Coffee cake

Usually, yes: it is a coffee-flavoured sponge, often filled or topped with coffee buttercream and walnuts. American-style coffee cake is often a cinnamon-and-crumb cake served with coffee, with no coffee in the cake itself.

Dissolve instant coffee in a teaspoon or two of hot water, let it cool, then beat it into the batter or buttercream. This adds flavour without much extra liquid; strong espresso works too, but use it sparingly in the sponge.

Chop them fairly small and fold them into the batter right at the end, so they are less likely to sink. You can also save some to scatter on top before baking.

Keep it covered in an airtight tin in a cool place and eat it within three days. If it has fresh cream filling, keep it in the fridge instead.

Yes. Wrap an uniced sponge or individual slices well and freeze for up to a month; thaw fully at room temperature before adding buttercream or serving.

Coffee and walnut cake is a familiar choice for an afternoon-tea spread, alongside a pot of tea. A slice also goes naturally with a mug of coffee, especially when the cake has coffee buttercream.

Yes. Use decaffeinated instant coffee dissolved in hot water, or brewed decaf, in the same way as regular coffee; the flavour will still come through.