This is one of my favourite cake recipes. I’ve had to alter it slightly today though as I realised I hadn’t enough walnuts. So I doubled the original recipe quantities (bar the nuts) and made what was originally a ‘traybake’ into a cake. I’ve just eaten a piece with an americano and it was very yummy.



Espresso walnut squares cake


Ingredients:
280g plain flour
a pinch of salt
280g light muscovado sugar
180g unsalted butter – chilled and diced
2 tsp baking powder
2 medium egg, beaten
6 tbsp very strong espresso coffee, cold
2 tbsp milk
30g walnut pieces
One 20cm square cake tin, greased and base-lined


Method:
Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the cold chunks of butter and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 4 tbsp of the mixture. Add the baking powder to the rest of the mixture and mix well.
Combine the egg, coffee and milk in the mixture in the mixing bowl. When thoroughly combined spoon the mixture into the tin and level it.
Mix the nuts with the reserved crumb mixture and scatter over the top.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160C fan oven or 180C (350F)/Gas4 for about 60 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch, for last 20 minutes cover the top of the cake with tin foil to stop any burning.
Let cool for 1-2 minutes, then run a pallette knife around the edges of the tin to loosen it and carefully turn onto a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container and eat within 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.






The original recipe has half quantities, but double the amount of walnuts (45g of which go into the mixture after the egg, coffee and milk). Bake for 20-25 minutes and when cool cut into squares.
Either way it’s delicious!

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