Coffee and Walnut Sponge Cake

There are many versions of the classic coffee and walnut cake, not all of which are delicious!   This is a very reliable version, simple to make, and the ingredients can be substituted to suit all dietary requirements, though it still contains calories...  It is such a good-tempered cake, you can make it without nuts, without dairy and without gluten, and it still tastes great!  It also works as a traybake, in a single layer, baked in a 1.5" deep oblong tin, 1.5 times the recipe, and it cut up into about 24 pieces.

Coffee and Walnut sponge cake

Coffee and Walnut Sponge Cake

3 large fresh eggs

6oz/150g  sieved self raising flour or self raising gluten free blend

6oz/150g  caster sugar

6oz/150g  butter or spread at room temperature

1 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon coffee essence (Camp or similar), or 1 tbsp of coffee granules slaked in a little warm water so they are liquid

Butter Icing:

6oz/150g  sieved icing sugar  

3oz/75g butter or spread at room temperature  

1 tablespoon coffee essence

2oz walnuts, chopped, plus handful of half walnuts to decorate

Preheat oven to 180 deg C, and line two 8” loose bottom sandwich tins with parchment (or spray with a “cake release” agent), and grease the sides.  If you are making a traybake, line the tin with foil and grease it.  

In a food processor or Kenwood, blend the cake ingredients together and then beat until pale and fluffy.   Divide between the tins and cook for 15-25 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven) until risen and golden brown.  To test, the cake should have come away from the edges slightly, and if you put a (heated) knife or skewer into the middle, it will come out clean.

Tip out of the tins onto a wire rack and leave to cool.  When cool, make the icing and filling.  Blend the butter, icing sugar and coffee essence in a food processor, adding a little more essence if needed to give a softer consistency – too hard and the cake top will peel off as you spread the icing over it.   Put aside half of the icing, and add the chopped nuts to the other half.  Sandwich the middle section together first using the nutty half of the icing.  Then, use a flat bladed knife to add the icing top (it helps to have a mug of boiling water handy to wash the knife).  Decorate with the half walnuts before the icing has dried.  

If you are doing a traybake, use 1.5 times the quantity throughout, and chop all the nuts and use them for the top.