Search

Gluten Free Coffee and Walnut Cake

carlawright82
Jan 11, 2015
3 min read

Gluten Free Coffee and Walnut Cake

Yesterday I made a gluten free coffee and walnut cake to take to my mother in law's house. I converted one of Nigella Lawson's recipes available on her website to gluten free.

Ingredients:

For the Sponge

50g Walnut Pieces

225g Caster Sugar

225g Soft unsalted butter (plus extra to grease cake tin)

200g Plain Flour

1 TBSP Instant Coffee

2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Bicarb Soda

4 Large Eggs

2-3 TBSP Milk

For the Icing

350g Icing Sugar

175g Soft Unsalted Butter

2 1/2 tsp instant coffee (disolved in 1 TBSP biling water)

Walnut halves or pieces to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C
Butter two 20cm / 8inch Round tins cake tins.
Put the walnut pieces and sugar into a food processor and blitz to a fine powder.
Add the 225g Butter, flour, 4 teaspoons coffee powder, baking powder, bicarb and eggs and process to a smooth batter.
Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor still running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture: it should be a soft, dropping consistency. Gluten Free flour can be a bit dry and vary from brand to brand, so add more milk if you need to.
Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, the sponge should have risen and feel springy to the touch. Insert a wooden skewer in the centre, when the skewer comes out clean it is cooked. Cooking times can vary with different gf flour, if cake is not cooked return to over for further 5 minutes, cook for additional 5 minutes at a time until cakes are cooked.
Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, before turning them out onto the rack.
When the sponges are completely cool, you can make the icing.
Pulse the icing sugar in the food processor until it is lump free, then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing.
Dissolve the instant coffee powder in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add it while still hot to the processor, pulsing to blend into the icing.
Then beat in the hot coffee liquid.
Place 1 sponge upside down on your cake stand or serving plate.
Spread with about half the icing; then place on it the second sponge, right side up (i.e. so the 2 flat sides of the sponges meet in the middle) and cover the top with the remaining icing. I cut the 2 cakes across the middle to make 4 layers and spread icing in each of the layers but you don’t need to do this.
This cake is supposed to look old-fashioned, and rustic, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect, however the icing looks is fine. And no one really minds is the icing oozes out from between the layers.
Gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing all around the edge of the circle. I put a small pile in the center also.