Coffee & Walnut Cake

On the Remembrance Sunday decided to bake a traditional British cake.

Ingredients:

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g castor sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 150g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp coffee granules dissolved in 1 tbp boiling water and 1 tbsp Camp coffee
• 50g walnuts, roasted and chopped

For the coffee buttercream:

• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp coffee granules mixed with 1 tbsp boiling water and 1 tsp Camp coffee

For the coffee glace icing:

• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tsp coffee granules mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water
• 75g walnut pieces for decoration

Method:

Grease and base-lined with baking parchment paper 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C.

Place the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until very pale and creamy.

Gradually add in the eggs a little at a time, beating continously until all incorporated.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the butter mixture along with the dissolved coffee and the walnuts.

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden brown.

While the cakes are baking, make the coffee syrup. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until it has all dissolved.

Pour the coffee syrup evenly over both the sponges while they are still in the tins. Allow the cakes to cool completely before turning out on to a wire rack.

To make the coffee buttercream, place the softened butter in the bowl, add the sifted icing sugar and dissolved coffee and beat until smooth. If the icing is a little stiff then add a few more drops of boiling water until you have a spreadable consistency.

For the finishing touch, make the glace icing. Place the icing sugar and dissolved coffee in a bowl and beat intil smooth, adding more boiling water until you have a glossy, spreadable consistency.

To assemble the cake, place one cake on a large plate, spread over the coffee buttercream and sandwich with the other cake. Be careful not to let it break.

Spread the glace icing over the top and decorate with walnuts