Straying from my no-bake traybake territory this week with an easy Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake. This cake is soft and moist in the center, filled with walnuts and smothered with a coffee flavored buttercream.
If you can get hold of Camp Coffee Essence, then you can use that to flavor your cake. If you can’t, then dissolve 1 tbsp of instant coffee in 1 tbsp of warm water and use that instead. Or, if you prefer a stronger coffee taste, you can use 2 tbsp coffee to 1 tbsp water.
It’s a simple loaf cake to make, just keep an eye on it when it’s in the oven in case it’s starting to get too brown on top – all ovens are a bit different, so timings and temperatures can vary. If it looks like it’s browning too much before it’s fully cooked, you can always cover the top with a piece of baking parchment.

This Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake can also be made as a sandwich cake, but sometimes, it’s just easier to deal with one cake tin and this just keeps things simpler! If you choose to make a sandwich cake instead, divide the mixture between two greased and lined 7″ round tins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Then use the buttercream to sandwich the cakes together and decorate on top.
Ingredients
Cake
6oz/175g butter, softened
6oz/175g dark brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
6oz/175g self-raising flour, sifted
2oz/55g walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp coffee essence (or 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water)
Buttercream
6oz/175g icing sugar/powdered sugar, sifted
3oz/85g butter, softened
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp coffee essence
walnuts, to decorate
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Then add the coffee essence and mix until well distributed.
- Add the eggs, gradually, beating well between each addition.
- Fold in the flour and then the walnuts.
- Spoon the mixture into a lined 2lb loaf tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool briefly before lifting out onto a wire rack to cool.
- For the buttercream, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the milk and coffee. Spread over the top of the cake and scatter with walnuts.
- Slice and enjoy!
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