Coffee and Walnut Cake
A two-layer coffee sponge with chopped walnuts, filled and topped with coffee buttercream. A tea-room favourite made like a Victoria sponge.
AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 28 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Makes
- one 20 cm cake (10 slices)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Cake
- Cuisine
- British
The total includes about 35 minutes cooling before the cake is filled.
If you can make a Victoria sponge, you can make coffee and walnut cake. It uses the same creamed sponge baked in two 20 cm sandwich tins, flavoured with strong instant coffee and studded with walnuts.
Dissolve the coffee in a very little hot water: too much liquid makes the sponge heavy.
Ingredients
Cups use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart. Weighing is more accurate.
Sponge
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 225 g light soft brown sugar
- 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
- 225 g self-raising flour (US: self-rising flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp instant coffee granules, dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling water
- 75 g walnuts, chopped
Coffee buttercream
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened
- 300 g icing sugar (US: powdered sugar), sifted
- 1 tbsp instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
- 10 walnut halves, to decorate
Equipment
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- Digital kitchen scalesHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- 20 cm sandwich tinHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Electric hand or stand mixerHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Large mixing bowlHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
Sponge
- 1
Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4 / 350°F. Grease two 20 cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper. Let the dissolved coffee cool.
- 2
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- 3
Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with the last egg to stop the mixture curdling.
- 4
Fold in the remaining flour and baking powder, then the cooled coffee and the chopped walnuts.
- 5
Divide evenly between the tins and smooth the tops.
- 6
Bake for 22–28 minutes, until risen and the sponge springs back when pressed lightly. A skewer in the centre should come out clean.
- 7
Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To finish
- 1
Beat the butter until smooth, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and the cooled coffee until light and fluffy.
- 2
Spread a third of the buttercream over one sponge and sandwich with the other.
- 3
Spread the rest over the top and decorate with walnut halves.
Tips
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes first for a deeper flavour, and let them cool before folding in. Spread the buttercream with a palette knife, and see sandwich tins if you need a matching pair. For a different size of tin, use our cake tin converter.
Storage and leftovers
Keep in an airtight cake tin in a cool place for up to 3 days. The un-iced sponges freeze well, wrapped, for up to 3 months.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sponge sank in the middle | Oven door opened too early, or too much liquid | Keep the door shut for the first 15 minutes and dissolve the coffee in just 2 tbsp water |
| Mixture curdled when adding eggs | Cold eggs, or eggs added too quickly | Use room-temperature eggs and add a spoonful of flour; the cake will still bake well |
| Buttercream too soft | Warm kitchen, or coffee added hot | Cool the coffee first and chill the buttercream for 15 minutes before spreading |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use espresso instead of instant coffee?
Yes. Use 2 tablespoons of strong, cooled espresso in place of the dissolved instant coffee in the sponge, and 1 tablespoon in the buttercream.
Can I make coffee and walnut cake without nuts?
Yes. Leave the walnuts out of the sponge and the decoration. It becomes a plain coffee cake, and bakes in the same time.
How long does coffee and walnut cake keep?
About 3 days in an airtight tin in a cool place. In a warm kitchen, keep it in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Guides for this recipe
Some of these guides contain shop links, which are affiliate links (disclosure).
Buying guide
How to Choose Sandwich Tins for Victoria Sponge
How-to
Essential Equipment for British Baking
Buying guide
Mixing Bowls: Glass, Steel or Ceramic?
Buying guide
Kitchen Scales for Baking: What to Look For
Buying guide
Hand Mixers: A Buyer's Guide
Buying guide
Baking Trays and Bun Tins: What You Need
Buying guide
Springform and Deep Cake Tins: A Guide
Kitchen design
How Much Food for Christmas Dinner? Quantities Per Person
Kitchen design
How Many Calories Are in an Afternoon Tea?
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Card photos: A round, deep cake tin, Douglas P Perkins via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0, cropped; Small cakes cooling on a wire rack, James Petts from London, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Stacked cream-coloured ceramic mixing bowls, RLiverpool2021 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A traditional mechanical kitchen scale, Berthold Werner via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; An electric hand mixer resting on a kitchen worktop, Santeri Viinamäki via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Mince pies baked in a bun tray, Jeremy Keith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A strawberry pie in a springform tin, W.carter via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, cropped; A long table laid for Christmas dinner with crackers, glasses and starters, Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A three-tiered afternoon tea stand with sandwiches, a croissant, pastries and fruit, Funknendai via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; Four tall, golden cheese scones with crisp cheesy tops, Matt Smith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; Scones split and topped with clotted cream and strawberry jam, Andy Li via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; Crustless cucumber sandwiches made with brown bread, James Petts from London, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.