Coffee and Walnut Cake

Nov 6, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Easy

Two light, coffee-flavored sponges studded with toasted walnuts, sandwiched and topped with a smooth coffee buttercream. A ring of walnut halves on top marks this staple of British tearooms and village bake sales. Makes 10 servings in about 4 hr.

Prep 30 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 3 hr 5 min

Total 4 hr

Servings 10

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

⅔ cup (75 g)walnut pieces
1 ½ tbsp (8 g)instant espresso powder, about 4 tsp, for the sponge
1 ½ tbsp (20 ml)boiling water, for the sponge
1 cup (225 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the sponge
1 cup (225 g)light brown sugar
4 (200 g)eggs, large, room temperature
1 ¾ cups (225 g)all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp (10 g)baking powder, about 2 1/2 tsp
1 pinchfine salt
1 tbsp (15 ml)whole milk
1 tbsp (6 g)instant espresso powder, about 1 tbsp, for the buttercream
1 tbsp (15 ml)boiling water, for the buttercream
⅔ cup (150 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the buttercream
2 ½ cups (300 g)powdered sugar, sifted
⅓ cup (40 g)walnut halves, about 10

Fresh ingredient guides

WalnutsHow to pick, season & nutrition · 219 kcal per 30 g

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the two cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Toast the walnut pieces on a sheet in the oven until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; cool, about 1 hour, then chop finely.
Dissolve the sponge espresso powder in the sponge boiling water and let it cool, about 30 minutes.
Beat the sponge butter and light brown sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with the last egg if the mixture starts to curdle, then beat in the cooled coffee.
Sift the remaining all-purpose flour with the baking powder and fine salt and fold in with a spatula, then fold in the chopped walnuts and the whole milk to a soft dropping consistency.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and level the tops. Bake until golden, springy and a skewer pushed into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.
Cool in the pans 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 40 minutes.
Make the buttercream: dissolve the buttercream espresso powder in the buttercream boiling water and cool, about 30 minutes. Beat the buttercream butter until very soft, then beat in the powdered sugar gradually and the cooled coffee until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Set one sponge on a plate, spread with half the buttercream and top with the second sponge. Spread the rest of the buttercream over the top and arrange the walnut halves around the edge.
Chill 20 minutes to firm the buttercream before slicing.

Tips

Let the walnuts cool completely after toasting, or they will melt the butter in the batter.
Use good instant espresso powder for a clear coffee flavor; strong brewed espresso works but makes the buttercream softer.
Light brown sugar gives a caramel note; superfine sugar gives a paler, lighter sponge.
Good with a flat white or freshly brewed coffee.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make coffee and walnut cake?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 3 hours 5 minutes to chill and rest. The recipe makes 10 servings.

How should I store coffee and walnut cake?

Keep covered in a cool room up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days; bring to room temperature before serving. Freeze unfrosted sponges up to 2 months.

Can I make coffee and walnut cake ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Serve it with a flat white or freshly brewed coffee.

Variations

Coffee and walnut cupcakes: divide the batter among 16 lined muffin cups, bake 18 to 20 minutes, and pipe the buttercream on top with a walnut half each.
Orange-zest version: add 2 tsp (4 g) finely grated orange zest to the sponge batter; bake time unchanged.
Brewed-espresso version: replace the sponge coffee mixture with 30 ml (2 tbsp) cooled strong espresso and leave out the milk.
Loaf cake: bake in a lined 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan for 50 to 60 minutes and spread half the buttercream on top.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 10 servings this recipe makes.

673 Calories / serving

41.2g Fat

72.1g Carbs

7.1g Protein

51.8g Sugar

Whole recipe (10 servings): ~6730 cal · 412g fat · 721g carbs · 71g protein · 518g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.