Walnut Coffee Gateau Food

COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE, A CLASSIC BRITISH CAKE FOR AFTERNOON TEA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F (180C)
• Using a stand mixer, hand mixer or by hand, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add an egg to the butter and sugar mixture and blend thoroughly.
• Add about a quarter of the flour and mix until cleared. Repeat with the remaining eggs and flour until the eggs and flour are used.
• The cake mixture will be light and creamy.
• Add the chopped nuts. Stir the espresso powder into the liquid espresso, then add to the mixture.
• Blend well, then divide the cake mixture into the prepared 8" cake tins.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cake will be a lovely golden brown color.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and place on cooling racks (remove the paper.)
• Blend all the ingredients for the buttercream together until you have a smooth and creamy frosting.
• If the cakes aren't flat on top, cut them so that they are level (I like to use this super inexpensive tool.) Then either spread or pipe just under half of the frosting on one layer of the cake (the cut side.)
• Place the second layer on top. Be sure to put the cut side down (so both cut sides are facing each other in the middle.) Spread the frosting on the top. This is a very rustic cake, so don't worry if you don't get it to look perfect.
• Next, pipe rosettes on top of the cake (or you can place dollops of frosting) for 8, 10 or 12 walnut halves to sit on, depending on how many slices you want to have.
• Lastly, add a walnut half to each rosette. That's it! You've just made a classic British coffee and walnut cake!

WALNUT STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Grease and flour round layer cake pan or square 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" pan.
• Blend first seven ingredients; beat vigorously 30 seconds.
• Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts and melted butter in a small bowl.
• Pour half cake batter into pan. Sprinkle half of brown sugar mixture over batter. Pour remaining cake batter in pan. Top with remaining brown sugar mixture.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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.

WALNUT COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in walnuts. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan., For the topping, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over coffee cake. , Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: COFFEE WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and bottom-line a 20cm round (6cm deep) loose-bottom tin. For the cake, mix the coffee with 2 tsp warm water and set aside. Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the baking powder, ground almonds, both sugars (use fingers to rub out any lumps from the muscovado) and walnuts, then make a dip in the centre. Put the eggs, yogurt, oil and coffee mix into the dip and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon so everything is evenly mixed. Spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the top to level it, then bake for 40-45 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin briefly, then turn it out and peel off the lining paper. Leave to cool completely while you make the filling and icing.
• Make the syrup for the filling: put the caster sugar and coffee into a small, heavy-based saucepan, then pour in 3 tbsp water. Heat gently, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Once dissolved, raise the heat, then boil at a fast rolling boil for about 2½-3 mins until thickened and syrupy. Pour into a small heatproof bowl and set aside to cool. When cold it should be the consistency of treacle.
• Meanwhile, finish off the filling and make the icing. Beat the mascarpone, quark, icing sugar and vanilla together until smooth, then stir in the cold coffee syrup. Set aside. For the icing, sift the fondant icing sugar into a bowl. Mix the coffee with 1 tbsp warm water, stir this into the fondant icing sugar with about 1 more tsp water to give a smooth, thick but spreadable icing. Split the cake into 3, then sandwich back together with the filling. Spread the icing over the top, scatter over the chopped walnuts and leave to set. Store in the fridge.

BOOZY COFFEE & WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper. Toast the walnut halves in the oven for 10 mins. Reserve 10 and chop the rest. Dissolve the instant coffee in 1 tbsp of boiling water, cool and add the basic cake mix (see recipe for Classic Victoria sponge, right), instead of the milk.
• For the filling, beat the mascarpone with the light muscovado sugar and Tia Maria until smooth. Sandwich the cooled cakes with a third of the filling and the chopped walnuts.
• Cover the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the filling and decorate the top with the toasted walnut halves.

COFFEE WALNUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch cake pans, and line base of each with parchment paper. In food processor, combine 1/2 cup walnut pieces and sugar. Process to a fine powder. Add butter, flour, baking powder, salt and eggs. Process to a smooth batter.
• Add 2 tablespoons milk to coffee mixture and pour this down feed tube with motor running. Mixture should be just soft enough to drop from a spoon; if not, add more milk. Divide cake batter between two pans. Bake until risen and springy to touch, about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on rack. Remove parchment paper. Cool completely. You may want to level them if they domed in the oven.
• For frosting: Place confectioners' sugar and salt in food processor and pulse until lump-free. Add butter and process until smooth. Add coffee mixture down feed tube and pulse until well blended.
• Place one cake upside down on a plate or cake stand. Spread with about half the frosting. Place second cake right side up on frosting, and cover top and sides in a swirly pattern. Place a walnut half in center of cake, and gently press remaining halves into top of cake, around the edge.

WALNUT COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Grease two 8x8 square pans (or two 8" rounds, or one 9x13).
• Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda& salt together; set aside.
• Cream margarine and the 1cup sugar until light & fluffy.
• Add eggs& vanilla; beat thoroughly.
• Blend in sour cream alternately with flour mixture; stir in nuts.
• Divide& spread batter evenly in pan (s).
• Combine topping ingredients& sprinkle on top of batter.
• Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes (40-45 if using 9x13).
• Notes: Topping is very crumbly; it can be used as streusel in middle of cake if desired.
• Also, this cake freezes well!