Coffee and Walnut Cake

Nov 28, 2022

Isn’t it a wonderful thing when something surpasses your expectations? Take this cake for example - I’ve always tended to think of Coffee and Walnut cake as a bit dull and 1970s. Something you’d see next to a few slices of Battenburg perhaps. Nevertheless, in the (cake)spirit of endeavour, I thought I’d have a go at one – a low carb, very…. very… low sugar one.   I subsequently found myself eating my words alongside some top-notch delish cake. It’s moist, frivolous and utterly irresistible. Plus contrary to what you’d/I’d expect, the coffee flavour is totally sublime. Every cake friend I’ve fed this treat to has moaned in ecstasy at the first mouthful.

There is one tiny drawback though – the Camp Coffee I use to flavour the icing with does contain some sugar – but we’re talking very small quantities here. (Plus it’s way cheaper than using coffee flavouring).

300g butternut squash grated finely
100g almond flour
60g coconut flour
4 tbsp erythritol (brown sugar replacement – ideally but normal flavour would do)
4 eggs
70g melted butter
1 tbsp vanilla essence
2 tsp ground coffee
1 ½ baking powder
Pinch salt

For the icing:
75g butter at room temperature (cut into small cubes)
200g mascarpone
1 tbsp Camp Coffee
3 tsp milled erythritol (brown sugar replacement)
Walnuts to decorate

Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 4/180 C.
Line a 23cm square cake tin with baking paper.
If you have a food processor, chop the peeled butternut squash into cubes and then whizz until its finely chopped.
Add beaten eggs, melted butter, vanilla and sweetener to the squash and blend well.
In a separate bowl mix the almond flour, sieved coconut flour, coffee powder,  salt and baking powder.
Add these dry ingredients to the cake batter and mix well.
Empty the batter into the lined cake tin. Smooth over the surface with a knife.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or so, (until a knife put into the centre of the cake comes out clean).
After 5 minutes settling in the tin. Turn the cake out onto a rack to cool.

To make the icing:
Put the softened butter and milled sweetener into a bowl. Cream the butter and sweetener together with the back of a spoon.
Once thoroughly mixed, slowly add the mascarpone, blending well.
Finally, stir in the Camp Coffee thoroughly
Spread the icing evenly on the cake once its completely cooled. Decorate with walnuts.
Store in the fridge.