Coffee and Walnut Cake

This was my first ever attempt at a coffee cake, I'd like to say I think it went down pretty well for a first go! But one can only slightly agree on such a subjective comment. The icing was rather sweet, but it counter-acted with the tart tasting sponge so there was equal balance. Again, (as I like to do) I glued two vaguely similar recipes together and a few additions of my own, taking bits from each - to create this cake. I used Primrose Hill's recipe with Nigellas! Two personal faves... One last thing, I think the addition of real butter is very important to this type of cake - Stork simply wont do! Hope everyone had a marvo weekend!

The Recipe:
225g golden caster sugar
200g plain flour
2 & a half tsp baking powder
Half tsp baking soda
50g chopped walnuts plus extra for decorating
4 medium eggs
4 & a half tsp good quality expresso powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g unsalted butter
Buttercream:
2 & a half tsp expresso powder
1 tbso boiling water
175g unsalted butter
350g icing sugar
The Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line two 8 inch cake tins with grease. 
• Cream together butter and sugar in a freestanding mixer for a few minutes, add eggs one at a time till smooth. 
• Chop the walnuts and put aside.
• Add baking powder/soda, expresso powder and vanilla to the mixture until just combined.
• Pour in flour in thirds also till just combined. 
• Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and loosely throw in walnut pieces. 
• Divide the batter into two and bake for 25 minutes.
• For the buttercream, cream the butter in a freestanding mixer and gradually add in all of the icing sugar once this is done. 
• Mix the expresso powder into the boiling water and gradually pour into buttercream.
• Once the cake has cooled, decorate as you please!

Mbakes x