Coffee Walnut Loaf Food

COFFEE & WALNUT LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C and grease and line a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with baking paper.
• In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Use a whisk to combine until evenly mixed through. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add oil and sugar and whisk together. Add in eggs and continue whisking until all combined. Slowly add in dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the coffee and milk, mixing in between each until the batter comes together. It will be quite thick. Fold through walnuts with a spatula and pour mixture into the lined and greased pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the coffee icing. Add the butter and icing sugar to a bowl and begin to beat with an electric handheld mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted. Slowly add the coffee ½ a tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached, being careful not to make it too thin. If that happens, just add more icing sugar to thicken.
• Spread icing over the top of the cooled cake and top with more crushed walnuts if desired. Slice and serve.

COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until very light and pale.
• Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next egg.
• Add the espresso to the mixture and stir well.
• Add the flour and walnuts and stir well to completely combine.
• Spoon the cake mixture into two lined and greased 20cm/8in cake tins.
• Transfer to the oven to bake 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the cake is golden-brown.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• For the buttercream topping, beat the butter and icing sugar together in a small bowl until pale and light.
• Add the espresso and mix well.
• Spread the buttercream over the top of each cake, then place one cake on top of the other.
• Decorate the top of the cake with the walnut halves and serve in generous slices.

COFFEE & WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm springform cake tins and line with baking parchment. Set aside 2 tbsp of the coffee for the filling.
• Beat the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and half the remaining coffee in a large bowl with an electric whisk until lump-free. Fold in the finely chopped walnuts, then divide between the tins and roughly spread. Scatter the roughly chopped walnuts over one of the cakes. Bake the cakes for 25-30 mins until golden and risen, and a skewer poked in comes out clean. Drizzle the plain cake with the remaining coffee. Cool the cakes in the tins.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: beat together the icing sugar, cream and mascarpone, then fold in the reserved 2 tbsp coffee. Spread over the plain cake, then cover with the walnut-topped cake and dust with a little icing sugar.

DATE & WALNUT LOAF

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 2lb loaf tin (ours was 22 x 10cm and 6cm deep) and line with baking parchment. Put the butter, dates and bicarbonate of soda (which helps break down the dates) in a large bowl and add 150ml boiling water. Give it a stir so the butter melts, and leave to stand for around 20 mins until the dates have softened.
• Whisk in the sugar until smooth, then gradually whisk in the eggs until combined. Beat in the baking powder, flour and a pinch of sea salt until there are no lumps of flour left and it's smooth. Fold in three-quarters of the walnuts, then pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top.
• Bake for 20 mins, then turn the oven down to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 45-50 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Lightly dust with the icing sugar and serve in slices. Freeze whole or cut into slices, then place in an airtight container or divide between reusable freezer bags. Can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly overnight.