Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Walnut Cake with Coffee Icing

I love to bake snacking cakes. They are half the height of the normal pound cakes or butter cakes, and that means they will be eaten up much sooner once they are cut and divided!  And that gives me an excuse to bake something else!  LOL! 


Snacking cakes are usually easy and quick to make. This walnut cake is only 8" square, the perfect size to eat for a day or two.


This cake uses whipping cream instead of butter. The coffee icing is what an icing should be, sweet! If you have a sweet tooth, then you would like this icing, for me it is just too sweet! As usual I reduced the sugar slightly for the cake!


Look at the glossy sweet coffee icing flowing down. Do you like coffee? I most certainly do, got to have my cuppa first thing in the morning before I start the day!  For this recipe, I use Nescafe instant coffee powder since I do not have any espresso powder. 


Great with a cup of plain tea or a cup of hot black coffee. Want a slice?  :)


I'm sharing this with



Walnut Cake with Coffee Icing
(adapted from "Piece of Cake" by Camilla V. Saulsbury)

Makes 9 servings
Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
8-inch (20cm) square metal baking pan, sprayed with nonstick baking spray with flour


Ingredients :
1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar (I use slightly less than a cup, loosely packed)
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup heavy or whipping (35%) cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
Coffee icing


In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, cream and vanilla to flour mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Gently stir in walnuts. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 28 to 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Spread or drizzle icing over top of cooled cake. 


I only make half a recipe from the following coffee icing for the above cake, which is sufficient.
Coffee Icing :
Makes 1-1/4 cups (300ml)
2-1/4 cups confectioners' (icing) sugar (I use slightly less than 2 cups)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 tbsp milk
2 tsp instant espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla extract


Dissolve 2 tsp instant espresso powder in the milk before whisking.
In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, butter, milk mixture and vanilla until blended and smooth. Use immediately.



26 comments:

  1. cofee icing that actually taste like coffee! YUM! I am all over this one. I can see myself eating this for breakfast and as a midnight snack! Yes, I am up at midnight with my newborn! LOL!

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  2. YUM! Your cake looks delicious, great flavors in a perfect size. Walnuts are the best and with coffee icing, mmmmm!

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  3. I so love these flavors together...looks amazing! And I love that it uses whipped cream in place of butter, delightful :)
    Hope you are enjoying the Season...

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  4. Luce tentador y perfecto,una delicia,abrazos y abrazos.

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  5. Oh this cake looks amazing. And that frosting!! WOW! :)

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  6. Wow! This is an another great recipe from the "Piece of Cake" book. Thanks for recommending me to buy this book!

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  7. Love the idea of a "snacking" cake, and this one looks especially good. Walnut and coffee are such a brilliant combination, I could eat this any time of day. Interesting using cream instead of butter in the cake - I have never come across that before, but I imagine it makes the cake lighter. And that coffee icing ... well, in truth, I could just sit and eat a whole bowl of that so I would probably make the whole quantity.

    Thanks so much for sharing this with Cookbook Sundays - lovely to have you joining in xo

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  8. Looks good but I will still enjoy it without the cream. Not a sweet tooth person. :)

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  9. Sounds pretty delicious and the photos are very enticing! So which is healthier, butter or whipping cream? lol! Maybe add some coffee granules into the batter and skip the icing:D

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  10. Coffee icing is so wonderful. I am waiting for a slice...send me as soon as possible... a foodie friend of yours is waiting....!

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  11. Delicious looking cake
    I love the coffee icing idea - never tried it before

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  12. I bet my hubby will like this as he is the coffee lover!

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  13. i feel like licking off the icing from my screen now! e, i heard from janet that your mango jam is fabulous!!

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  14. I haven't had coffee cake in forever! i love the addition of walnuts!

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  15. The slice with the dripping frosting looks so amazingly good right now!

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  16. Seriously i can have a slice rite now..

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  17. wow...sooooooooooper doooooooooper combo...irresistable dear..:)
    Tasty Appetite

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  18. Okay, I was intrigued by the sweet potato dessert but I'm totally drooling over this one :) Love the little icing drips!

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  19. Hi Joy,
    You have made this cake look so good. This is a great recipe and I just love the coffee icing. I can't wait to try this recipe, my family will just love it. Have a wonderful week end and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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  20. Hi friends,
    Thank you for stopping by! I appreciate all your comments! Have a lovely weekend!

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  21. What a perfect little cake; I have to try it; it does have wonderful kitchen flavours.
    Rita

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  22. (Swoon) - sounds dramatic, uh! :-)
    My favourite ingredients, I would call this my perfect cake!

    Thks for sharing.
    PS: I bookmarked this recipe!

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  23. This cake is the dream of a glutton like me,
    see delightful, beautiful, beautiful!
    kisses.

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  24. This coffee icing is a must make. It looks and sounds fabulous.

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