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This rich, moist coffee and walnut loaf cake is a coffee-infused treat that is perfect for any occasion! It takes just a few minutes to whip up and pop into the oven, before frosting and serving. There is nothing better with your morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea than this easy coffee walnut loaf cake!
Calling coffee lovers everywhere! With an easy coffee frosting, this easy coffee and walnut loaf cake recipe will make you want another slice! Whether you're entertaining a crowd or want a treat with your afternoon tea, this moist coffee loaf cake will hit the spot.
I love this soft coffee cake because it's perfectly sweet, has a nice cakey texture, and works as an indulgent snack or a dessert. The brown sugar plus the crunchy walnuts adds a nice nutty flavor which complements the rich aroma of coffee really well!
It's a twist on a classic British coffee and walnut cake, because instead of using a cake pan, we're making a similar recipe using a loaf pan! It also happens to be a little lighter than a traditional British coffee cake, because we use less frosting while still getting the balance of flavors in the original recipe.
So the next time you're craving something sweet, try this moist and rich walnut and coffee loaf! It's so good, I'm sure it will quickly get added to your list of favorite cakes! Happy baking!
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Quick And Easy: This walnut loaf recipe requires only 10 minutes of prep time, making it a convenient choice for a delicious homemade cake.
- Moist Coffee Cake: The use of softened butter and the right amount of eggs ensures a light, fluffy, and moist classic coffee cake that is also packed with coffee flavors!
- Homemade Frosting: The creamy frosting made with butter, powdered sugar, and coffee adds a light sweetness to the coffee cake loaf.
- Indulgent Treat: Rich with delicious coffee flavors, a slice of this coffee and walnut cake is the perfect cake for any time of day! A treat with your afternoon coffee or latte, or as a filling dessert after a delicious meal.
- Long Lasting Freshness: This coffee-flavored cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, and it can also be frozen without the frosting for up to 1 month.
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🥘 Ingredients
To create this classic coffee and walnut loaf cake, you will need the following simple ingredients:
- Instant Coffee Granules: Instant coffee granules provide the rich, intense coffee flavor in the coffee cake loaf recipe and the frosting. They dissolve easily and infuse the cake mixture and homemade frosting with a rich coffee aroma.
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the base ingredient for the cake batter. It provides structure and helps create a tender crumb texture when combined with the other ingredients.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps the cake rise by producing carbon dioxide gas when heated. It ensures a light and fluffy cake.
- Ground Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a warm and aromatic touch. It complements the coffee flavor and contributes to the overall richness of the cake's taste profile.
- Room Temperature Butter: Butter is a key ingredient that contributes to your loaf's moistness and richness. Softened butter is easier to incorporate into the batter and helps create a fluffy texture and moist cake. You can use unsalted butter or salted butter for this recipe. Butter in the frosting adds richness and a creamy texture. It helps bind the powdered sugar and other ingredients together.
- Brown Sugar: Light soft brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture. Its molasses content gives a subtle caramel flavor that complements the coffee and walnuts.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds a sweet and aromatic flavor to this coffee and walnut cake recipe. It enhances the overall taste profile and balances the richness of the coffee and walnuts.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. They help bind the ingredients together and contribute to the cake's tender texture.
- Chopped Walnuts: Chopped walnut halves add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor. They complement the coffee flavor and provide texture variation
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar, is used to sweeten and thicken the frosting. It adds a good amount of sweetness to the frosting for the coffee walnut cake recipe.
🍲 Substitutions
- Coffee Extract: If you prefer, you can use coffee extract instead of instant coffee granules. Simply replace the granules with an equal amount of coffee extract to maintain that rich coffee flavor. Instant espresso powder is also a great option for coffee flavor. Feel free to use decaffeinated coffee if you prefer.
- Flour: For more whole grains, you can try this coffee flavor cake recipe with whole wheat pastry flour or a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat flour, just keep in mind the texture of the cake may change slightly.
- Sugar: You can substitute the brown sugar with white sugar or caster sugar if that is what you have on hand.
🔪 How To Make Coffee Walnut Loaf Cake
It takes only minutes of prep to get this coffee and walnut cake into the oven. Once your classic British bake has cooled, it is so easy to frost and decorate with chopped nuts. See the recipe made step-by-step here!
Prep Dry Ingredients: Mix the coffee granules with the boiling hot water until the coffee dissolves, set aside to cool. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper. Sift the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Make Cake Batter: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer beat the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and one egg at a time, beating until the egg is well incorporated before adding another egg.
Combine the cooled coffee and flour with the butter mixture, beat until just combined.
Add Walnuts: Fold in the chopped walnuts using a wooden spoon or spatula.
Bake: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cover the cake with a sheet of foil after 15 minutes if the top of the cake is beginning to brown quickly.
Cool: Cool for 5 minutes before removing the walnut coffee loaf from the loaf pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.
Make Coffee Buttercream Frosting: When the coffee walnut cake is completely cooled prepare the frosting by mixing the coffee granules with boiling water and set aside to cool. Beat the butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar, beating in between each addition. Combine the coffee and beat until smooth icing forms.
Decorate Loaf Cake: Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and decorate it with chopped walnuts. Place the walnut coffee cake in the fridge to chill for an hour before slicing it into individual slices and serving.
💭 Expert Tips
- Adjust Coffee Strength: Adjust the strength of the coffee loaf cake according to your preference. If you prefer a stronger coffee flavor, you can increase the amount of coffee granules or decrease the amount of water used.
- Proper Mixing Technique: When mixing the butter and sugar, ensure they are thoroughly combined and the mixture becomes light and fluffy. This step is important for achieving a tender and moist cake texture.
- Gentle Mixing: When incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, use a gentle folding or mixing technique. Overmixing can result in a dense and tough cake. Mix until just combined for a moist coffee walnut loaf with perfect crumb!
- Even Baking: To ensure even baking, preheat the oven properly and place the coffee walnut cake in the center rack. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, cover it with foil to prevent it from burning while the center cooks through.
- Cool Completely: Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. This ensures that the frosting stays in place and doesn't melt or slide off the cake.
- Chilled Frosting: Chilling the frosted cake in the refrigerator for an hour before serving helps the frosting set and makes it easier to slice the cake cleanly.
📖 Variations
Next time you make this decorated coffee and walnut cake, try out some of these variations!
- Coffee And Date Loaf: I love adding dates to my baked goods and this coffee loaf cake is no exception! Roughly chop some pitted dates and add to the cake batter along with the walnuts if using. The flavor of the chewy dates and coffee work perfectly together and make this loaf cake even richer!
- Coffee Walnut Banana Bread: Mix up the coffee walnut cake recipe by adding mashed bananas to the batter. Simply add 2 ripe bananas, mashed, along with the cooled coffee mixture in step 6. The resulting loaf cake will have a delicious combination of coffee, walnuts, and banana flavors, creating a moist and flavorful treat perfect for breakfast or snacking.
- Healthy Coffee And Walnut Loaf Recipe: To make this loaf pan coffee cake healthier, reduce the sugar in the cake to 2/3 cup, try it with a whole grain flour, and omit the frosting. You will end up with a huge slice of cake that has only 300 calories and 12 grams of sugar per slice!
- Mocha Chocolate Chip: Add a twist to your coffee and walnut loaf cake by incorporating chocolate chips into the batter. The combination of coffee, walnuts, and chocolate is simply irresistible.
- Frosting: Elevate your walnut cake with a decadent caramel drizzle. Warm store-bought caramel sauce in the microwave and drizzle it generously over the frosted cake. Sprinkle a little bit of sea salt or additional chopped walnuts for extra indulgence. You can also change out the buttercream frosting for a coffee cream cheese frosting if you like!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
You can always enjoy this walnut coffee cake recipe as a special, any-time-of-day treat. The perfect companion to a hot cup of tea, a Biscoff latte, this protein hot chocolate, healthy hot chocolate or your favorite mocha latte.
🙌 Dietary Adaptations
- Gluten-Free: To make this recipe for walnut coffee cake gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Ensure the blend is suitable for baking and follow the same measurements.
- Nut-Free: If you have a nut allergy or prefer a nut-free option, you can omit the walnuts from the recipe. The cake will still be deliciously flavored with coffee.
🫙 Storage Directions
In the Fridge: To store the coffee and walnut loaf cake, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The frosting may become slightly firmer when chilled but will soften once brought to room temperature.
In the Freezer: If you plan to freeze the walnut and coffee cake for longer storage, place the unfrosted cake in a freezer-safe container, freezer bag, or wrap with plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy the frozen loaf cake, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Once fully thawed, you can frost it or serve it as is.
❓Recipe FAQs
Why is my coffee and walnut cake dry?
If your coffee and walnut loaf cake turns out dry, there are several possible reasons.
* Overbaking: Follow recommended baking time and check for doneness.
* Too much flour: Measure accurately using the spoon and level method.
* Insufficient moisture: Double-check ingredient amounts for proper balance.
* Improper mixing: Mix thoroughly but avoid overmixing to prevent tough texture.
How much caffeine is in a coffee and walnut cake?
The caffeine content in a coffee and walnut cake can vary depending on factors such as the type and amount of coffee used in the recipe. Generally, the caffeine content in a coffee and walnut cake is relatively low compared to a cup of coffee. Each slice of this coffee and walnut cake contains roughly 28-30 mg of caffeine.
How do you increase the flavor of coffee in a cake?
Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or cardamon spice as they both enhance the flavors of coffee in a cake.