for at least 30 minutes before starting.
Don’t skip the coffee paste: mixing the coffee with hot water helps it blend smoothly into the batter and buttercream, giving a rich flavor without lumps.
Add eggs slowly: pouring all the eggs in at once can make the mix split. Add a little at a time with some flour to keep it smooth and creamy.
Let the cakes cool fully before frosting: if the cakes are even slightly warm, the buttercream will melt and slide off. Always wait until they’re completely cool.
Chill the buttercream before spreading: popping it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes helps it set and makes it easier to spread evenly on the cake.