Soft and moist vegan coffee and walnut cake! With a coffee and toasted walnut sponge and topped with a coffee buttercream frosting! Perfect for afternoon tea!
This coffee and walnut cake is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee! It’s perfect for sharing with friends and family.
The benefit of a loaf cake means there is no assembling, simply bake the loaf, leave to cool and top with the coffee buttercream! It’s easy to follow and super delicious.
If you know me, you’ll know I’ve never drank coffee, always tea. But coffee in a cake? I’m all in!
What you’ll need for this vegan coffee and walnut cake:
- Walnuts
- Plain flour
- Baking powder
- Caster sugar
- Cinnamon
- Rapeseed oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
- Unsweetened almond milk (or other unsweetened plant milk)
- Vanilla bean paste/essence
- Instant coffee
- Vegan butter
- Icing sugar
To make this cake even tastier we are toasting the walnuts first. This is optional but I think it makes them taste even better. And it helps take away the bitterness you sometimes get with walnuts.
For the milk, you can use any vegan milk just make sure it is unsweetened or it is going to alter the taste too much.
Use a neutral flavoured oil like rapeseed, canola or vegetable oil. This is going to help the cake feel really moist.
How to make coffee and walnut loaf cake:
Start by toasting the walnuts (this is optional, so skip it if you like). Place on a baking tray and pop in the oven for around 5 minutes until fragrant, make sure they don’t burn.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool then chop into small pieces.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and sugar, cinnamon.
Measure out the vegan milk and oil. Mix instant coffee in a mug with boiling water and add vanilla.
Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined, don’t overmix. Add the chopped walnuts and fold in until evenly distributed.
Pour into a greased, lined loaf tin and pop in the oven for 45-55 minutes. Check it’d done by inserting a skewer in the middle, if it comes out wet leave it in a few minutes longer.
Make the icing whilst the cake is baking. Beat the vegan butter, icing sugar, vanilla and coffee in a bowl until light brown in fluffy. Pop it in the fridge for later.
Leave the cake to cool int he tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Once fully cooled spoon the coffee buttercream on top and sprinkle with chopped walnuts!
For more loaf cake recipes you may enjoy these:
As always if you make this vegan coffee and walnut loaf cake be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Coffee and Walnut Cake
Soft and fluffy vegan coffee and walnut loaf cake with creamy coffee buttercream. Perfect for sharing with friends and family for afternoon tea!
Ingredients
- 75g walnuts
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 185g caster sugar
- 180ml rapeseed oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
- 310ml unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste/essence
- 3 tbsp instant coffee
Frosting
- 125g vegan butter
- 300g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste/essence
- 75g walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Grease and line a 9x5 loaf tin.
- Place the walnuts for the cake and frosting on a baking tray and pop in the oven for 5-7 minutes until fragrant and toasted. Make sure they don't burn. Leave to cool and chop into small pieces.
- Weigh and sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
- Measure out the rapeseed oil and almond milk and place into a jug with the vanilla. Mix instant coffee with 3-4 tbsp boiling water until all dissolved.
- Add all the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until just combined, careful not to over mix. Add in half of the chopped walnuts and gently fold until evenly distributed.
- Pour into the loaf tin and gently tap the tin on the work surface to release any air bubbles. Place in the oven for 50-55 minutes. To check its done place a skewer in the middle of the sponge, it should come out clean. If it doesn't, leave for a few more minutes until it does.
- Whilst it's in the oven, make your frosting. Mix the instant coffee with 1 tbsp boiling water until dissolved. Add to a bowl with the butter, icing sugar and vanilla. Beat until light brown and fluffy.
- Pop in the fridge until the sponge is done. Let the sponge cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- When completely cool, spoon the frosting on top with the back of a spoon. Top with the remaining chopped walnuts.
- Best served same day but will keep in an air tight container for 2-3 days!
Notes
You can use any neutral flavoured oil or vegan milk, just make sure it is unsweetened.
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Angie
Wednesday 31st of May 2023
I tried this recipe and I think it needed 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Otherwise it was really good!
Nitha
Monday 10th of April 2023
Hi thanks for the recipe ! Is it possible to use semi skimmed milk instead of almond? Thanks!
Tamsin
Tuesday 11th of April 2023
Hi Nitha, as I am vegan I can't say for sure and haven't tested it but I think it would be fine, Tamsin xo
Tara
Wednesday 30th of June 2021
Hello! Thank you for your lovely recipes! Can I sub the walnut with chocolate chips?
Tara
Thursday 1st of July 2021
@Tamsin, great, thank you so much xx
Tamsin
Thursday 1st of July 2021
Hi Tara, yes definitely! That would be delicious :) I'd probably add about 100g :) Tamsin xo
Antonia
Thursday 24th of June 2021
Hello :)
This recipe looks great!
I have two questions for you:
1)Would it be possible to replace the flour with self-raising? 2)Would it be possible to replace instant coffee with ground one?
Cheers!
Tamsin
Thursday 24th of June 2021
Hi Antonia, thanks for your comment. Yes you can use self raising flour, you'll only need 1/2-1 tsp of baking powder. Yes you can use a ground coffee, just make sure it's filtered first :) Thanks, Tamsin xo
Amy
Thursday 10th of June 2021
Hey there!
Thinking about baking this tonight for my partners birthday.
Do you know how I’d increase this recipe to fill a 9inch tin please?
Tamsin
Friday 11th of June 2021
Hi Amy, sorry for not seeing this sooner. I would probably double it for two 9 inch tins, hope it turned out if you tried it! Tamsin xo