Jamie's Food Team
By Ginny Rolfe
1 hr 10 mins plus cooling
Not Too Tricky
serves 14
About the recipe
My deconstructed coffee & walnut cake is perfect with a cup of tea! I like to serve it warm, with a bit of extra praline for added crunch and sweetness.
Recipe From
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g light brown sugar
4 large free-range eggs
200g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g walnuts
50ml strong espresso, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
WALNUT PRALINE
150g golden caster sugar
50g walnuts
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
125g unsalted butter, softened
250g icing sugar
50ml strong espresso, cooled
COFFEE DRIZZLE
100g icing sugar
20ml strong espresso, cooled
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease a 1-litre loaf tin with a knob of butter, then line the base with greaseproof paper.
- Cube the butter and place into the bowl of a free-standing mixer along with the sugar. Beat on a high speed for about 5 minutes, or until pale and creamy – you can do this by hand, of course, but I’m cheating today!
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk, then add them to the mixer bowl a little at a time – don’t worry if it looks split at this stage.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold through the batter. Finely chop the walnuts, then fold through and stir in the espresso and vanilla.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until risen and golden, and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- To make the praline, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle the sugar over the base of a medium non-stick frying pan and place on a medium-high heat. Gently swirl the pan as it starts to melt, but don’t be tempted to stir until almost completely dissolved – you are looking for a deep, golden colour. Once dissolved, stir until you have a smooth caramel. Roughly chop the walnuts and stir through the caramel until thoroughly coated, then carefully pour onto the greaseproof paper, quickly spread out the nuts and leave to cool completely. Be careful as it will be very hot – make sure there are no children or animals around – and don’t be tempted to put your finger in to taste. Once cooled, bash up in a pestle and mortar.
- To make the buttercream, cube up the butter, place in a bowl and beat until creamy. Sift in the icing sugar a little at a time and beat to combine, then add the espresso and a pinch of sea salt and whisk for a further 4 to 5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy – it should resemble whipped cream.
- To make the coffee drizzle, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then beat in the espresso until thick and smooth.
- To serve, drizzle the coffee icing over the loaf and sprinkle over most of the walnut praline, serving the rest in a small bowl. Serve the coffee buttercream in a separate bowl for your guests to spread over their slices of slightly warm cake. Lovely!
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