So its my busiest time in college right now and the two things I think everyone needs is a bit of cheering up and caffeine! So my solution is coffee and walnut cake. It is a simple cake to make, with not that many ingredients and is the perfect study break. Or that’s what I think my classmates would have said if they weren’t so tired…!

Ingredients

For the cake:

6 oz Self Raising Flour

6 oz Butter (softened)

6 oz Caster Sugar

3 eggs

4 tablespoons of instant coffee powder

1 tablespoon boiling water

3 oz walnuts

1. First preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 and grease and line the base of two 7 or 8 inch tins.

2. Dissolve the coffee granules in the hot water. This is be really sticky at first and as the water cools in may become harder to mix it in. If this happens just place the cup with the coffee in it in a bowl of hot water and continue mixing. The heat will help the coffee dissolve. Make sure it is all dissolved or else there will be pockets of really concentrated coffee in the finished cake. Leave this aside to cool.

3. Next mix the butter, sugar, flour and eggs together using an electric mixer until smooth.

4. Chop up the walnuts.

5. Ensuring the coffee mixture is totally cooled, pour it into the cake mixture.

5. Add the walnuts and stir with a wooden spoon until it is all combined. Be sure not to overmix!

6. Spread the mixture evenly among the two tins.

7. Place in the top shelf of the oven for 30 minutes. They are finished when the cake springs back to touch or a skewer comes out clean.

The Icing

So while the cakes are baking you can make the icing.

Ingredients:

2 oz Butter (softened)

4 oz Icing sugar

1 tablespoon of instant coffee powder

1 tablespoon of boiling water

Walnuts to decorate

1. Dissolve the instant coffee powder in the boiling water.

2. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the butter.

3. Mix together using an electric mixture.

4. Add the coffee mixture (make sure it is cool!) and mix again.

My finished cakes just out of the oven!

Wait for the cakes to cool and sandwich them together with the buttercream. Then apply another layer on top of the cakes and decorate with walnuts.

And a very happy study break!