Classic coffee cake topped with walnuts

Need a cake to go alongside your morning or afternoon cup of coffee? Why not bypass drinking the caffeine and just throw it into the cake instead with this mouthwatering coffee-flavoured dessert treat!

Not only does this delicious coffee cake combine two of the best things in the world (coffee and cake, of course) but it also tastes absolutely delicious without the need for a big, long-winded method. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  Icing
• 3 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 2 cups icing sugar mixture
• 20g butter, softened

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Grease 6cm-deep, 20cm-round (base) cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper. Combine coffee and boiling water in a bowl. Stir until coffee is dissolved.
2. Use electric mixer to beat butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Add coffee mixture. Beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (mixture may curdle). Sift flour over butter mixture. Stir until just combined. Add sour cream. Stir until combined.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean (cover with foil if over-browning). Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
4. For icing, combine coffee and boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Stir until coffee is dissolved. Sift icing sugar into a large bowl. Add coffee mixture and butter. Stir until smooth and combined. Place cake on a serving plate. Spoon icing onto cake and spread to edge. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve.