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–+ servings
Coffee cake with coffee buttercream and pecans
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3.63 from 8 votes

Coffee Cake

A simple coffee cake with coffee buttercream and walnuts or pecans. Ideal for the tea tent or any afternoon tea.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Teatime
Cuisine: British
Servings: 12 slices
Author: Susie@Everyday Cooks

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 250 g butter, at room temperature
  • 250 g caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 250 g self-raising flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (10ml)
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, heaped teaspoon (20ml)
  • Very hot water

For the buttercream:

  • 125 g butter at room temperature
  • 250 g icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, heaped tsps (20ml)
  • Very hot water

For the decoration:

  • 12-16 pecan or walnut halves

Equipment

2 x 20cm/8-inch shallow round cake tins
Baking parchment circles
Hand mixer
Splatter lid

Instructions

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 170°C fan/ gas mark 5/ 375°F
  • Line the tins with a paper liner. Grease the tins (if they need it) with butter paper (or a little butter on kitchen paper)

For the coffee cake:

  • Mix the instant coffee with as little hot water as you need to dissolve the granules/powder
    2 teaspoons instant coffee granules,, Very hot water
  • Put the butter and eggs with the coffee liquid into your mixing bowl. Add the sugar, flour, and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.
    Avoid putting the coffee liquid directly on top of the flour or it may cause granules in the cake.
    250 g butter,, 250 g caster sugar, 4 large eggs, 250 g self-raising flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Evenly divide the mixture between the tins. Smooth the top with a palette knife and make a slight dip in the centre
  • Cook for about 25 minutes until the cake surface springs back when you touch it lightly with your fingertip
  • Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before icing.
    Leave the paper in place if you don't intend to ice them immediately.

For the coffee buttercream:

  • Dissolve the coffee granules in the water as above
    Very hot water, 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules,
  • Put the butter into a medium-sized bowl and beat until it is soft. This is best done with a hand-mixer
    125 g butter at room temperature
  • Add the coffee liquid. If you aren't sure about the strength, only add half now
  • Add about a quarter of the icing sugar and beat, slowly at first to avoid the icing sugar going everywhere (see note).
    Add the rest of the icing sugar in installments, beating thoroughly each time. Taste to make sure the flavour is right. Add more coffee liquid if you prefer
    250 g icing sugar

To assemble:

  • Remove the baking parchment from the cake if you haven't already done so.
    If the cakes have a pronounced peak, just cut it off with a large, sharp knife. The cakes don't need to be totally flat
  • Put one cake on the serving dish and use half the buttercream to cover. Spread it evenly. Put the second cake on top and cover with the remaining buttercream
  • Arrange the nuts on the top of the cake. 12 gives you a good sized portion but if you want smaller slices use 16 nuts.

Notes

Everyday Cooks tips:
  • Use a splatter guard over your mixing bowl, especially for the icing, to keep the mixture in the bowl
Storage:
  • The cakes keep well for up to a week in an airtight box - preferably in the fridge.
  • The un-iced cakes can be frozen for up to a month