Coffee & Walnut Cake

This was a super cake that S made... and she made it seem so effortless.   I could have eaten the whole cake by myself !  A hint of coffee, crunch of walnut ....delicious.  While this sandwich cake needed to be baked in two separate cake tins, S made it in one tin and then sliced it into halves and put the frosting.

( Recipe from Traditonal Family Cakes - Book )

Serves 8

Ingredients:
Unsalted butter - 175 gms plus extra for greasing
Light muscovado sugar - 175 gms ( used demerara sugar)
Eggs - 3 large beaten
Strong black coffee - 3 tbsp
Self raising flour - 175 gms
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Walnut pieces - 115 gms
Walnut halves to decorate -f ew

Frosting - ( used about 2/3 recipe of frosting)
Unsalted butter - 115 gms
Icing sugar - 200 gms
Strong coffee - 1 tbsp
Vanilla extract - 1.2 tsp

Grease and line tow 8" cake tins or like S did - one tin only

Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
Gradually add the eggs beating well after each addition
Beat in the coffee

Preheat the oven 180 C

Sift the flour and baking powder into mixture
Fold in lightly and evenly with a metal spoon
Fold in walnut pieces
Divide mixture into two tins ( if you are using two tins)

Smooth the services
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 mins if using two tins or it may be close to 40 mins for a single tin
Bake till golden brown and springy to touch

Turn on to rack to cool

For the frosting - beat together the butter, icing sugar, coffee and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and creamy

Once the cake has cooled use half of frosting mixture to sandwich cakes together ( or in between), spread the remaining on top of cake and swirl with palette knife.

Decorate with walnut halves.