Coffee and walnut layer cake with coffee buttercream frosting

Ingredients

• 7 ounce (200g) butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar ((or 8 tablespoons))
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (200g) self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups (100g) chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules (dissolved in 4 tablespoons boiling water)
• 2 1/2 cups (300g) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 3/4 cup (150g) butter (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water)
• 1/2 cup (40g) chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Coffee and walnut cake ---

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 180°C / 360°F

3. 3

   Dissolve the coffee granules in 1/4 cup of boiling water and set aside to cool.

4. 4

   Chop the walnuts into small pieces. If you want to decorate the cake with whole walnut halves, remove about 16 halves and set them aside. If you want to decorate the cake with chopped walnuts, chop them all, then remove about 1/2 a cup of walnuts and set them aside.

5. 5

   Measure the sugar and butter into a mixing bowl and mix either with an electric hand mixer or with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

6. 6

   Next, add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. The mixture will look as though it has curdled but don't worry, this is perfectly normal and will right itself once the flour has been added.

7. 7

   Add the flour, salt, baking powder and cooled coffee mixture and mix until there are no streaks of flour left.

8. 8

   Finally, stir in ¾ dups chopped walnuts.

9. 9

   Brush 2 x 8" (20cm) cake pans with sunflower oil.

10. 10

    Line the base of each pan with baking parchment.

11. 11

    Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two cake pans.

12. 12

    Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until the cakes are golden brown and firm to the touch. A toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the cakes should come out cleanly.

13. 13

    Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before covering with the coffee buttercream.

14. 14

    --- Coffee buttercream ---

15. 15

    Dissolve the coffee granules in 1 tablespoon of boiling water and allow it to cool.

16. 16

    Measure the icing sugar and butter into a bowl. Mix the butter and icing sugar until it all comes together in a thick ball and all the icing sugar has been incorporated.

17. 17

    Now add the dissolved coffee granules and mix through.

18. 18

    Use half of the mixture to sandwich the two layers of cake together. Then spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.