Ingredients
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180 g (6½ oz) salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
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165 g (5¾ oz or ¾ cup) light brown soft sugar
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2 large eggs, whisked
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180 g (6½ oz or 1¼ cups) self-raising flour
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A pinch of fine sea salt
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2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly ground coffee, brewed in 100 mL just-boiled water
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250 g (9 oz or 2 cups) chopped walnuts or pecans
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500 g (1 lb) full-fat cream cheese
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1–2 tablespoons (15–30 g) icing (confectioners’) sugar, to taste
01
Prepare oven
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F / Gas 4.
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Grease two 18 cm (7 in) round sandwich tins with butter and line them with parchment paper.
02
Prepare batter
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In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
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Gradually add the whisked eggs, a little at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
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Sift the flour and salt into the wet mixture and gently fold through with a spoon or spatula.
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Line a sieve with a kitchen towel or paper and strain the brewed coffee into a small bowl. Add the strained coffee and around 200g of the chopped nuts into the batter, folding through gently. Reserve the remaining nuts for decoration.
03
Bake the Cake
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Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins.
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Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Once baked, remove the sponges from the oven and let them cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
04
Icing
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In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of icing sugar until smooth. Taste and add more icing sugar if needed.
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Place one cake layer on a serving plate, top side down. Spread half of the cream-cheese icing evenly over the top.
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Place the second cake layer on top (top side up) and spread the remaining icing over it.
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Decorate with the reserved nuts.
