Mary Berry Coffee And Walnut Traybake​ Recipe

This classic Mary Berry Coffee And Walnut Traybake is made with self-raising flour, soft butter, caster sugar, instant coffee, and crunchy walnuts. This recipe creates a light and fluffy sponge with a rich coffee flavour, all topped with a smooth, buttery coffee icing. It’s the perfect cake for an afternoon tea or a bake sale, wonderful for a cozy autumn day, and makes about 12 generous slices.

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Mary Berry Coffee And Walnut Traybake Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 225g (8 oz) self-raising flour
• 225g (8 oz) caster sugar
• 225g (8 oz) very soft unsalted butter, or baking spread
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 75g (3 oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

For the Coffee Buttercream Icing:

• 100g (4 oz) very soft unsalted butter
• 225g (8 oz) icing sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• Walnut halves, to decorate

How To Make Mary Berry Coffee And Walnut Traybake

1. Preheat the oven and prepare the tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and line a 30cm x 23cm (12in x 9in) traybake tin with baking parchment.
2. Dissolve the coffee: In a small bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons of instant coffee with 2 tablespoons of hot water to form a smooth, strong coffee paste for the cake. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Combine all cake ingredients: Using Mary Berry’s famous all-in-one method, measure the flour, caster sugar, soft butter, eggs, and baking powder directly into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled coffee paste.
4. Beat the mixture until smooth: Using an electric mixer, beat all the ingredients together on a slow speed at first, then increase the speed and beat for about 2 minutes until the mixture is well-combined, smooth, and creamy. Gently fold in the chopped walnuts with a spatula.
5. Pour and bake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake is golden, well-risen, and springs back when you press it gently.
6. Make the coffee icing: While the cake is cooling completely on a wire rack, make the icing. Dissolve the 2 teaspoons of instant coffee in 1 tablespoon of hot water and let it cool. In a bowl, beat the soft butter until creamy, then gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Finally, beat in the cooled coffee until the icing is smooth and spreadable.
7. Ice and decorate the cooled cake: Once the cake is completely cool, spread the coffee buttercream icing evenly over the top. Arrange the walnut halves on top to decorate. Cut into 12 slices to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For the all-in-one method to work perfectly, your butter must be very soft and your eggs at room temperature. This helps everything combine quickly into a smooth, even batter without any lumps.
• Dissolve the Coffee Properly: Creating a strong coffee paste by dissolving the granules in a small amount of boiling water is key. This ensures a rich, even coffee flavour throughout the cake without making the batter too wet.
• Don’t Overmix: The beauty of the all-in-one method is its speed. Once the ingredients are fully combined and the batter looks smooth and creamy, stop mixing. Overmixing can lead to a dense or tough cake.
• Cool Completely Before Icing: This is a golden rule of baking. Ensure your cake has cooled completely before you attempt to spread the buttercream. If the cake is even slightly warm, the butter in the icing will melt, leaving you with a runny mess.

What To Serve Coffee And Walnut Traybake

This beautifully simple Coffee and Walnut Traybake is a classic teatime cake. It is perfectly complete on its own and needs nothing more than a hot cup of tea or a fresh coffee to be enjoyed. It’s the ideal treat for a relaxing afternoon break.

How To Store Coffee And Walnut Traybake Leftovers

• Store: Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature. It will remain moist and delicious for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: This traybake freezes exceptionally well. You can freeze the un-iced sponge whole, or freeze individual iced slices. Wrap securely in a double layer of plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Mary Berry Coffee And Walnut Traybake Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 450 kcal
• Total Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 14g
• Cholesterol: 110mg
• Sodium: 250mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 50g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 35g
• Protein: 5g

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use brewed coffee instead of instant? It’s best to stick with instant coffee for this recipe. Brewed coffee would add too much liquid to the batter and could affect the texture of the sponge, making it too dense. The coffee paste made from granules gives the best flavour concentration.
• Can I make this cake without nuts? Yes, of course. If you have a nut allergy or simply don’t care for them, you can omit the walnuts from the sponge and from the decoration. You will have a beautiful, classic coffee cake.
• Why did my cake sink in the middle? A cake sinking in the middle is often caused by opening the oven door too early, which lets cold air in and stops the rise. It can also happen if the cake is underbaked. Make sure to test it with a skewer before removing it from the oven.
• Can I make this as a round layer cake? Yes. Divide the batter equally between two greased and lined 20cm (8in) round sandwich tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Once cooled, use half the icing to sandwich the cakes together and the other half to cover the top.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry​ Chocolate Orange Brownies Recipe
• Mary Berry’S 6-Ingredient Brownies​ Recipe
• Mary Berry Chocolate Brownie Traybake​