Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake

Name: Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 170g Margarine (or room temperature unsalted butter); 170g Dark Brown Soft Sugar; 3 Medium Eggs; 3 Teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules; 100g Walnut Pieces (Roughly chopped into small pieces); 200g Self-Raising Flour; 100g Unsalted Butter; 200g Icing Sugar; 3 Teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules; 15g Walnut Pieces (optional)

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Indulge in a rich and flavourful coffee and walnut loaf cake made with freshly brewed coffee and nutty walnuts. Perfect for an afternoon treat or coffee break.

I love coffee but tend not to like coffee flavour things. The coffee chocolates are always the last in the box.

I do, however, like a good coffee cake.

When I make my coffee and walnut loaf cake, I go for a fairly mild coffee flavour that’s sweet and smooth. Personally, I prefer this to a stronger, richer flavour.

If, like me, you aren’t keen on that coffee chocolate, I recommend giving this coffee walnut loaf a go!

Why I Love This Easy Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake

I think this coffee and walnut cake is perfect because:

Loaf cakes are always much easier to get right than other shapes. I love a good loaf cake recipe.
It’s easy to slice into the perfect portion.
Walnuts are good for you.
The coffee flavour isn’t too strong. It’s smooth and sweet. The perfect moist coffee and walnut loaf cake.
It’s easy to add more coffee if you want a stronger flavour.
Coffee Buttercream frosting is delicious and the perfect topping for this coffee and walnut loaf cake recipe.

top view of coffee and walnut cake topped with buttercream and walnuts on glass cake stand.

Ingredients For Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake

I like to keep recipes as simple as possible without unnecessary ingredients. When I make a coffee cake with walnuts, I use:

Margarine – you can use room-temperature unsalted butter if you prefer.

Dark Brown Soft Sugar – I really like the flavour of this sugar with coffee, but you can also use light brown sugar or just caster sugar if that’s what you’ve got.

Eggs

Instant Coffee – Dissolved in warm water. Any instant coffee powder or granules or instant espresso powder is fine. Use what you like.

Chopped Walnuts – I buy a pack of chopped walnut pieces from the baking aisle. You still need to chop some a bit, but it’s easier than chopping whole walnuts.

Self-Raising Flour – You can use plain flour with a teaspoon of baking powder instead.

And for the coffee butter icing, I use:

Unsalted Butter – Don’t use margarine here. It goes sloppy!

Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar

Instant Coffee

slice of coffee and walnut cake on blue patterned plate.

You’ll Also Need

I use a large mixing bowl and an electric hand whisk when making my coffee walnut loaf cake. You could also use a stand mixer.

I also use a sharp knife and chopping board to chop my walnut pieces.

Then, I use a 2lb loaf tin and reusable baking paper to bake my cake.

How to Make A Coffee and Walnut Cake – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (fan-assisted) and line a 2lb loaf tin. I use reusable paper. You could grease your tin instead.

I bake a lot of my cakes at 160, but my oven does run hot. If you know yours runs a little colder, try increasing it slightly. I don’t recommend any hotter than 180.

Step Two

Dissolve the coffee in a small splash of boiled water. Add just enough to dissolve the coffee.

Leave this to one side to cool. If you add it to your coffee cake batter, when it’s too hot, it will separate.

Step Three

Whisk together the margarine and sugar in a mixing bowl. I do this with an electric whisk or a hand whisk.

Step Four

Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until even.

Step Five

Whisk in the cooled coffee.

Step Six

Add the flour and whisk until the mix is smooth, making sure there are no lumps of flour.

Step Seven

Carefully fold through the chopped walnuts until evenly distributed.

cake batter with nuts mixed in in white mixing bowl.

Step Eight

Pour into the prepared tin and spread so that the top is smooth.

Step Nine

Bake for around 50 minutes, checking with a skewer to make sure it’s cooked in the centre and returning to the oven if necessary. It may take a little longer, but I don’t recommend opening the oven before 45 minutes, as this could cause the middle of your cake to sink.

Step Ten

Leave to cool completely in the tin. If you are in a rush, make sure you leave it in the tin for at least 10 minutes.

baked coffee loaf cake in tin with baking paper.

Step Eleven – Decorating Coffee Cake with Walnuts

Dissolve the coffee for the buttercream in a small splash of boiled water, again only using as much as you need. Leave to cool.

Step Twelve

Whisk or beat the butter until soft. I do this with an electric whisk. If your butter is very hard, you might find it easier to beat it with a wooden spoon to soften it first.

Step Thirteen

Whisk or beat in the icing sugar as well as you can. A few small lumps are ok. They’ll come out as you beat in the coffee.

Step Fourteen

Add the cooled coffee and continue to mix until smooth.

Step Fifteen

If the mixture is too thick, add a small splash of milk or water. I prefer to use semi-skimmed milk.

Step Sixteen

Spread or pipe onto the cooled cake, and sprinkle on more walnuts if desired.

For my photos here, I’ve spread roughly using a palette knife. If you prefer a smarter finish, you could pipe neatly with a star tip.

cake with icing and walnuts on wire rack.

Top Tips

Line your tin. It’s just easier.
Don’t use boiling water. Boil the kettle, but let it settle for a while before using it.
Chop your walnuts fairly small.
Make sure the coffee granules dissolve but use as little water as possible. So, stir a bit in. If you need more, add bits at a time, not a big glug.
Leave the coffee to cool before adding it to the cake batter and the buttercream.
Cool the cake in the tin.
Make sure the cake is completely cold before icing. If you aren’t sure, pop it in the fridge for a bit.
If the top of your cake is very brown, but the middle isn’t cooked, cover loosely with foil before returning to the oven.

chopped walnuts on chopping board with large knife.

Serving Suggestions

This coffee and walnut loaf recipe is perfect, just as it is.

If it’s not too much, a cup of tea or coffee with a slice makes a wonderful afternoon treat!

top view of coffee and walnut cake topped with buttercream and walnuts on glass cake stand. Slice on a plate to the side.

Variations

Can You Use Coffee Essence?

Yes. I love baking coffee cakes with instant coffee. But if you prefer, you can add a teaspoon of coffee essence. This is a stronger flavour, so you won’t need as much liquid. Reduce the flour by 10g or so to compensate.

Some recipes add vanilla extract, too, but I think that’s too sweet.

How to Decorate a Coffee Walnut Cake

I spread my coffee walnut cake with coffee buttercream and sprinkle on walnuts. You can skip, just do one, or add a mocha or chocolate buttercream instead.

front view of loaf cake with end sliced off on glass cake stand.

Leftovers

Loaf cakes make around 10-12 slices (sometimes 8, if I’m honest!), so I don’t expect you to eat it all in one go!

How Long Does Coffee and Walnut Cake Keep?

Coffee and walnut cake will stay moist for around three days.

Storage

I store my coffee and walnut loaf cake in a glass cake stand on my kitchen side.

Any lidded or sealed tub will do.

I don’t recommend storing your cake in the fridge unless your kitchen is very hot.

Can I Freeze Coffee and Walnut Cake?

You can freeze coffee and walnut cake, but I don’t recommend freezing the buttercream. I never think it thaws very well.

Freeze whole or in slices before adding the icing by cooling, wrapping in clingfilm, and placing in a sealed tub. Freeze for up to two months and thaw in the fridge.

Side view of loaf cake topped with buttercream and walnuts on a glass cake stand.

FAQ

Should You Chop Walnuts for Cake?

I buy chopped Walnuts and chop them even finer.

Can You Make Coffee Cake with Coffee Essence?

Yes, you can make a coffee walnut loaf cake with coffee essence.
I like to bake with instant coffee because it’s easy to dissolve some with water, cool it, and pour it in. I’ve got instant coffee in, and it’s easy to control how strong you want the flavour to be by adding more or less.
But if you’ve got coffee essence, you can use that instead. Just reduce to 190g of flour.

Do Walnuts Sink in Coffee Cake?

Walnuts are fairly light, so they shouldn’t sink. But you can reduce the risks by chopping them up into little bits; this also helps you to get an even spread, so there are nuts in every bite.
If you find that they still sink, only mix half in next time and then scatter the other half on top before baking.

Why is My Coffee and Walnut Cake Dry?

If your cake is dry, you might have overbaked it slightly. Reduce the temperature or time a little next time. It might also mean you’ve used too much flour or too little liquid.

Why is My Coffee Cake Raw in the Middle?

A coffee cake that’s raw in the middle is either underbaked or there’s too much liquid. Try using less water in your coffee or baking for a little longer. Another cause could be that your loaf pan is too small, so the mixture is too thick.

Why Has My Coffee Cake Fallen in the Middle?

If your coffee cake has sunk in the middle, it’s underbaked. Try baking for a few minutes longer; don’t open the oven for at least 45 minutes, and leave to cool in the tin for as long as possible.

Other Recipes

If you enjoy this cake, you might also want to try: