Coffee and Walnut Cake

I made this last year for a friend's birthday. But instead of a whole cake, I made it into cupcakes and used butter cream in green, red and plain to make an Italian flag!
This cake is very light and delicious. You can hardly taste the coffee, well I can't and I hate coffee.


Coffee and Walnut Cake
source: Nigella Lawson

For the cake:

• 50 grams walnut pieces
• 225 grams caster sugar
• 225 grams soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)
• 200 grams plain flour
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder  (I used 4 tsp of nescafe)
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1 - 2 tablespoons milk

For the icing:

• 350 grams icing sugar
• 175 grams soft unsalted butter
• 2 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder (dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water)

Method:

Nigella used a food processor, read here

But I used a hand mixer.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix well.

Next add in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and coffee.

Mix well.

Add in milk.

Crush the walnuts using a food processor or chop very finely.

Add the walnuts to the batter and mix evenly.

I spooned the batter into paper cupcakes, or you could

pour batter into  two greased and lined with paper, 20 cm (8 in) tins.

Bake at 180C for about 30 min or the cake is springy to touch.

Cool and iced as you like.

Happy Baking!

More Brownies!

I was in the mood for baking... brownies! I had some cooking chocolate sitting in the freezer since Raya and thought I make some good use of them LOL

So I searched the net for some easy and delicious recipe and ta-da, found it.
I did some changes to suit my taste buds.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies
source: Best Recipes

185g Dark Chocolate (I used Meriah Cooking Chocolate biasa)
125g Butter
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 cup plain flour (I used Tepung Gandum Blue Key)
(I added 1 Tbsp flour + 1 Tbsp cocoa powder)
1 cup chopped walnuts (tak ada walnuts kat rumah, so I used almonds instead)
I also added 1 tsp vanilla

Method
Using a double boiler melt the chocolate, butter and sugar.
Cool slightly before adding in beaten eggs, or you might scramble the eggs
Next stir in the flour and nuts.
Pour mixture into a square 20 cm tin.
Bake at 170C for 30 min or until cooked.

Cool the brownies and cut into squares. If you want dust some icing sugar over the top.
You can omit the nuts, it tastes just as good.

Good luck.