I think the recipe came from a Parish Magazine in a cottage we rented 32 years ago! My son was little and my daughter had not been born. I remember sitting contentedly and copying out several recipes. The original was called "Bradworthy Coffee Walnut Cake". This one is "Coffee and Walnut Traybake" and it only varies slightly. I think it would make a very good layer cake as well as a traybake, but I made a traybake so I could use half on Sunday for company and take half to Book Club this evening. The hostess will have her own dessert for us, but she can keep this for visitors. It's always nice to have a sample of what you might make.
Ingredients:
8 ounces of soft margarine (Stork or Flora)
4 ounces of soft, light brown sugar
4 ounces of caster sugar
10 oz of self raising flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons strong coffee
3 unces chopped walnuts (I used more.)
Icing
3 ounces of butter
8 ounces of sifted icing sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons strong coffee
walnut halves
Method:
Cake:
Cream the margarine and sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.
Sift the flour and baking powder.
Fold in the flour, milk and coffee.
Add the walnuts.
Bake in a greased, line tray 8" x 11" for 25 to 30 minutes. at 180 C/350F. (My fan oven is very fast so mine was done after 25 minutes. Test for doneness by pressing the top. If it springs back, it is done.
Leave the cake to cool on a rack.
Icing:
Melt the butter in a milk pan.
Add the liquids and then the sifted icing sugar.
The mixture should be smooth and easy to spread. If it is too liquid, add a little more icing sugar.
While the icing is warm, spread over the cooled cake and then place walnut halves so each piece of cake will have one.
The first half of the cake did not last long. Let's see what happens to the second half.
