From the 1960s divider · Tea trolley days

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Name: Coffee and Walnut Cake
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 225g unsalted butter, softened; 225g light brown sugar; 4 eggs; 225g self-raising flour; 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling water; 75g walnuts, chopped; For the icing: 125g butter, 250g icing sugar, 1 tbsp instant coffee in 1 tbsp boiling water; 8 walnut halves, to decorate

The grown-up cake on the trolley. Coffee sponge, coffee buttercream, walnut halves on top.

Prep25 mins
Cook25 mins
Serves8
DifficultyEasy

1960s

Photo: dichohecho, CC BY 2.0 · Photo: Pablo Recio, CC BY-SA 2.0

From the tin

Before espresso machines, British coffee cake was flavoured with instant coffee or Camp Coffee, a chicory essence sold in a bottle since the 1870s. By the 1960s coffee and walnut was the grown-up cake on the tea trolley, the one offered to the vicar and the neighbours rather than the children.

Coffee and Walnut CakeServes 8 · 1960s

You'll need

225g unsalted butter, softened
225g light brown sugar
4 eggs
225g self-raising flour
2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling water
75g walnuts, chopped
For the icing: 125g butter, 250g icing sugar, 1 tbsp instant coffee in 1 tbsp boiling water
8 walnut halves, to decorate

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour, coffee and chopped walnuts.
Divide between the tins and bake for 25 minutes until springy. Cool on a rack.
For the icing, beat the butter, icing sugar and coffee until smooth and light.
Sandwich the cakes with half the icing, spread the rest on top and decorate with walnut halves.

From the tin

You'll need

Method

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