7” (18cm) Coffee & Walnut Sponge Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SPONGE CAKE INGREDIENTS FOR BUTTERCREAM Self Raising Flour (sieved) 190g/7 ozs Softened Butter 175g/6 ozs Caster Sugar 190g/7 ozs Icing Sugar (sieved) 350g/12 ozs Butter or Soft Margarine 190g/7 ozs Vanilla Extract 5mls/1 teaspoon Medium Free Range Eggs 3 – (beaten) Milk 20mls Milk 35 mls (2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) Total Butter/Margarine = 365g Hot Water 15mls/1tablespoon Total Milk = 55mls (may require extra) Coffee Granules 10g/2 teaspoons Walnut Halves 100g Pack/3.5 ounces

Let’s Get Started! Pre-heat your oven to 170ºC for Conventional Ovens / 150ºC for Fan Ovens / Gas Mark 3. Shelf Position should be middle to low. In a small dish or jug, dissolve 10g (2 tsp) of coffee granules in 15 mls (1 tbsp) of hot water. Put to one side and allow to cool. Place 70g (2 ½ ozs) of walnut halves into a plastic bag. Use a frying pan or rolling pin to bash the nuts into small pieces. If you have a food processor or mini chopper, pulse until the nuts are small pieces. Save the remaining walnut halves for decorating.

Add the cooled coffee to the beaten eggs. Lightly beat together using a fork. Beat the soft butter/margarine and caster sugar together until pale, soft, light and fluffy. This can take up to 5 minutes! On a medium speed, add the egg/coffee liquid in stages mixing well after each addition. If the mixture looks to curdle, add a teaspoon of flour from the weighed out flour. Add the sieved flour. Mix on low until all combined. Keep mixing whilst adding the milk a teaspoon at a time. The mixture should be a nice dropping consistency – not too thick and not too runny. The mixture should slowly drop off a spoon. Add the walnut pieces and gently stir in by hand with a spoon until combined. Do not over mix! Measure out equal spoonfuls of mixture into each tin. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Do not open your oven door before 20 minutes! Insert a skewer or small knife into the sponges and if it comes out clean, the sponges are ready. If not, bake for a further 2 minutes and check again. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Gently turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the paper from the sides of the sponges but leave the bottom paper on. This helps retain moisture.

Making The Buttercream Beat the softened butter for about 3-4 minutes until light in colour. Add half the sieved icing sugar and beat slowly to begin then on medium-high until all incorporated and smooth. Add the rest of the sieved icing sugar with 2 teaspoons of milk and vanilla extract. Beat until all combined, smooth and fluffy. (about 2 minutes). Add more milk to make the buttercream spreadable. It should be the consistency of soft butter and very easy to spread. Divide the buttercream into 2 equal portions.

Assembling Your Creation! Level the sponges by carefully cutting off the top. Remove paper from the bottom of the sponges. Place one sponge onto the plate/board and spread one portion of buttercream. Place the other sponge on top and press down very lightly to settle. Spread the other portion of buttercream onto the top sponge and decorate with remaining walnuts halves.