Easy Coffee and Walnut Cake Recipe (2024)

Published: Jul 23, 2021 by Emma Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Coffee and walnut cake is a gorgeous dessert from England, where it's popular for birthdays and celebrations. I love this dessert because it has an amazing flavor from the coffee essence and the walnuts. With our recipe, you'll be able to whip this up easily and have a beautiful treat to share with family and friends!

Love English cakes? Try these other favorites: Jamaican ginger cake and vegan sticky toffee pudding.

Ingredients

Fortunately, coffee walnut cake takes mostly pantry staples and few fancy ingredients. Let's talk about the most important ingredients in this traditional British cake.

• Camp Essence: This old fashioned flavoring is made from chicory root, which tastes like coffee and has a very distinctive flavor. You can purchase Camp essence (affiliate) online, as it's hard to find in shops in the States.
• Walnuts: Use English walnuts, not black walnuts. Chopped walnuts are folded into the cake batter, while walnut halves are used to decorate the top.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour (plain flour in the UK) for this cake.
• Baking Powder: Be sure your baking powder hasn't expired! If it's more than three months old, throw it out and use a fresh package instead.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Espresso Powder: Dissolve 4 teaspoons (or up to 3 tablespoons) of espresso powder in 1-2 tablespoons of hot water. Use in place of the Camp essence in the cake. Add more dissolved espresso powder to taste for the buttercream.
• Vegan: Use softened vegan butter and vegan milk and coconut cream to replace the dairy products. Use a vegan egg replacer or 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce for the eggs. (If using applesauce, add an extra ½ teaspoon baking powder.)
• Gluten Free: Use your favorite measure-for-measure gluten free flour instead of the plain flour. Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur are good brands here in the States.

How to Make

Measure out all the batter ingredients, making sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature.

1. Put all the batter ingredients in a bowl (except for the milk).
2. Beat on medium-low speed with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until well blended. If the batter is too stiff, add the milk a little at a time.

3. Then, divide the batter between two pans and bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. I used cake strips around each pan to help keep a flat top. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then take it out of the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Make the buttercream by beating the butter until smooth, then sift in the icing sugar. Add the Camp essence and cream to give it a spreadable consistency, then beat until fluffy.

5. Once the cakes have cooled, peel off the parchment and sandwich them with half of the icing. Spread the rest of the icing on top.

Decorate with the walnut halves (and a cocoa powder stencil if you're feeling fancy). Try to have one walnut per slice: 10 to 12.

6. Enjoy this delicious coffee and walnut cake! Hopefully, you're as much in love with this recipe as my family is. It's one of my favorite cakes of all time with it's simple yet delightful flavors and elegant decoration. You'll be glad you made it!

Recipe FAQs

Serve

Want to serve this coffee and walnut cake with other British teatime favorites? If you're looking for savory tea sandwiches, make sure to try our recipes for cucumber sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches. You'll also love our Cornish saffron buns, lemon scones, and strawberry macarons.

If you're looking for other British cakes, you'll want to try our recipes for blueberry boy bait, treacle sponge pudding, vegan sticky toffee pudding, and chocolate teacakes.

Store

Leftovers: As with most homemade cakes, it does taste best when eaten the same day it's made, but it will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days after baking. Be sure to keep it sealed inside of an airtight container or tin to prevent it from drying out.

Freezing: It's easier to pre-slice the cake first, then seal the pieces in a plastic zip-top freezer bag or an airtight container. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Defrost: Defrost each slice individually in the microwave or defrost the all leftovers at room temperature on the counter in a sealed container so it doesn't dry out.

Expert Tips

• Use chicory and coffee essence to get the best flavor. If you must substitute, dissolve 4 teaspoons of instant coffee in 1 tablespoon of hot water.
• Be careful not to overbake the cakes, or they will be dry.
• Sheet cake version: bake in a 9x13-inch pan. The calories will be less per slice than the two layer version.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze leftovers sliced and sealed in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to 1 month.

Other Cakes You'll Enjoy

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