Coffee and Walnut Cake: A Timeless Classic
Coffee and walnut cake is a much-loved British classic. This version features two light wholemeal sponges flavoured with coffee and ground walnuts, sandwiched together with smooth coffee buttercream. A final flourish of toasted walnuts and more buttercream on top completes the look. Perfect for afternoon tea, a special occasion or a crowd-pleasing bake sale treat.
Back in the day when I used to bake for local events, my coffee and walnut cake was always the first to disappear. It was even more popular than lemon drizzle cake. It’s also CT’s favourite, so although I don’t bake it nearly as much as he’d like, it does make an appearance once in a while.
Classic coffee and walnut cake recipe made with wholemeal spelt flour for a wholesome twist. Light, fluffy sponge layers filled with creamy coffee buttercream and topped with crunchy toasted walnuts. Perfect for afternoon tea, cake stalls or cosy weekend baking. #coffeeandwalnutcake #wholemealbaking #afternoontea #britishbakes
Dive Right In
- Why You’ll Want To Make This Coffee and Walnut Cake
- Coffee and Walnut Sandwich Cake
- Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
- How To Make a Classic Coffee and Walnut Cake
- Other Coffee Cake Recipes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- Pin It
- The Recipe
Why You’ll Want To Make This Coffee and Walnut Cake
- Adaptable – Make the coffee element as mild or strong as you like. Add a drizzle of coffee syrup over the top or turn it into cupcakes.
- Classic flavour combination – The slightly acidic and bitter notes of coffee pair beautifully with the rich nuttiness and crunch of walnuts.
- Crowd pleasing – A reliable favourite that appeals to both coffee lovers and traditional cake fans. Whether it’s afternoon tea with friends, a family celebration or selling a slice at a bake sale, this coffee and walnut cake is always a hit.
- Great make-ahead option – The flavours deepen with time and it keeps well for several days.
- Light and spongy – Despite using wholemeal flour, the sponge is soft and airy. The creamy coffee buttercream filling adds a smooth contrast, while the toasted walnuts bring just the right amount of crunch.
- Made with wholemeal flour – Adds a gentle nuttiness and wholesome texture, with more fibre than ordinary white flour.
Coffee And Walnut Sandwich Cake
Even though this coffee and walnut cake is made with wholemeal flour, the sponges are light with a true spongy texture. Part of the reason is because I use wholemeal spelt flour, but the other is that I don’t use plain milk as the liquid element.
My version also differs from most recipes in that I include ground walnuts, rather than chopped ones. I find this gives more flavour to the sponges as well as a better texture. It helps to hold in the moisture too. For crunch, I decorate the top with toasted walnuts.
The finished cake keeps really well. In fact the flavour develops with the passage of time. With great restraint, CT and I made it last for six days. It was just as good on day six as it was on the day I baked it.
If you’re a coffee and walnut fan, why not try these super easy no-bake coffee and walnut protein balls. They’re a bit different to this cake, but really good nonetheless.
Ingredients, Additions and Substitutions
The ingredients needed for this coffee and walnut cake recipe are all pretty straightforward. However, I’ve made a few notes on some of them below, which you might find useful.
Coffee
Use whatever coffee you happen to have in the house for this cake. Instant is easy as you can make it really strong. Fresh brewed will be weaker but arguably has a better flavour.
Because I used freshly brewed coffee, I added some finely ground coffee to the cake batter. It enhances the flavour considerably. This is entirely optional though and not needed if using instant coffee.
Dairy
Instead of plain milk to loosen the sponge batter, I use some sort of fermented milk. This is usually kefir, as we make our own and always have loads of it in need of using up. Buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt are all good substitutes.
The sourness from the fermentation reacts with the bicarbonate of soda and helps considerably with the rise and final texture of the cake. This is especially important when using wholemeal flour, as it generally doesn’t rise as well. It also adds a little tang which enhances the cake’s flavour even further.
Golden Syrup
Golden syrup is a very British thing and it’s not always available in other parts of the world. If you can’t get hold of it, maple syrup would go really well with the flavours of coffee and walnut in this cake. It’s also a healthier, if more expensive, swap.
Other options are honey, brown rice syrup, agave syrup or corn syrup. Each of these will bring their own flavour and texture to the cake.
Flour
I use wholemeal spelt flour because I find it produces lighter cakes than ordinary wholemeal. Having said that, if you can’t get hold of spelt, please use wholemeal flour instead. It creates a lovely texture and is far more nutritious than white flour.
How To Make A Classic Coffee And Walnut Cake
The method for this cake is very straightforward. The only step out of the ordinary is the need to toast and grind the walnuts.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for cooking temperatures and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Prep
First of all make take your butter out of the fridge, cut the amount needed for the sponges into cubes and place in a large mixing bowl to soften. Then make the coffee and grind your walnuts. I use a coffee grinder for the walnuts, but a blender or good food processor will do the job too.
Line your cake tins with baking paper or lightly grease two silicone cake moulds. Preheat your oven.
Step 2. Create Sponge Mix
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter cubes with the sugar and golden syrup until light in colour and fluffy in texture. It can take a few minutes, but don’t give up. The more you beat, the easier it gets.
You can use a stand mixer or electric beaters if you like, but I do it by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon. Less of the mixture gets wasted this way I find. And as long as the butter is soft, it’s not difficult.
Beat in the eggs, one by one until they’re well mixed. Stir in the ground walnuts and ground coffee, if using.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt, then stir carefully until everything is just combined. Make sure there’s no flour still lurking in the bottom of the bowl.
Finally, stir in the kefir and coffee. Mix until it all comes together, but don’t go mad. The less stirring, the lighter the sponge.
Step 3. Bake Sponges
Divide the mix between the two prepared tins and level the tops.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the sponges are well risen and the tops are firm to the touch. If you can’t get them both on one shelf, swap them around after the first fifteen minutes. Try to do this as quickly as possible, so that you don’t lose too much heat from the oven.
Leave in the tins for ten minutes to cool and shrink away from the sides a little, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4. Toast Walnuts
Whilst the sponges are cooling, toast the walnut halves. You can do this in the oven or in an air fryer. Place in a single layer on a baking tray and bake in the oven for eight minutes at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4). In an air fryer, toast at 160℃ (320℉) for six minutes. Give the basket a good shake after the first three minutes.
You can also toast them in a dry frying pan, but you really need to keep your eye on them if doing this as they burn very easily. Stir to keep them moving, almost continuously.
Top Tip
If using the oven, toast the walnuts immediately after removing the sponges, so that you can make the most of the residual heat. It’s best not to do it at the same time, as opening the oven door whilst the cakes are baking could inhibit their rise.
Step 5. Make Buttercream
Whilst the sponges are cooling, place the softened butter into a medium-sized clean mixing bowl. Sift in the icing sugar and beat until smooth, creamy and pale in colour. It’s important to sift the icing sugar because it usually has a few lumps in it which are difficult to beat out.
I do this by hand with a wooden spoon. You can do it in a stand mixer or with electric beaters, but you’ll need to add the icing sugar bit by bit or it will fly all over the kitchen.
Beat in the coffee until thoroughly combined.
Step 6. Assemble Cake
Once the sponges are completely cool, place one onto a serving plate, top side down. Spread it with four fifths of the buttercream in as even a layer as possible, then place the remaining sponge on top of the filling, top side up.
Stick the toasted walnuts around the edge of the cake, using a generous dollop of the remaining buttercream to do so.
For a celebratory cake, make a larger quantity of buttercream and ice the top completely.
It’s ready to serve as soon as it’s decorated, though it’s fine to make it several hours ahead of time. You can even make it the day before needed.
It will keep well in an airtight container in a cool place for several days, but don’t store it in the fridge. Fridges are generally too cold for cakes and often destroy their texture.
Other Coffee Cake Recipes You Might Like
- cappuccino cupcakes
- coffee brownies with almond nut butter
- coffee cardamom chocolate mousse cake
- coffee praline cake
- tiramisu cake
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this classic coffee and walnut cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for baking sandwich cakes?
Please rate the recipe too. And do tag me @choclette8 on Instagram with your images, I love to see your take on my recipes.
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If you’d like more sandwich cake recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Classic Coffee and Walnut Cake. PIN IT.
Classic Coffee and Walnut Cake
Ingredients
Sponge
- 110 g unsalted butter (4oz) cubed and softened
- 110 g soft brown sugar (4oz) I used light brown muscovado
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 60 g walnuts (2oz) ground
- 2 tsp coffee beans (optional) finely ground
- 200 g wholemeal spelt flour (7oz)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
- 110 ml kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt (4 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp strong black coffee
Filling and Topping
- 140 g unsalted butter (5oz) softened
- 225 g icing sugar (8oz)
- 3 tbsp strong black coffee
- 12 walnut halves toasted
Instructions
Sponge
- Line two 23cm round cake tins or lightly grease the same sized silicone cake moulds. Preheat your oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter cubes with the sugar and golden syrup until light in colour and fluffy in texture. You can use a stand mixer or electric beaters if you prefer.110 g unsalted butter, 110 g soft brown sugar, 3 tbsp golden syrup
- Beat in the eggs, one by one until they’re well mixed.3 large eggs
- Stir in the ground walnuts and ground coffee, if using.60 g walnuts, 2 tsp coffee beans
- Sift in the dry ingredients and stir to mix. Chuck any bran left in the sieve into the mix too.200 g wholemeal spelt flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
- Finally, stir in the kefir and coffee. Mix until it all comes together, but don’t go mad. The less stirring, the lighter the sponge.110 ml kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt, 2 tbsp strong black coffee
- Divide the mix between the prepared tins and level the tops.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the sponges are well risen and the tops are firm to the touch.
- Leave in the tins for ten minutes to cool and shrink away from the sides a little, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Filling and Topping
- Whilst the sponges are cooling, place the butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sift in the icing sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. I do this by hand with a wooden spoon. You can do this in a stand mixer or with electric beaters, but you'll need to add the icing sugar bit by bit or it will fly all over the kitchen.140 g unsalted butter, 225 g icing sugar
- Beat in the coffee.3 tbsp strong black coffee
- Once the sponges are cool, place one onto a serving plate, top side down. Spread it with 4/5 of the buttercream as evenly as possible, then place the remaining sponge on top of the filling, top side up.
- Stick the toasted walnuts around the edge of the cake, using a generous dollop of the remaining buttercream to do so.12 walnut halves
Hi Choclette, I saved this recipe to make in 3 weeks when I retire, yay!!! Decision made before I started to think about what to bake. Sounds absolutely delicious and ticks all my boxes for something special.
Thanks heaps.
Sigi
Oh, how very exciting. Wishing you all the best for your retirement and I hope you enjoy the cake.
this sounds absolutely fabulous! I do love me a coffee cake, and this looks so light and lovely. I always giggle when i see american ‘coffee cakes’ that do not have coffee flavouring at all. But they are just cakes to eat with coffee!
cheers
Thank you Sherry. And oh yes, exactly this. I find American coffee cakes very confusing.