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Coffee walnut cake is the British tea time classic that pairs deep espresso sponge with crunchy toasted walnuts and a swoosh of silky coffee buttercream. I baked my first one for a rainy Saturday coffee morning with my mom, and we ate two slices each before it even hit the cake stand. It is my favorite kind of bake, a cozy tea time cake that feels a little special, like a slice of my lemon blueberry coffee cake but for grown up coffee lovers.
Two tender espresso layers, a nutty crunch, and creamy coffee frosting in every bite.
Coffee Walnut Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 520kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Deep espresso and toasted walnut with sweet coffee buttercream
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a from scratch two layer cake
Quick Answer
Dissolve espresso powder in a little water, then cream butter, oil, and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, stir in self rising flour, then add the espresso, vanilla, and chopped walnuts. Divide between two cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes. Once cooled, whip a coffee buttercream, stack and frost the layers, and finish with more chopped walnuts.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Espresso powder gives real coffee flavor. Dissolving instant espresso in a splash of water concentrates the coffee flavor so it comes through boldly in both the sponge and the frosting, not just as a hint.
- A little oil keeps the sponge moist. Using both butter and oil gives you the rich flavor of butter with the tender, stays moist for days crumb that oil provides.
- Self rising flour keeps it simple. Self rising flour has the leavening built in, so there is no measuring baking powder and salt separately, which makes this cake genuinely beginner friendly.
- Toasting brings out the walnuts. Folding chopped walnuts into the batter and scattering more on top adds a warm, buttery crunch that is the whole point of a coffee and walnut cake.
- Coffee buttercream ties it together. A silky espresso buttercream echoes the sponge and balances the sweetness, giving every slice that unmistakable coffee shop flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like your favorite coffee shop cake but better, with real espresso flavor in both the sponge and the frosting.
- It is a genuinely easy layer cake, no fussy techniques, just cream, mix, bake, and frost.
- It is as approachable as frosting my banana bundt cake, just stacked into pretty layers instead.
- It is the kind of no fuss win that pairs beautifully with our apple cinnamon coffee cake on a busy week.
- It is the kind of no fuss win that pairs beautifully with our sour cream coffee cake bundt cake on a busy week.
- It earns a spot in the rotation right next to our cranberry coffee cake.
Key Ingredients
A simple bakers list, and the espresso powder is the one thing worth seeking out.
- Instant espresso powder: The flavor. It dissolves into a concentrated coffee that flavors both the cake and the frosting, and it is worth buying over regular instant coffee for the deeper taste.
- Walnuts: The crunch. Chopped walnuts go in the batter and on top, giving that classic coffee and walnut texture, and toasting them first deepens the flavor.
- Self rising flour: The base. It has the leavening built in for a foolproof, tender sponge, though you can use all purpose plus baking powder in a pinch.
- Butter and oil: The tenderness. Butter brings the flavor and oil keeps the crumb moist for days, so the cake never dries out.
- Demerara sugar: The warmth. Its subtle caramel notes pair beautifully with coffee, though regular granulated sugar works just fine.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
One classic cake, plenty of easy ways to make it yours.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes before chopping to deepen their flavor.
- Add a splash of coffee liqueur to the frosting for a boozy grown up version.
- Swap the walnuts for pecans or hazelnuts if that is what you have on hand.
- Skip the coffee entirely and lean into warm spices and you land near my spice layer cake, a completely different but equally cozy bake.
- Bake it as a single sheet cake or as cupcakes if you would rather skip the layering.
- For another spin on this idea, try our coffee cake cookies next time.
- For another spin on this idea, try our 7up cake next time.
- In the mood for something different? Our pina colada cake scratches a similar itch.
How to Make Coffee Walnut Cake
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed for about five minutes until pale and fluffy, scraping the sides as needed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Stir in the self rising flour until no lumps remain, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Mix in the dissolved espresso and the vanilla until the batter is an even coffee color.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts until they are evenly distributed through the batter.
- Divide between two lined cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes, then cool completely before frosting.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Bring everything to room temperature. Room temp butter, eggs, and oil cream together into a smoother, fluffier batter than cold ingredients.
- Cool the layers completely before frosting. Even slightly warm cake will melt the buttercream and make it slide off, so be patient.
- Level the layers if they dome. A quick trim off the top gives you flat, stackable layers and a cake that sits level.
- Dissolve the espresso first. Stirring the espresso powder into water before adding it keeps you from getting gritty specks in the batter.
- Save some walnuts for the top. A generous scatter of chopped walnuts on the frosting signals exactly what is inside and adds a pretty finish.
- Chill briefly before slicing. Twenty minutes in the fridge firms up the frosting so you get clean, bakery neat slices.
- Double up for gatherings. Serve it alongside our chocolate chip coffee cake and watch both disappear.
- Double up for gatherings. Serve it alongside our brownie cake and watch both disappear.
- Make it a full spread. Our sour cream coffee cake with sour cream glaze rounds out the table.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Still filling out the menu? Readers love pairing this one with our banana nut muffins, queen cakes, swiss roll cake, and chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Coffee Walnut Cake FAQs
Coffee walnut cake is a classic British bake made of espresso flavored sponge layered with chopped walnuts and coffee buttercream frosting. It is a tea time staple known for its cozy coffee flavor and nutty crunch, and it is one of the most beloved cakes in the UK.
Yes. A hand mixer works perfectly well for both the batter and the buttercream. You just need something to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and to whip the frosting smooth, so a hand mixer or even a lot of elbow grease with a whisk will do the job.
Instant espresso powder is the best choice because it dissolves completely and delivers a deep, concentrated coffee flavor without adding extra liquid. Regular instant coffee granules work too, but espresso powder gives the richest, most coffee shop like taste.
Store the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The oil in the sponge keeps it moist, so it actually stays tender longer than many cakes. Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Yes. Freeze the unfrosted, fully cooled sponge layers wrapped well in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then frost as usual. You can also freeze frosted slices individually for a quick coffee cake fix whenever the craving hits.
Absolutely. For every cup of self rising flour, use one cup of all purpose flour plus about one and a half teaspoons of baking powder and a quarter teaspoon of salt. The results are nearly identical, so use whichever flour you have on hand.
Made this coffee walnut cake? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me if you toasted your walnuts first!
For a grown up coffee cake moment, my spiced bundt cake pairs beautifully with a slice of my coffee walnut cake.
Coffee Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup demerara sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups self-rising flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts plus more for optional garnish
- For the frosting:
- 4 tablespoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 6 ounces salted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line and spray 2 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and set aside.
- Whisk the water and espresso powder in a small bowl until dissolved; set aside.2 tablespoons hot water, 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- Place the butter, oil, and sugar into the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip the mixture on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.1/2 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup demerara sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in.4 large eggs
- Stir in the flour until no lumps are left, scraping the sides as needed.2 cups self-rising flour
- Add the espresso mixture and vanilla and stir to combine.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Finally, stir in the walnuts.1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- Evenly distribute the batter between the two cake pans and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then take them out and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Stir the hot water and espresso powder together in a small bowl until dissolved, set aside.4 tablespoons hot water, 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- When the cakes are done cooling, make the frosting by placing the butter into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and whip until smooth.6 ounces salted butter
- Stir in the espresso mixture and vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Start adding the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in.4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Place on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes.
- Take the paper off the cakes and cut the top off until flat, if needed.
- Place one cake, top side down, onto a serving platter.
- Add ⅓ of the frosting on top and smooth it out.
- Place the other cake, top side down, on top.
- With the remaining frosting, smear it on top and the sides of the cake.
- Add chopped walnuts for garnish, if desired.
- Allow to chill for 20 minutes in the fridge before serving
Notes
- Scoop flour with a spoon into your cup then level; packing can add “too much difference” and make a brick.
- Beat butter and sugar on medium speed for five minutes; air equals fluffy sponge.
- Always use room‑temperature ingredients—cold eggs make batter curdle.
- Fold with a wooden spoon or spatula; over‑mixing deflates air bubbles.
- Check doneness: cakes should spring back in the centre of the cake and a skewer comes out clean.
- Chill frosted cake 15 minutes; it sets the buttercream and makes slicing neat…unless you like gooey fingers (no judgment!).
Nutrition
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Thank you Gloria!!!