How to make Coffee and Walnut Cake with Coffee Buttercream

You will need:

For the cake:

225g Self-raising flour

225g Caster Sugar

225g Margarine/butter

4 eggs

1.5tbsp Coffee Granules

1.5tbsp Boiling Water

100g Chopped Walnuts

For the Buttercream:

200g Icing Sugar

90g Unsalted butter (room temperature)

1tbsp Coffee Granules

2tbsp Boiling Water

50g Walnut Halves

For the Sugar Water (Optional):

50g Granulated Sugar

150ml Boiling Water

1tsp Coffee Granules

Method:

For the Cake:

1. Grease and line two 7 inch (18cm) cake tins.

2. To your coffee granules add the boiling water and mix until well combined. Put this to one side.

3. Then in a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until well combined.

4. Then add the eggs and the coffee mix and mix well.

5. Then add the self-raising flour and mix until well combined.

6. Add the chopped walnuts and mix until well distributed.

7. Then split the batter into the two prepared tins and bake in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 4, 180C or 160C fan assisted for about 45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

   For the Buttercream:

8. To the coffee granules add the boiling water and mix until well combined, pop to one side to allow to cool.

9. In a bowl, add the butter to icing sugar and push the butter into the icing sugar using a fork. This should help keep the icing dust down. You can use a stand mixer instead if you have one.

10. Once the butter and icing sugar are as mixed as they can be, add the coffee mix a bit at a time until it is a smooth buttercream. If you add too much liquid, add more icing sugar to bring it back.

    For the Sugar Water (Optional):

11. Add the coffee granules to the sugar and mix. Then add the boiling water and mix until well combined.

    To assemble the cake:

12. To one of the cakes, cut the top of the cake off to level it off. Then, if using, drizzle the sugar water over the bottom layer of cake. Spread a layer of buttercream over the bottom cake.

13. Then, if using, drizzle sugar water into the bottom of the second cake. And place the second cake on top of the buttercream layer. Top the cake with the remaining buttercream spreading evenly over the top.

14. Decorate with the walnut halves and enjoy.