This Mary Berry Coffee and Walnut Traybake is a moist and fluffy recipe, which is made with instant coffee and chopped walnuts. It’s the perfect teatime treat for a crowd, ready in about an hour and a half.
Mary Berry Coffee and Walnut Traybake Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 225g (1 cup) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 225g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 275g (2 cups) self-raising flour
- 2 level teaspoons baking powder
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 100g (1 cup) walnuts, roughly chopped
For the Coffee Buttercream:
- 175g (¾ cup) butter, softened
- 350g (3 cups) icing sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- Walnut halves, for decoration
How To Make Mary Berry Coffee and Walnut Traybake
- Prep the Oven and Tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease a 30cm x 23cm (12in x 9in) traybake or roasting tin and line it with baking parchment.
- Make the Coffee Liquid: In a small cup, dissolve the 2 tablespoons of instant coffee powder in 2 tablespoons of hot water. Let it cool slightly.
- Make the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, place the softened butter, caster sugar, self-raising flour, baking powder, and eggs. Pour in the cooled coffee liquid. Using an electric mixer, beat all the ingredients together with the “all-in-one” method until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
- Add Walnuts and Bake: Gently fold the chopped walnuts into the cake batter with a spatula. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the cake is golden, well risen, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Let the traybake cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.
- Make the Frosting: While the cake cools, make the frosting. Dissolve the 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder in 2 tablespoons of hot water and let it cool. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar until smooth. Beat in the cooled coffee liquid.
- Frost and Decorate: Spread the coffee buttercream evenly over the top of the completely cooled cake. Decorate with walnut halves arranged neatly on top.
Recipe Tips
- How to get a moist cake? The most important step is to not overbake it. A traybake is thinner than a round cake, so it cooks faster. Start checking for doneness at the 30-minute mark. Using room temperature ingredients also ensures a more even bake.
- How to get a strong coffee flavor? For a robust coffee taste, use a high-quality instant espresso powder, which has a more intense flavor than regular instant coffee. Make sure it’s fully dissolved in the hot water before adding it to the batter and frosting.
- Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead cake. The unfrosted cake can be baked, cooled, and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days before frosting.
- Why did my walnuts sink to the bottom? A classic baker’s trick to prevent this is to toss the chopped walnuts in a tablespoon of the measured flour mixture before folding them into the finished batter. This light coating helps them stay suspended in the cake as it bakes.
What To Serve With Coffee and Walnut Traybake
This is a classic British teatime cake that is perfectly delicious on its own. It is the ideal accompaniment to:
- A hot cup of coffee or a latte
- A simple cup of black tea
How To Store Coffee and Walnut Traybake
- Room Temperature: Store the frosted traybake in an airtight container. It will keep well at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: This cake freezes very well, either frosted or unfrosted. Wrap the entire slab or individual squares in cling film and then a layer of foil for up to 3 months.
Coffee and Walnut Traybake Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 square (1/16th of cake)
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Protein: 5g
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Sugar: 40g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Why is my buttercream grainy?
A grainy buttercream is almost always because the icing sugar was not sifted. Sifting the icing sugar is a crucial step that removes any small, hard lumps, ensuring a perfectly smooth frosting.
Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising?
Yes. To substitute, use 275g (2 cups) of plain (all-purpose) flour and add a total of 4 level teaspoons of baking powder to it before mixing with the other ingredients.
Should I toast the walnuts?
You don’t have to, but toasting the walnuts (both for the cake and the decoration) in a dry pan for a few minutes before using them will bring out their deep, nutty flavor and make them even crunchier, adding a wonderful extra dimension to the cake.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Chocolate Orange Brownies Recipe
- Mary Berry’s 6-Ingredient Brownies Recipe
- Mary Berry Chocolate Brownie Traybake Recipe
Mary Berry Coffee and Walnut Traybake Recipe
Description
A classic British teatime treat, this moist and fluffy all-in-one coffee sponge is packed with crunchy walnuts and topped with a smooth coffee buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan). Prepare a 30x23cm (12x9in) traybake tin.
- Place the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, and cooled coffee liquid in a large bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer until the batter is smooth and well-combined (the “all-in-one” method).
- Gently fold the chopped walnuts into the batter.
- Spread the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Make the frosting by beating the butter until creamy, then gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar and the cooled coffee liquid until smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake and decorate with walnut halves.
Notes
- The most important tip for this easy cake is to not overmix the batter once it has just come together, as this can make the cake tough.
- You must let the cake cool completely before frosting it, otherwise the buttercream will melt and slide off.
- For the best results and a smooth batter, ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you begin.
- Dissolving the instant coffee in a small amount of hot water first is a key step to ensure the coffee flavor is evenly distributed throughout the cake and frosting.
Mary Berry Coffee and Walnut Traybake Recipe
