Coffee Walnut Cake

 Just one of those days when one really feels good that things at home are going well especially after some small interrupted crisis from time to time...Things take time to heal but they do heal eventually!

Also had some issues with my plumbing and a few electrical fittings which added to the existing woes but I have my man Friday S who would attend to my phone call and would drop any of his major work and ride to my place to sort things out for me...all because my husband and I chitchat with him, we ask about his family and his health, we give him more than what he deserves and He will always get a nice cuppa tea or coffee from me with a few biscuits or a slice or two of my cake. At times, I would also pack some goodies for his kid.

He sorted all the hurdles for me. Every time he comes and goes, he would leave me more than satisfied. I go berserk when systems fail in my house-especially the plumbing or the power. I can't run to the husband for such things...he is great with gadgets but not with these two things...Oh No, not his line of interest!

 So, while S, my handy man was up and about doing his work I was browsing through the latest Good Housekeeping and came across this simple recipe for a Coffee Walnut Cake and realized I had loads of walnuts at home and everything they had mentioned in the recipe. Thus, I got about with the evening's baking.

As soon as my students left to their respective homes after their daily session with me, I gathered all my baking stuff that was required for this recipe. So what are you guys waiting for?

Let's bake...a friend did ask me for the recipe of the marble cake pics that I had uploaded the other day on my Facebook page. I haven't forgotten dear friend, that will be up soon. Procrastination seems to be my middle name!

So, here's our Coffee Walnut Cake (recipe source: Good Housekeeping)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and line the required pans for baking with your parchment paper.

Put 225 g unsalted butter and 225 g light soft brown sugar into a large bowl and beat it with a handheld electric whisk until it is light and fluffy.

Gradually add four large eggs one at a time and beat it slowly after each addition.

Once nice and creamy with the help of a metal spoon fold in 225 g of self-raising flour, 75 g finely chopped walnuts, two tsp. of ground dry coffee and two tbsp. of milk. Fold in to make a smooth batter.

Once, the batter is done, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothen out the batter and level the surface. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer when inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack.

While the cake is cooling, do make the icing if you desire. I made a little bit only as it's just the husband and I at home and I thought I would just apply the icing on only one cake and another for this pic :) I had used various smaller pans for dividing the batter for around four cakes. You could pour the whole batter in a single pan of your choice.

 For the icing mentioned in the magazine, take about 220 g of unsalted soft butter, and beat it together with 450 g of icing sugar, one and a half tsp. of vanilla extract in a tbsp. and a half of hot water. Beat in a tsp. and a half of ground coffee powder as well and mix them all together until smooth.

Slice the cake midway once it is cooled and spread a part of this icing on the bottom layer and sandwich it with the top layer and neatly spread the remaining icing on the top layer as well. Cut into squares or as you wish and neatly arrange a walnut on each slice unlike my lazy attempt!

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature, it can stay up to three days.

We loved this cake! And I was really excited about clicking these pictures in the lights that my handyman fixed in my kitchen. They had been gone for a long while and we were using dimmer lights in the kitchen.

While I was baking this cake, I was also in conversation with my friend and guide SR of Fondbites. I had a major hurdle that I was carrying on my mind regarding my baking and we were slowly trying to solve it and we finally did!

I almost did a Happy Dance as she paved the way for me online and helped me to realize my folly in turn we fixed the bug together! It was a huge revelation for me as she knew it had been gnawing me for some time and I am totally grateful to her. SR, I dedicate this cake to you and indeed grateful for your support and kind advice from time to time! You are one in a million!

Happy Baking folks! There are other lovely recipes as well in the magazine. Let's see as and when time permits I should bake them :)