Ingredients

• 2 x 20cm non stick sandwich tins lined with baking parchment

Cake mix

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temp, beaten
• 200g self-raising flour
• 100g walnuts, toasted and finely ground
• 2 tbsp ground coffee
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp milk

Cardamom syrup

• 100g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• 1/4 tsp ground white cardamom

Coffee buttercream

• 185g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tsp boiling water
• Walnut halves or pieces to decorate

How to prepare coffee, walnut and cardamom cake

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 160C Fan /180C/350F/GM4
2. Combine flour, ground walnuts, ground coffee and salt in a bowl.
3. In a large bowl or food mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. On medium speed, add eggs a tablespoon at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add a teaspoon of milk if the cake batter looks like curdling.
5. On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture until just combined (10 secs).
6. Evenly fill the tins (weigh each tin if you want to be precise) and smooth the surface with palette knife or back of a spoon.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 until a skewer comes out cleanly and top springy to touch.
8. Remove cakes from the oven, leave the cakes in the tins for a couple of minutes turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Wrap the cakes in cling film and rest overnight at room temperature before icing.

Prepare the cardamom syrup

1. Place the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and over a low heat, dissolve the sugar completely. Then bring to the boil for a couple of minutes.
2. Remove from the heat, add the ground cardamom and set aside.

Make the buttercream

1. Place the unsalted butter in bowl or food mixer and beat until pale and light in texture.
2. Add the sifted icing sugar in 3 batches, beating well between each addition, until the buttercream has increased in volume and is very pale and fluffy.
3. Add the coffee mixture and beat again to mix.

Combine everything

1. Place one cake half upper side down on a serving plate, generously brush with the syrup.
2. Sandwich the cakes together using half the buttercream.
3. Place on the top layer, brush again with syrup and decorate with the remaining buttercream and walnut pieces.