Coffee and Walnut Whip Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 g unsalted butter, softened
• 4 medium eggs
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. vanilla essence
• 3 tbsp. powdered espresso coffee
• 125 g chopped walnuts

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 200 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp. powdered espresso coffee
• Splash milk
• 4 Walnut Whips, halved, and chocolate coffee beans, to decorate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC Fan). Grease and line a 20.5cm (8in) springform cake tin with baking parchment.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a tbsp of the flour if the mixture curdles. Fold in the flour, baking powder, vanilla, coffee and walnuts, then tip into tin and bake for 45-50 mins, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
3. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 mins then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Make coffee buttercream: cream butter and icing sugar together then beat in coffee and a splash of milk.
5. Spread buttercream over the top of the cake then decorate with Walnut Whips and chocolate coffee beans.