Coffee and Walnut Cake 🧁

A moist cake, flavored with coffee, topped with a melting coffee glaze and decorated with crunchy walnuts. This recipe combines sweetness, character, and elegance — perfect to accompany a good espresso or a filtered coffee signed Cafemalin.

☕ The perfect alliance of coffee and walnut

The marriage of coffee and nuts is a true gastronomic symphony. Coffee brings roasted, slightly bitter, and intense notes, while nuts offer a crunchy texture and a sweet, buttery flavor. Together, they create a subtle balance between softness, indulgence, and refinement.

This recipe pays tribute à the British tradition of coffee & walnut cake, while adopting a more ébalanced approach: less sweet, more melting, and especially… a true taste of coffee!

🧂 Ingredients (for 8 to 10 servings)

For the cake:

• 200g flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 125g of nuts (coarsely chopped)
• 175g of softened unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150 g of blond cane sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp of strong instant coffee (or a strong Cafemalin espresso, cooled)
• 3 tbsp of milk or liquid cream
• 1 pinch of salt
• (Optional) 1 tsp of vanilla extract

For the coffee glaze:

• 150 g of softened butter
• 200 g of sifted icing sugar
• 2 tbsp of strong coffee (cooled)
• A few whole walnuts for decoration

🧑‍🍳 Step 1: Prepare the coffee base

1. Brew the coffee.
   Prepare a strong espresso (about 60 ml). Let it cool. If you use instant coffee, dilute it in 2 tablespoons of hot water.
   👉 Tip Cafemalin : a 100% arabica coffee with hazelnut notes will highlight the sweetness of the nuts.
2. Preheat the oven.
   Set your oven to 180°C (fan heat 170°C).
   Butter two round 20 cm diameter molds and line the bottom with parchment paper.

🥣 Step 2: Prepare the batter

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
   In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for about 3 to 5 minutes until achieving a light and fluffy texture. This step ensures the lightness of the cake.
2. Add the eggs one by one.
   Fold in the eggs, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture seems to split, add a spoonful of flour to stabilize the emulsion.
3. Incorporate the arômes.
   Add the café cooled and the vanilla (if used). Mix delicately to distribute the fragrance well.

🌰 Step 3: Add the dry ingredients

1. Mix flour and leavenings.
   In another bowl, sift the flour, the baking powder, the bicarbonate and the salt.
   Pour this dry mélange into the préparation with butter.
2. Add the nuts.
   Incorporate the nuts concassées with a spatula. They must être well réparties, without over‑mixing to avoid compressing the pâte.
3. Adjust the texture.
   Pour the milk or the cream. The batter must be supple, neither too liquid nor too compact.
   👉 If it seems thick, add an extra spoon of milk.

🍰 Step 4: Baking the cake

1. Pour and smooth.
   Distribute the batter evenly into the two prepared molds. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
2. Baking.
   Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
   The cake is ready when a knife inserted in the center comes out dry.
3. Cooling.
   Let tiédir 10 minutes in the molds, then démold onto a rack. Let cool complèteley before d’apply the glaçe.

☕ Step 5: Prepare the coffee frosting

1. Cream the butter.
   Whisk the butter softened until’à it becomes créamy and clear.
2. Add powdered sugar little à little.
   Incorporate the powdered sugar in three times, mixing well between each addition to avoid éviter lumps.
3. Incorporate the coffee.
   Add the cooled coffee. Continue à beat until ’à obtain a smooth, shiny and creamy.
   👉 Tip Cafemalin : for a richer glaze, add a few drops of coffee extract.

🧩 Step 6: Assembling the cake

1. Assemble the layers.
   Place the first cake disc on your serving plate. Spread a generous layer of coffee glaze with a spatula.
2. Add the second layer.
   Place the second disc on top, then cover everything with the remaining frosting. Smooth the edges or create an effect “waves” rustic.
3. Decorate.
   Place walnut halves on top, or coarsely crush them for a more natural result. You can also sprinkle a little ground coffee for a visual and aromatic effect.