This Walnut-Espresso recipe has been our family favorite for years. My mom used to make it for our gatherings, and I continued baking it. This recipe is a perfectly moist and delicious coffee cake.
People who love incorporating nuts into their cake recipe would love this cake.
WHY IS THIS WALNUT CAKE VERY GOOD?
- MADE WITH SIMPLE INGREDIENTS. All the ingredients are probably already in your refrigerator.
- SEPARATED EGGS. Beating egg yolks and whites separately, adds volume and improves the velvety texture of the cake.
- ROASTED WALNUTS. Walnuts need to be roasted and ground this will add mora e nutty flavor to the cake.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE
FLOUR- Make sure you measure the flour to the grams that re
EGG- Yolks are emulsifying, meaning they are binding ingredients together for a better texture, and egg whites once beaten, add volume to the cake.
WALNUT- This is the master ingredient in this recipe. Roasted walnuts create a rich and nutty flavor in the cake. Click on the link to see how to roast walnuts.
BUTTER & OIL- fat is an essential ingredient in a cake recipe. The combination of Butter and oil is the best way to incorporate fat into the cake recipe. Butter has the flavor and oil is just the fat content in the cake.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FROSTING
BUTTER- is the base of all frosting and that makes the frosting soft and smooth.
INSTANT COFFEE- coffee is what makes the espresso flavor in this frosting. We don't dissolve the granules of coffee in this recipe.
POWDERED SUGAR- sift the powdered sugar to avoid any lumps in the frosting.
BREWED COFFEE- liquid coffee makes the frosting smoother and easier to pipe.
TIPS FOR THE BEST CAKE RESULT
- Use the best quality butter, walnut and vanilla you can get your hands on. The quality of your ingredients can make or break your cake.
- Wipe the bowl and whisk attachment with white vinegar to clean any fat. Fat will prevent the whites from whipping properly.
- Stir the whites into the batter gently to avoid losing the volume.
FAQs
Can I use pecan or other kind of nuts ?
Yes. Pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts will work fine.
Can I use 6 inch pans?
Yes. use 3X6 inch pans.
Can I use salted butter?
If using salted butter, eliminate the salt in the batter.
Why we don't dissolve the coffee granules?
We want to taste the bitterness of the coffee granules against the sweetness of powdered sugar.
Disclaimer: I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
IF YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE AND LIKED IT, LEAVE ME A STAR REVIEW.
📖 Recipe
Walnut Espresso Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup Unsalted butter, Room temperature
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- 6 Eggs, Room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1½ cups Ground walnut
- 1 teaspoon Coffee powder, Instant coffee powder works well.
INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING
- 1½ stick Unsalted butter, Room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Heaping instant coffee
- 3-4 cups Powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon Brewed coffee, cold
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour dust 3X6 or 2X8 inch pans. Set aside.
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and the ground roasted ground walnut and set aside.2 cups All-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1½ cups Ground walnut
- Cream and soften the butter⅔ cup Unsalted butter
- Separate the egg yolks, mix with both sugars and vanilla. Beat until it is pale and glossy.6 Eggs, 1 cup Granulated sugar, ½ cup Brown sugar, packed, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- Add the creamed butter to this mixture, and beat for 2 minutes. Add oil and mix.⅔ cup Unsalted butter, ½ cup Vegetable oil
- In a bowl of a stand mixer beat the egg whites until soft picks are formed. gently fold into the yolk mixture.6 Eggs
- Add the flour mixture and mix. DO NOT OVERMIX.1½ cups Ground walnut
- Bake for 25-30minutes or until the insert comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to the cooling rack.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FROSTING
- With a mixer, mix together the butter and coffee.1½ stick Unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon Heaping instant coffee
- Now mix in the sifted powdered sugar. Mix well, add the vanilla extract.3-4 cups Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Slowly add small amounts of the coffee until the frosting is the desired consistency.2-3 tablespoon Brewed coffee
- If the frosting is too dry add more brewed coffee, and if it is too runny, add more powdered sugar.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THIS CAKE
- Wrap the cooled cakes and chill in the freezer for a couple of hours.
- Once the frosting is ready, take the cakes out of the freezer. Place the first layer on a flat surface or cake stand (preferably turntable) and put one cup of the frosting on top. Spread with an offset spatula. The excess frosting will hang from the sides. that's okay.
- place the second layer on top of the frosting and repeat the frosting step.
- spread the frosting with a bench scraper until the cake is covered with a thin coat of frosting. Freeze the cake for 15 minutes. This will lock the crumbs in, and the final coating will be clean-looking.
- Decorate the top with piping some frosting. Finish off the decorations with some roasted walnuts.
Notes
- Store tightly covered in a cool and dry place.
- May be frozen for up to 1 week.
If you tried this recipe, and your thumbs were high up, make sure to leave me a STAR REVIEW.
Alexandra says
If you like the espresso hi for it!
Arezou Bahador says
Aww! that's great Alexandra.
Farnaz Marandi says
Thumbs up for this recipe.
Arezou Bahador says
Ahh, Thank you so much, Farnaz. It is a great combination 🙂