Baking Dessert

Walnut cardamom coffee cake

Name: Walnut cardamom coffee cake recipe
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 100g walnut; 8 green cardamom pods, seeds removed; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 200g Essentials Brown Sugar; 180ml oil; 80ml coffee; 200g plain flour; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp bicarb soda; 60g plain yoghurt; 100g unsalted butter, softened; 140g pure icing sugar, sifted; 280g cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 tsp espresso powder

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by Benjamina Ebuehi

Author

May 23, 2024

"There’s a reason coffee and walnut cake is a classic that appears to have stood the test of time. If you’re bringing something to a coffee morning or bake sale, this is a solid option that even people who don’t like coffee will find difficult not to have a slice of. I’ve spiked this with a bit of cardamom because it’s my favourite spice; also it brings some brightness and freshness that I think works really well." - Benjamina Ebuehi. This is an edited extract from I’ll Bring Dessert by Benjamina Ebuehi, published by Quadrille. Available in stores nationally from April 11, 2024. Photography by Laura Edwards.

1 cup (100g) walnuts
8 green cardamom pods, seeds removed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
200g Woolworths Essentials Brown Sugar
3/4 cup (180ml) neutral oil (such as sunflower or vegetable)
1/3 cup (80ml) strong coffee, cooled
200g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
60g plain yoghurt

Topping

100g unsalted butter, softened
140g pure icing sugar, sifted
280g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp espresso powder

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Grease base and side of a 20cm round cake pan and line with baking paper.
2.

Place the walnuts on prepared tray. Bake for 7-8 minutes until golden. Remove and cool on tray, then set one third aside to top cake when serving. Add the rest to a food processor and whiz until a coarse texture – you don’t want a fine powder here.
3.

Place the cardamom seeds in a mortar and use a pestle to grind them up as fine as you can. Set aside.
4.

Place the eggs, sugar and oil in a large bowl and whisk briefly to combine. Stir in the coffee. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarb, 1/4 tsp fine salt, processed walnuts and ground cardamom. Fold gently to combine. Stir in the yoghurt. Spoon batter into prepared pan and level surface. Bake for 45-50 minutes until deeply golden and cooked when a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Transfer cake in pan to a wire rack and cool completely in pan.
5.

For the topping, place butter and icing sugar in a bowl and cream together with a wooden spoon until thick and smooth. Add cream cheese and espresso powder and mix until smooth.
6.

Spoon topping over cooled cake and use the back of a spoon to smooth. Top with reserved walnuts before serving.