Coffee and walnut cake

[MinnieMountain]

I’m after recommendations for a coffee and walnut cake recipe please. MIL has asked for one for her birthday and I’ve never made one before.

Side question- best decaf coffee powder to use for it?

I use the WI method.
Weigh the eggs in their shells.
Weigh out the same amount each of sugar, flour and butter.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder into the flour per egg used plus one more teaspoon for the pot.
Make super strong coffee - 1 tablespoon of coffee per 1.5 tablespoon of boiling water makes a good balance of dissolving and strength.
Line 2 X cake tins heat the oven to 180C.
Cream the butter & sugar until light & fluffy
Add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl down each time. If it looks as if it is splitting scrape down and add a teaspoon of the flour.
Add the flour and 3-4 tablespoons of the made coffee, and walnut. Mix to incorporate but be mindful that the more you mix the tougher the cake becomes.
Equally split between the 2 tins (I take the time to weigh them to make even layers).
Spread out... I try for a slight dip in the centre so I get a flatter cake. If you are really wanting to impress soak a length of kitchen paper in water wrap in foil and wrap around the outside of the tin. This reduces the temperature of the outside of the cakes to prevent them setting before they rise to their full height... You end up with a straighter, taller and more even cake.
Bake for 25 minutes ... Just pulling away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean.
Frost with butter cream... Ermine works well because it is less sweet than American and the coffee masks the flour. Or use Swiss or Italian. Again less sweet and smoother than American.

Side answer...For coffee I use any of the ones that come in a tin.... Not that it makes a difference but because it is what is most likely to be in the house.

I am actually making the Mary Berry traybake one today. Super simple, you could find it online?

Nigella’s coffee and walnut cake is straight forward and always a hit.

Thank you everyone.

I like Mary Berry’s tray bakes but this is for MIL’s 70th birthday, so I feel a proper cake is in order. However, I have also volunteered to make tray bakes for her party (which is in September for some reason).

I make the Mary Berry coffee cake from her baking bible, add som chopped walnuts and decorate with a few on top. I do 1.5 x the icing in the recipe as she is very frugal with the amount (IMO).

Love this cake, in fact I’m making one today!

Delia Smith's recipe is very good, www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/coffee-and-walnut-sponge-cake

@Unescorted

I use the WI method. Weigh the eggs in their shells. Weigh out the same amount each of sugar, flour and butter. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder into the flour per egg used plus one more teaspoon for the pot. Make super strong coffee - 1 tablespoon of coffee per 1.5 tablespoon of boiling water makes a good balance of dissolving and strength. Line 2 X cake tins heat the oven to 180C. Cream the butter & sugar until light & fluffy Add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl down each time. If it looks as if it is splitting scrape down and add a teaspoon of the flour. Add the flour and 3-4 tablespoons of the made coffee, and walnut. Mix to incorporate but be mindful that the more you mix the tougher the cake becomes. Equally split between the 2 tins (I take the time to weigh them to make even layers). Spread out... I try for a slight dip in the centre so I get a flatter cake. If you are really wanting to impress soak a length of kitchen paper in water wrap in foil and wrap around the outside of the tin. This reduces the temperature of the outside of the cakes to prevent them setting before they rise to their full height... You end up with a straighter, taller and more even cake. Bake for 25 minutes ... Just pulling away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean. Frost with butter cream... Ermine works well because it is less sweet than American and the coffee masks the flour. Or use Swiss or Italian. Again less sweet and smoother than American.

I'm 59 years old and every day is a school day. My cakes are hit and miss and it's clearly because I never pay attention to the finer points. I'm using your method from this day forward @Unescorted.

I’ll probably try @Unescorted’s method too. I’m intrigued. Ermine frosting sounds nicer than the American, which I thought was the only version.

I made a C&W cake for DP for Valentines Day. It was pretty awful. One of the issues was the separating / splitting at egg stage.

I’m going to follow @Unescorted ‘s and see if that improves things.

Egg splitting happens when you add the eggs too fast. If you are doing a 2 egg cake and are using large eggs it is more likely to split than doing a 3 medium egg sized cake.
@hawleybits I was the same until I realised baking is a science. Now I am more dull on the details than a John Peel wannabe in a record store.