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I have very fond memories of growing up in Zimbabwe enjoying this cake.  My Mum always had something in the cake or biscuit tin and this was one of my favourites.  I remember the enjoyment of it with a cup of afternoon tea (or three!) with my family out in the garden, sitting on the grass, sun shining … those were the days! 

Square cake with golden brown icing decorated with walnut piece next to white napkins, serving forks and serving knife

How to make walnut cake in step by step instructions

First prepare the tin

Line with it with parchment.

Square cake tin lined with parchment

Mix the cake

 Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg a little at a time mixing well before the next bit of egg. Fold in the flour and finally the walnuts.

Mixing butter and sugar in a stand mixer
Adding egg to cake mixture in a stand mixer
Cake batter in a mixing bowl with a spatula and square cake tin

Bake the cake

Put the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake at 150C for about an hour or until the skewer comes out clean.

Square cake tin filled with walnut cake batter
Baked square cake in a tin

Make the icing

Heat all the icing ingredients except the icing sugar in a small saucepan until the butter is just melted. Sieve the icing sugar into the melted mixture and mix to a smooth paste. Allow to cool and thicken to a spreadable consistency. This could be anything from 15-30 minutes.

Butter and coffee mixture in saucepan
Sieving icing sugar into saucepan
Mixing icing sugar in to a coffee mixture in a saucepan
Light brown icing in a sauce pan with a white and red spatula

Decorate the cake

Ice the cake and decorate with chopped toasted walnuts.

Icing square cake with brown icing
Square cake with light brown icing on a beige plate
Square cake with coffee icing being decorated with chopped wlanuts

If you don’t like coffee icing you can always change it to a chocolate one of your choice. I personally find the icing very sweet and prefer my cake without any icing at all!

Square cake on a white cake stand with golden brown icing decorated with walnut pieces
Piece of cake on a plate with a small serving fork

Hints & Tips

Larger round cake

For a larger cake, I have simply doubled the quantity of the cake mixture (you don’t need to double the icing as I think you will have sufficient for the larger cake) and used a 20cm round cake tin baked at 160C for approximately 2 hours.

Icing the cake

Don’t let the icing get too cold otherwise it will be difficult to ice the cake.  If you find it gets too hard, you can reheat it a little or dip your palette knife into boiling water from the kettle and this will help to smooth the icing.

If you don’t like coffee you can simply choose a different flavoured icing to the coffee one, such as chocolate, or not ice it at all!

Freezing

The cake will freeze perfectly with or without the frosting.  

Square cake on a white cake stand with golden brown icing decorated with walnut pieces

Walnut cake

A simple, yet super delicious, walnut cake with a delectable coffee fudge icing.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Icing & decorating 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Coffee time, Dessert, Tea & Cake
Cuisine British

Equipment

  • 15cm square, loose bottom, tin

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 170 g butter
  • 170 g caster sugar
  • 150 g egg
  • 230 g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 115 g chopped walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Coffee Fudge Icing

  • 85 g butter
  • 340 g icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • tablespoons very strong coffee

Decoration

  • 70 g chopped walnuts, toasted

Instructions
 

  • First line a 15cm (6 inch) square loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment.
  • Preheat the oven to 150C.
  • Sieve the flour and baking powder a couple of times to ensure the baking powder is evenly mixed with the flour.
  • Take about a tablespoon of the flour and mix it in with the walnuts (this helps prevent them sinking). Set aside.
  • Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs a little at a time beating well before adding the next inclusion.
  • Fold in the flour and baking powder adding the milk in two inclusions.
  • Finally fold in the nuts.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin.
  • Bake at 150C for approximately 1- 1¼ hours until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and demould the cake from the tin. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
  • Now make the coffee fudge icing. Heat the milk, butter and coffee until the butter is just melted. Do not boil.
  • Sieve the icing sugar into the melted ingredients. Add a little extra milk if required to make it a thick, smooth paste.
  • Beat until smooth and leave to cool and set a little before icing the cake.
  • Ice all sides of the cake. If you find it gets a little hard, wet your palette knife with a little boiling water from the kettle and this will help to smooth the icing.
  • Decorate with the toasted walnut pieces.

Notes

Larger round cake
For a larger cake, I have simply doubled the quantity of the cake mixture (you don’t need to double the icing as I think you will have sufficient for the larger cake) and used a 20cm round cake tin baked at 160C for approximately 2 hours.
Icing the cake
Don’t let the icing get too cold otherwise it will be difficult to ice the cake.  If you find it gets too hard, you can reheat it a little or dip your palette knife into boiling water from the kettle and this will help to smooth the icing.
If you don’t like coffee you can simply choose a different flavoured icing to the coffee one, such as chocolate, or not ice it at all!
Freezing
The cake will freeze perfectly with or without the frosting.  
Keyword best walnut cake, coffee fudge icing, easy walnut cake, how to make walnut cake, square cake, walnut & coffee cake, walnut cake

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