Coffee Walnut Cake
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| Coffee Walnut Cake |
from
The Great British Book of Baking
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| The Great British Book of Baking |
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| A towering slice of Coffee Walnut cake! |
~Monday 8th August 2011~
Lundi 8 Août 2011 ~ St Dominique
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| The Great British Book of Baking |
I got this book for Christmas, and I use it almost weekly, it is such a great source of GREAT British baking as the title suggests. The book accompanies or did accompany a British TV series last year ~ The Great British Bake-Off on BBC2. Throughout the TV series, several contestants battle it out to become Britain’s best baker, and some of their recipes are included in this book…….although I enjoyed watching the series now and then, that wasn’t the prime reason for me wanting this book; I browsed through the book in a book shop in the UK last year, and immediately added it to my Christmas list. The layout and photos are beautiful and the volume of traditional British baking recipes also attracted and impressed me; some of them I am very familiar with and have known all my life, whilst others are “commercial” recipes that intrigued me, such as Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Bakewell Tarts/Puddings, and I wanted to attempt to make them at home ~ then there are the new regional recipes that I enjoyed learning about, so all in all, a great book!
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| The Great British Book of Baking |
The cover and dust jacket are pretty ~ the dust jacket covering a rather wonderful and quirky Union Jack flag made up of gingham and floral prints in a warm retro design. The photos are of traditional country scenes as well as vintage culinary items and kitchenalia in general ~ they all contribute to and create the “feel” of the book, which is warm and cosy…….almost like a slice of apple pie itself! I have to admit to reading this book in bed quite often ~ salivating over my next culinary conquest in the kitchen. It was on one such evening that I gravitated towards this recipe, Coffee Walnut Cake……“a buttery light sponge with a rich coffee taste and aroma with crunchy walnuts”, the recipe promises in the introduction……..I can do light and buttery with the occasional crunch I thought, and so the plan was hatched to make this cake on Sunday ~ my customary baking day.
I will be posting more recipes from this book over the next few weeks, as there are loads of recipes I want to try and also some that I want to make again……especially some of the pies that I have tried out ~ now all devoured and just a distant memory. Before I copy the recipe here along with my review and photos, I want to share a few photos that appear in the book ~ just to give you a feel of how beautiful the book is…….excuse the quality of the photos, but I snapped them in rapid succession outside on the patio table, in the fading light ~ perfect photographic conditions!
Anyway, back to the cake; I made it as written, with no changes at all, and I was rewarded with a very large and indeed a very light and fluffy, buttery cake with a pleasant but subtle coffee flavour…..the butter cream icing was less subtle than the cake and was espresso strength, which took the edge off the sweet butter cream nicely, and the walnuts certainly added to the cake both in texture and flavour. This is a very large cake, and I guesstimate that you would get about 10 generous slices from it, so great for a large family gathering, for the week ahead, for lunch boxes or for extremely greedy people to devour in one sitting!
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| A “slab” of cake for tea! |
I can also see this being a huge hit at a charity coffee morning or at the school fête……or for a Farmer’s market and the cake stall. One teensy weensy little point, for my friends across the puddle, I realise a coffee cake is a different entity where you come from; I know it is a large “cut and come again” cake to enjoy with a cup of coffee, this is a coffee cake on BOTH counts, it is a coffee cake to have with a up of the brown brew and it is a coffee FLAVOURED cake ~ the best of both worlds and with double the caffeine kick!
Okay, here is the recipe for this cake, and also some more photos to tempt you into making it…..it really is very good ~ a real old fashioned tea-time cake, beloved of tea rooms, “caffs” and parlours across our great nation…..
Walnut Coffee Cake
(Makes 1 large Cake)
Ingredients:
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175g/6oz butter
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175g/6oz caster sugar
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3 medium free-range eggs
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175g/6oz self-raising flour
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
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75g/3oz walnut piecesFilling and Topping:
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125g/4½oz unsalted butter
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300g/10oz icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules mixed with 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 4 tablespoons cream
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25g/2oz walnut pieces and halves, to decorateMethod:
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- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Line the base of two 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed sponge tins with baking parchment.
- Beat the butter and caster sugar until light, pale and fluffy. You could do this by hand, but it is far easier with an electric mixer.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl, break them up with a fork, then add them a little at a time to the butter and sugar, beating well after each addition.
- Combine the flour and baking powder and gently mix into the butter and sugar, either with a hand-mixer on a slow speed or by hand, with a large metal spoon.
- Dissolve the coffee granules in a tablespoon of boiling water, then stir into the mixture.
- Chop the walnuts and fold them in gently
- Divide the cake mixture between the two tins, smooth the top lightly and bake for 20 to 25 minutes – the cake should be springy to the touch and a skewer inserted inside should come out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- For the butter cream topping, beat the butter and icing sugar together in a small bowl until pale and light.
- Add the dissolved coffee and cream and mix well. Then work in the nuts.
- Spread the butter cream over the top of each cake when cool, then place one cake on top of the other.
- Decorate the top of the cake with the walnut halves and serve in generous slices.
Large fluffy slices served with a cup of coffee………….
Why not get some friends over for a natter and some cake and coffee…….
That’s all folks, for today at least, see you later with more news, photos, culinary ramblings and recipes……
Karen
Anne says
Yum!!! Coffee Walnut Cake is my absolute favourite! And that looks sooooooo good !
The book looks amazing, and a 'must have' to be honest, as hubby does most of the cooking of meals here but I'm the one for baking … I'm off to Amazon to pop a copy in my trolley 😀
c Jarvis says
I must have done something wrong as coffee and walnut cake I made had far too much coffee in it, help?
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hmm…..how much coffee did you put in?
Marie says
A great favourite of ours for sure Karen and that is one of my favourite baking books. But then again, I love anything British, especially the baking! Your cake looks amazing. xxoo
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Ann ~ we have lots of cake left as it makes a very large cake, as I mentioned in my blog post; I was impressed with the blend of subtle coffee flavours with the stronger coffee flavour in the butter cream icing, it makes it taste less sickly than it might.
I think it is nearly half price at Amazon now, £11 instead of £20 ~ not bad for a book of this quality.
Karen
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Marie ~ you and me both, I love anything that is British, and I think we British are very good in the baking kitchen in particular.
Thanks for your kind comments, I am making a few more treats from this book over the next few weeks.
Karen
Tina says
This looks so yummy, that I need to bake it – and that I had to get a new follower 😉 Want to see more from your kitchen!!!
Tina in Germany (and knowing quite some parts of the french Atlantic coast)
La Table De Nana says
Oh my gosh..it's funny I thought of Marie when I saw the cake:)
The book looks fabulous as well as your gorgeous cake..yours looks even more delicious than the books'
Thank you for sharing this..The photos in the book look so good..
I've never been to England..
The charm of it all..I would love to one day see..
I saw a cookie cutter from England..I think you need it..
Home Made..It's ADORABLE!
Karen S Booth says
Hello Tina ~ lovely to meet you and I am pleased you like my cake and blog.
I live on the French Atlantic coast, so we have something in common, that and I used to live in Germany many years ago……
Thanks for stopping by.
Karen
Karen S Booth says
Thanks La Table De Nana…..your comments made me smile, you sounded as enthusiastic as I am when I see a piece of culinary equipment I want……I would probably want that cookie/biscuit cutter you are talking about too…..
I LOVE baking ~ all sorts of baking ~ cakes, scones, pies, tarts, biscuits/cookies, bread etc…. so you will no doubt see lots more of that featured on my blog!
The book is very pretty ~ I like books that have great recipes as well as photos….
Karen
Heather says
Oh. My. Goodness. This looks completely and utterly yummy! I am coffee crazy and this sounds so good. I had to look up caster sugar and icing sugar (thanks google!) because we dont have those items under that name here. Turns out in the US its just 'fine sugar' and 'powdered sugar' 🙂 good to know! 😀
Heather says
also think I totally need that book! Wonder if its on amazon…surely?
Karen S Booth says
Hi Heather, yes, the book is on Amazon….of you click the book title under the photos ~ the live link will take you there, or search for it at the bottom of my blog, where I have an Amazon shop front!
It is a lovely cake and you will love it as a coffee drinker!
Sorry ~ I must remember that I need to add the US names too for stuff…..glad you found what the sugars are in the States!
Karen
smellslikesalad says
Not something I'd want to cook in hot August, but a definite must-bake in Autumn!
Karen S Booth says
Is it still hot where you are Smells like Salad? Yes, I agree, a great bake for Autumn.
Karen
Choclette says
Thank you, thank you, thank you. The first for following my blog, the second for having a go at the We Should Cocoa rose challenge – many are less than enthusiastic! And third but not least for convincing me to buy this book. I've eyed it up in the bookshop a few times and wasn't sure if my lust for it was because of the TV series or not. I now know better 😉 Oh and the cake looks good too!
ps, just got "baker" as my word verification
Karen S Booth says
Thanks so much Choclette…..I do a lot of cooking with flowers and especially roses, so I am looking forward to devising a new chocolate recipe with roses!
I think you will like the book, there are lots of familiar British recipes in it, but also some less familiar ones too….
Funny that you for "baker" for your word verification……it is kismet, you need to buy that book!
Karen
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
Oh Karen – my heart has absolutely melted!! Coffee and walnut cake is my all time favorite and I always find a slice when I go back to England. What a wonderful book!!! – it's my b/day soon and I'm going to go straight to amazon and treat myself!!! This is where my heart is!
thanks for such a great post – Mary x
Karen S Booth says
I am so pleased that this post made your heart melt and you enjoyed this post Mary! I think you should treat yourself to this book for your birthday, it is $24 on Amazon.com and £11 on Amazon,co.uk……….I checked!
Karen
Janice says
I love Coffee and Walnut cake, it's such a grown up sort of flavour. The next series of The Great British Bake Off is coming soon, can't wait, although I could never be bothered with some of the fiddly stuff they make. Mary Berry, one of the judges of the show, is brilliant baker, I've had her books for many years.
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Janice ~ yes, I also love Mary Berry ~ she has some great recipes but especially her baking ones……cakes and the like.
I must remember to watch the next Bake Off….like you, fiddly doesn't do it for me!
Karen
Zoe says
Delightful! Such a perfect cake with a cuppa for a nice relaxing afternoon.
Happy to follow you for all your delicious baking!
Karen S Booth says
Welcome Zoe and thanks for your kind comments……this is an extremely tasty cake and is perfect with a cuppa as you say!
Karen
Winnie says
This cake looks absolutely delicious !
Karen S Booth says
Thanks so much Winnie ~ we still have 4 slices left….it is a big cake.
Karen
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
That is spectacular. Do your B&B guests leave 10 pounds heavier??
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Dave, yes they leave via Weight-watchers!
Karen
Domestic Goddess says
Beautiful cake Karen! I wish I had some as of this moment to go with my hazelnut flavored coffee.
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Domestic Goddess ~ I would join you too!
Karen