How To Make Coffee Cake

Step : You will need:

Step 1: Sponge mixture

Heat your oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas mark 3. Line a deep 20cm loose-based or springform cake tin. Beat 200g butter and 200g caster sugar together with electric beaters and then beat in 4 eggs, 200g self-raising flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Step 2: Coffee & Walnuts

Dissolve 2 heaped tablespoons of instant coffee in 100ml water, then beat in 1 tablespoon of this into the cake mixture. Add up to another tablespoon little by little until the mixture drops easily off the spoon. Keep the rest of the coffee mixture for the icing. Also stir in 50g walnuts, snapping them in half as you drop them into the bowl.

Step 3: Bake

Spoon the mixture into the tin, level the top and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly. When it's ready, turn the cake out of the tin and leave to cool.

Step 4: Icing

To make the icing, beat 200g butter until soft and then beat in 200g icing sugar followed by the remaining coffee mixture, little by little. Stop when you have a depth of colour and flavour that you like. If the icing looks a little soft, beat in extra icing sugar.

Step 5: Decorate

When it's cool, cut the cake into 3 slices horizontally and then sandwich the layers together with some of the icing; you need a reasonably thick layer. Cover the top of the cake with the rest of the icing and decorate with walnuts.