Coffee and Nut Loaf

If you love coffee, like I do, then this is the loaf cake for you. Delightfully moist tender crumb, with chopped nuts and hints of fragrant spices- cinnamon and cardamom. Coffee flavour in the cake and more in the Coffee Glaze. I’m one of those who doesn’t wake up properly until I’ve had a cuppa, so you betcha I love this cake. With tea or coffee. Another reason why I love this cake? It is so very easy to make, with ingredients you probably already have and no mixer required.

This is one of those melt, mix and bake minimal effort tea cake with spectacular results. It is so simple and yet it’s so full of coffee flavour. The loaf itself is already loaded with nuts and coffee and you could serve it as is, and everyone would be happy. But to take it to the next level, as the young ones would say, you have to top it with the Coffee Glaze. The glaze, transforms the sprinkled nuts on top of the cake, into something else altogether. Caramelised and Crunchy, almost toffee like- that’s so worth the little tiny bit of extra effort. If you do make this, give me a feedback via comments below.

Another no fuss but delicious cake to try is French Apple Tea Cake.

What you need to make Coffee and Nut Loaf

• Fridge/Pantry Staples- Butter,Brown Sugar,Milk,Instant Coffee(Granules or Powder and yes Decaf is fine) ,Eggs, Self Raising Flour
• Nuts to Use – I find Walnuts go really well with coffee flavour. Another great choice is Hazelnut or my favourite Pecans.
• Spices – Cinnamon and Cardamom Powder. If you don’t have/don’t like Cardamom, just double the quantity of Cinnamon.
• For the Coffee Glaze – Liquid Glucose or Honey, Icing Sugar and Instant Coffee.
• Optional Add ins – Handful of sultanas or raisins, chopped dried figs (4 pcs) or dates. If using dates, about half a cup, soak in hot water for 5 minutes, and chop coarsely.

Easy does it…

• Spray a loaf pan(17cm x 8cm) with cooking spray. Line with a piece of baking paper. Preheat oven to 160°C
• On low heat, melt butter milk coffee and brown sugar together in a small sauce pan. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Sift together self raising flour, cinnamon and cardamom powder into a bowl. Add lightly whisked eggs, the butter mixture and chopped nuts. If using dried fruits, add them at this stage as well. Use a spatula to fold the ingredients together until just blended. Do not over mix.

• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and quickly sprinkle the extra nuts all over the top of the loaf.
• Return loaf to the oven and bake a further 25 minutes or until cake is done.
• While the cake is baking, make the Coffee Glaze.
• Once you take the cake out of the oven, pour 1/3 of the glaze on top of the cake, then cool the cake completely in the pan.
• Remove the cake from the loaf pan, and place cake on a serving plate.
• Drizzle the coffee glaze on top of the cake in a swirly decorative pattern. Slice and serve.

Coffee and Nut Loaf

Recipe by Lola Adele

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Very Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

A Brew-tiful Coffee and Nut Cake

Ingredients

• Coffee and Nut Cake

• 1/2 cup Milk

• 125g Butter, cut into cubes

• 1 cup Brown Sugar

• 2 tablespoons Instant Coffee Powder or Granules

• 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder

• 1 1/3 cup Self Raising Flour

• 30 grams (about 1/4 cup) nuts of your choice, coarsely chopped
  plus about 12 whole nuts for topping

• 2 Eggs, whisked lightly

• Coffee Glaze

• 1 cup Icing Sugar

• 2 teaspoons instant Coffee Powder or Granules

• 1 teaspoon hot milk or water

• 1 teaspoon liquid Glucose or Honey

Directions

• Preheat oven to 160°C . Spray a 17x 8cm loaf pan with cooking oil. Line loaf pan with baking paper.
• Place butter, brown sugar, milk and coffee in a small sauce pan. Heat on low until the sugar and butter is melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Sift self raising flour cinnamon and cardamom into a bowl. Add the chopped nuts. Stir in the cooled butter mixture and beaten eggs into the flour. Use a spatula to fold the batter together until just combined . Do not over mix.
• Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, sprinkle the whole nuts on top of the loaf and bake a further 25 minutes or until cake is done.
• While the cake is baking, make the Coffee Glaze.
• Remove cake from the oven and immediately pour 1/3 of the glaze on top of the loaf. Set the cake aside to cool completely.
• Remove loaf from pan and place in a serving plate. Discard the baking paper liner. Swirl the remaining coffee glaze in a decorative swirly pattern, slice and serve.
  
• Coffee Glaze
• Dissolve the coffee granules in hot milk or water. Don’t worry if there are undissolved coffee- texture is good.
• Sift icing sugar into a small bowl. Stir in glucose and dissolved coffee and mix together until smooth and drizzable consistency. Add more icing sugar if too runny or add a bit more hot water if too thick. Set aside until ready to use.

Notes

• Will keep for a few days in a covered container. Australian Standards Measurement used.