Coffee Walnut Layer Cake Recipe (2024)

I want to make this cake today but have a question. In both instances where you use instant coffee dissolved in boiling water, do you add the coffee mixture while still hot? Thanks!

I made 1.5 batches of icing, which was just enough; two batches would provide a stress-reducing buffer. I used espresso (35 ml of brewed from 20 grams in each case) for both the cake and the frosting. I worried the extra liquid would be bad for the icing, but it wasn't; might try 70 ml for the double icing batch to get more coffee flavor and reduce stiffness slightly. Prevented doming as I always do by pinning a (clean) wet sock around pan sides during baking. Worked great.

This is just ridiculously good--easy and decadent at the same time. I served with a dark chocolate ice cream, which was a great complement to the rich coffee walnut flavor. The only thing I would do differently next time around (and there will be many next time arounds) is to mix the buttercream in a bowl with a hand mixer, only because my food processor didn't blend the ingredients thoroughly.

I'm substituting freshly shelled pecans for the walnuts. No nut can beat a good pecan.

Made this for a dinner party last evening: Outstanding! The food processor made this easy and almost one-bowl. However, I chose to make the frosting in the stand mixer instead--fluffier that way. I used packets of Starbucks Via Columbian for the instant coffee; two packets equalled the needed tablespoon, so I used four total. Would definitely make this again.

I don't have 2 8" pans. Could I make this as one cake and then just frost the outside?

I found an alternative in the store - coffee-flavored marscapone cheese! It's used in tiramisu. But if you whip it with a bit of powdered sugar in your kitchen aid, it turns into a lovely, light frosting. You get the coffee flavor and can cut down on the extreme sweetness of most frostings.

I used freshly-brewed espresso instead of instant coffee, in both the cake batter and the frosting. Worked great.

I just made this wonderful cake for the second time. Can't be beaten in the results for effort expended. But coffee used makes a difference. First time around I used our regular, very strong morning coffee -- freshly ground French Roast. Lovely! This time I followed the recipe using instant coffee dissolved in boiling water. Much more intense flavor, but to us it tastes of instant coffee. Still very nice, but not the perfection achieved with excellent brewed coffee.

Excellent recipe! I made a few changes that worked:
* Use strongly brewed coffee instead of instant. Gives a better flavor.
* Beat icing with a hand mixer instead of in the food processor.
* No need to double the icing if you want to cover the sides of the cake! It's very rich so a little goes a long way.
* I had to increase the amount of powdered sugar and coffee in the icing in order to overcome the harsh butter taste from the full 1.5 sticks(!) of butter the recipe called for.

My food processor is small, so I just used it to combine the walnuts and sugar and did the rest with a stand mixer like a regular cake. I may not have beaten the eggs enough, because the cake was dense rather than fluffy. Good flavor, though, and the frosting was the right amount for me. I also substituted 2 t. coffee extract for the coffee in the cake, and another 2 t. in the frosting plus 1 T. milk. Beat the frosting well to make it airy and add colume.

This cake has been a favorite in my family for years! It's a crowd pleaser. However, I do find that it makes too much batter for the cake pans, so I often pour a bit of batter into 1-2 ramekins and bake some mini-cakes on the side. Otherwise, the center may be undercooked. And as noted, the food processor does not really have capacity for all the batter. This recipe is also great as cupcakes if you want to reduce the baking time.

Delicious cake. I followed the recipe on nigella Lawson’s website that includes soda and powder. Cut down sugar to 200 g for the cake. Used much less sugar in the frosting, about 2/3 the amount, and should have used less. Added a good bit more instant espresso to the frosting. Added vanilla to both cake and frosting. Final product tasted like a cake you’d get in a European bakery

Can you use instant espresso instead of instant coffee to give it better flavor? How much to substitute?

I love this cake. I've made it many times, with several different kinds of nuts, and it's epic every time. I veganize it (using egg replacer & earth balance)and, as usual, nobody notices it's not animal butter. Literally everyone who has ever tried it has asked for the recipe. The one mod I make is that I usually ice and serve each layer individually. It's a hefty, decadent beast, so two layers are only for certain occasions. This also allows me to add a smidge more icing to each layer.

I doubled the icing, but tripled the amount of espresso in the icing (doubled the water but tripled the espresso). It was amazing! Friends and family all loved it.

I’m an experienced baker, but have trouble with this recipe. I’ve made this cake twice. Both times using CakeStrips to prevent doming. The 1st time one of my layers rose perfectly, while the other failed to rise. The baking powder tested fresh. The 2nd time, both layers rose perfectly. However, while cooling, both collapsed in the center leaving a high outside ridge. The cakes were dense. I use a convection oven. After 15 minutes I switched the two layers positions in the oven. Any thoughts?

Thank you so much to Edward in Paris for 9-inch measurements!

Wow! So delicious. I think this would do well as a "naked cake" with a minimal amount of icing and it is so rich and flavorful. Made with pecans and crushed some toasted ones between the layers for added crunch. Can vouch for the scaling to 9" pans by Edward in Paris.

Decided to follow the recipe on Nigella Lawson’s website, which requires way more coffee (almost 3 tablespoons in total) and baking soda, otherwise it’s the same. I cut the sugar in the icing and it tastes perfect. A lovely cake - super moist, not very sweet, walnut and coffee flavor! Success! Also decided to use a stand mixer instead of a food processor which might have made a difference in everything.

Has anyone tried toasting the walnuts before processing?

I was highly skeptical, especially when the batter leaked out of my processor, but with stronger coffee flavoring and walnut oil in the batter, this was a hit even with teenaged nephews. I used the 9-inch measurements in the comments (thank you, Edward in Paris) but used 3 T instant espresso, 1 T hot water, a shot of Kahlua and 1 tsp vanilla. 1.5 x the 8-inch frosting recipe as written (but with double instant espresso, same amt of water plus 1 T Kahlua) was perfect. Wish I’d toasted the nuts

I was skeptical, esp when the batter leaked out of my processor, but it was a hit with teenage nephews with some tweaks. Did the 9” version (merci Edward in Paris) and amped up the coffee flavor by 2x espresso powder w/1x hot water, plus Kahlua and a little vanilla for both frosting and batter. Also added 1/4 cup walnut oil to batter plus the butter and it was moist. 1.5x frosting in the 8” as-written recipe was plenty. Shoulda toasted the walnuts though.

They really need to have an "appliances needed" section along with the ingredients. Most people read ingredients to see if they can make a recipe and some would be surprised to see this is entirely made in a food processor. Luckily I had one but the recipe gives no indication of which blades should be used for cake or frosting, plus the need to wash and dry the whole thing before using it again to make the frosting is a huge chore. Too much work for a dry, mediocre cake.

I baked this cake tonight and even though it turned out beautiful to look at, the taste was simply too sweet. The sugar overwhelms the other flavors that should be shining through. Very disappointing.

I found the coffee added to the frosting was not enough liquid to make a fluffy frosting. I added more liquid in the form of kahlua. It was much more spreadable with the addition of more liquid.