Jamie Magazine
By Georgie Socratous
Ingredients
175g unsalted butter (at room temperature), plus extra for greasing
75g walnuts, plus extra to garnish
175g sugar
3 large free-range eggs
150g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
50ml cold espresso
COFFEE FILLING
65g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
125g icing sugar
40ml strong espresso
COFFEE ICING
100g icing sugar
20ml strong espresso
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 round 20cm cake tins.
- In a food processor, blitz two-thirds of the nuts to powder. Cube, then cream the butter in a bowl with the sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs then add the blitzed walnuts and gently stir through.
- Fold the flour, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt through with a large metal spoon until just incorporated.
- Roughly chop the rest of the walnuts and stir through the cake mixture along with the espresso.
- Evenly divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
- Cool the cakes in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the filling, cube and put the butter in a bowl. Sift in the icing sugar, beat until fluffy, then beat in the coffee.
- For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in the coffee to make a thick, smooth icing.
- Place one of the cakes on a plate or board and spread with the coffee filling. Top with the second cake and drizzle over the icing.
- Decorate the cake with the remaining walnuts as they are, or lightly caramelised. To do this, melt sugar over a medium heat, without stirring, then carefully toss the nuts in briefly to coat. Cool the nuts on a wire rack before using.
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