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Mary Berry’s Coffee and Walnut Traybake
Moist, fluffy, and addictive are the best words to describe this coffee and walnut traybake, a Mary Berry’s cake.
Those who love baking will almost definitely know who Mary Berry is, the baking queen from the UK whose recipes are failproof.
Of all her baking recipes, I love her cake recipes the most. This coffee and walnut cake traybake is my favorite recipe from Mary Berry’s Fast Cakes recipe book.
Unlike some other coffee cakes that use coffee extract, this cake uses real coffee which is instant coffee granules dissolved in water.
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Due to its size, this traybake is ideal for sharing with family and friends. It’s also a good choice for moms with school-age children who need ideas for what to bake for the school fete.
The cake has a smooth sponge texture and is very moist. The coffee buttercream is soft and creamy, with just the right sweetness to not make you sick. Lastly, the savory walnuts give the sweet cake and buttercream an excellent finish and crunch.
Versatile Recipe
Although this recipe calls for a rectangle bake tin to make the cake a traybake, you can always use a different cake tin.
This recipe is sufficient to be divided into two 8-in round cake tins. So feel free to use this recipe for your next coffee and walnut cake.
And if you have a nut allergy, you can omit the walnuts and enjoy it as a coffee cake.
What You Need to Make Coffee Cake
In detail, there are 11 ingredients you need to make this coffee and walnut cake traybake:
- Instant Coffee Granules: Use any instant espresso; ensure it’s still good and not near the expiry date, as it will be hard to dissolve.
- Baking Spread: If you can not find a baking spread, use either butter or margarine/plant-based butter.
- Caster Sugar: Super-fine caster sugar is preferable.
- Self-raising Flour: If this flour is unavailable, you can make your self-raising flour by mixing one teaspoon of baking powder with 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of all-purpose flour (plain flour).
- Baking powder: Make sure it’s fresh and not expired so your cake will rise properly.
- Eggs: Preferably organic free-range.
- Milk: I use whole milk, but you can use any milk you prefer.
- Butter: I almost always use salted butter, as it makes the buttercream taste better. However, you can choose unsalted if you prefer.
- Icing sugar: If the icing sugar has been opened, sieve it before use to ensure there won’t be clumps in the buttercream.
- Walnut: Although walnuts are the best pair for coffee, choose different nuts you like.
- Hot water: You only need a little to dissolve the instant espresso.
Fast Method
What I love about this recipe is the easy and simple method that doesn’t take much time. It took me about 10 minutes to make the batter and another 5 minutes to whip the coffee buttercream.
The baking itself took about 35 minutes. But I had to leave the cake to cool down before putting the frosting on. This took me around half an hour.
I had the cake ready in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. I think this was fast. Considering the cake has frosting on it.
Tips for Making a Moist Coffee Cake
- Baking is like chemistry. Every item involved will affect each other according to its weight and value. So, measuring with precision, the temperature of your oven, and the baking time are essential.
- Fresh ingredients. Ensure your self-raising flour, baking powder, milk, and eggs are fresh; these items can go stale and off. You want them to be of the best quality so they can create the nice cake you want.
- Whisk your cake batter until everything is mixed well, and you will have a creamy, pale-colored batter.
How to Store Coffee and Walnut Cake Traybake
Ideally, you keep your coffee and walnut cake in the fridge if there is any leftover.
However, the cold temperature will dry the cake texture no matter how tightly you wrap or store it in a food container. So bear that in mind.
I store my cake in a container with a tight lid and leave it on my kitchen worktop. Luckily, cakes usually last only for a few days in our household.
If you need to freeze the cake, put it in a tight-lid container and store it in a freezer. It will keep well for about two months.
Once your cake thaw, consume it within a few days, and you must not refreeze it.
More Cake Recipes
You can try this apple crumble cake, carrot cake loaf, chocolate cake, vanilla velvet cake, or easy sponge cake recipe with oil if you need more ideas for cake recipes.
Thank you for checking this coffee and walnut traybake recipe. I hope you try it and agree that Mary Berry’s recipe gives the best coffee and walnut cake. Please let me know what you think in the comments below. I appreciate it.
Lastly, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest to see what’s cooking in my kitchen.
Take care and all the best.
Mary Berry’s Coffee And Walnut Traybake
This coffee and walnut traybake by Mary Berry is a perfect companion for your afternoon cuppa. The cake is so moist with the right sweetness that it pairs well with the savoury walnuts.
Author: Devy Dar
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Additional Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course: Sweets & Desserts
Cuisine: British
Servings: 16
Equipment
Mixing bowls.
Handheld mixer or
Stand mixer
Spatula
9×13 inch rectangular cake pan
Parchment paper/ greaseproof paper
Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
For the cake
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules.
- 2 tablespoons hot boiling water.
- 8 ounces butter or baking spread see the note.
- 8 ounces caster sugar.
- 10 ounces self-raising flour see the note.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- 4 large eggs.
- 4 tablespoons milk.
For the icing and garnish:
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules.
- 1 tablespoon hot boiling water.
- 1 stick butter at room temperature.
- 6 ounces icing sugar sieved.
- 1 tablespoon milk.
- 2 handfuls walnut chopped.
Video
Instructions
Preheat the oven at gas 4/ 180℃/ 356℉.
Prepare a 30 x 23cm (12 x 9 in) bake tin, grease its side and line it with a greaseproof baking paper.
Dissolve two tablespoons of instant coffee granules with two tablespoons of hot boiling water from the kettle. Let it cool while you get the other ingredients ready.
In a mixing bowl, place the self-raising flour, caster sugar, baking powder, baking spread or margarine, eggs and milk.
Use a handheld mixer or a standing mixer to beat the ingredients in the bowl until you get a smooth batter.
Then add the coffee mix into the batter. Mix well.
Pour the batter into the traybake and level the top evenly.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes at gas 4/ 180℃/ 356℉ until the top springs back when you touch the cake and it has shrunk from its sides a little.
Let the cake cool down for about 15 minutes before taking it out of the tin.
Meanwhile, mix one tablespoon of instant coffee granules with one tablespoon of hot water from the kettle. Leave it to cool.
Beat the butter, icing sugar, milk and coffee mixture until smooth and fluffy.
Spread the buttercream on top of the coffee cake and scattered the chopped walnuts over. Cut the cake into generous 16 pieces.
Notes
- The baking spread is similar to margarine but with lower content of fat. If the baking spread is not available to you, using margarine or butter can be an option. Just bear in mind if you use butter your cake may be slightly denser due to the fat. But I can assure you it will be equally delicious.
- In the case self-raising flour is not available to you, mix 1 tsp of baking powder with every 3.5oz/ 100 gr all-purpose flour/ plain flour. Use a handheld whisk to stir and mix the flour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 301mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g
Disclaimer
Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.
