RecipeStripper

Clean recipe · cooking.nytimes.com

Coffee Walnut Layer Cake

This is a subtle cake: the coffee tempers the sweetness, and the buttery sweetness keeps it all mellow. Even if you don't make cakes, this one is a cinch. Don't be alarmed if the two sponge layers look thin when you unmold them. They are meant to be, because the cake gains a lot of height with its frosting. This cake is all about old-fashioned, homespun charm, so don't worry about how messy it looks: however the frosting goes on is fine. If you want to fully cover the sides of the cake, make a double batch of the frosting.

Original recipe: cooking.nytimes.com

Yield:
8 servings
Total:
1 hr
Open cooking tools

Adjust servings, check off ingredients, and save a copy in the recipe reader.

Ingredients

  1. Butter for pans
  2. ½ cup (60 grams) walnut pieces
  3. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (245 grams) sugar
  4. 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
  5. 1 ⅔ cups (230 grams) flour
  6. 1 tablespoon (14 grams) baking powder
  7. ½ teaspoon salt
  8. 4 large eggs
  9. 2 tablespoons milk at room temperature, more as needed
  10. 1 tablespoon (3 grams) instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
  11. 2 ½ cups (300 grams) confectioners' sugar
  12. ⅛ teaspoon salt
  13. 1 ½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
  14. 1 tablespoon (3 grams) instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
  15. ¼ cup walnut halves, for decoration

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch cake pans, and line base of each with parchment paper. In food processor, combine ½ cup walnut pieces and sugar. Process to a fine powder. Add butter, flour, baking powder, salt and eggs. Process to a smooth batter.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.