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A Gluten Free Coffee and Walnut Cake is an absolute classic and this recipe combines a moist coffee sponge with a sweet coffee buttercream topping. It’s flecked with chunks of walnuts, super easy to make an extra light and fluffy thanks to a secret ingredient!
Who doesn’t love the absolute classic combination of a Gluten Free Coffee and Walnut Cake and a nice cuppa?
I spent many years trying to perfect this gluten free coffee cake and I’ve managed to create the perfect combination of rich coffee and sweet buttercream.
And the secret ingredient for the lightest, fluffiest gluten free coffee cake around? Buttermilk!
I took inspiration from my Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipe and added buttermilk to the coffee sponge, making it SO light and fluffy. It’s a game-changer!
I love a coffee and walnut cake as part of an afternoon tea spread and it’s also my Dad’s favourite cake, so I make it for him whenever I can!
Serve it up with gluten free scones, my gluten free Victoria sponge cake and some savoury afternoon tea fave like chilli cheese scones or flaky gluten free sausage rolls.
Ingredients
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but here’s a list of the main ingredients you’ll need for this gluten free coffee walnut cake.
- Caster Sugar: I used golden caster sugar in this recipe but you can use standard caster sugar too. In the US you’ll need baker’s or superfine sugar. I’ve seen other recipes use a light brown sugar but have always preferred caster sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need this softened for the cake, and at room temperature for the icing. For a dairy free alternative, use Stork Baking Block or a vegan margarine.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have any, you can mix 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with the 110ml milk (or dairy free milk) to make your own. Stir well and leave to stand for a few minutes – it will curdle to make perfect homemade buttermilk every time.
- Eggs: I use large, UK eggs in my baking as standard. In the US you’ll need XL eggs.
- Coffee: The best coffee cake for me comes from using espresso. I use my Nespresso machine or you could even buy a double shot of coffee from a coffee shop. Failing that, mix approx 3 tbsp of instant coffee per 100ml of boiling water.
- Self-Raising Gluten Free Flour: I use any standard self raising gluten free flour mix I can find. If you only have a plain gluten free flour blend, add 1 tsp gluten free baking powder per 100g of gluten free plain or all purpose flour.
- Walnuts: I use walnut halves and roughly chop them. You can omit these if you don’t like them and just have it as a coffee cake.
- Icing Sugar: For the coffee buttercream frosting. In the US you’ll need powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
How to make gluten free coffee and walnut cake
This is a basic shove-everything-in-a-bowl-and-mix gluten free cake recipe. The best kind!
I like my gluten free cake recipes to be super easy and user-friendly, no fancy ingredients or complicated methods over here.
Firstly, preheat the oven to 180’C / Fan 160C / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm round baking tins and set aside while you make the cake batter.
Add the sugar, butter, eggs, coffee and buttermilk to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 1-2 minutes. Don’t worry if it separates a little – it’ll come together in the next step!
Sift in the flour and xanthan gum and beat again until smooth. Add the chopped walnuts and fold in.
Pour the cake batter evenly between the two tins, smooth the tops and bake in the oven for approx 25-30 minutes. They’re ready when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Place the cake tins on a cooling rack for approx 10 mins, then turn out the cakes and remove the paper. Let the cakes cool completely on the rack before decorating.
To decorate the cake:
Make the buttercream by beating the butter, icing sugar and coffee in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
Slather half on top of one of the cakes, then sandwich the second cake gently on top.
Spread the rest of the buttercream evenly over the second cake and then decorate with the walnut halves.
Recipe Tip
Don’t want your cakes to sink? Never open the oven door too soon! I always recommend leaving that door firmly shut until at least 25 minutes is up. If you open it too soon the sudden change in temperature will cause your cakes to sink.
Storing and Freezing
Once baked and decorated this cake can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.
Making ahead of time? If you want to make this cake in advance, you can easily bake the sponges a day or two before decorating.
Once baked and cooled, wrap them tightly in clingfilm and keep in a cool, dark space for a day or two, until you need to unwrap and decorate.
You can also freeze the plastic wrapped sponges and defrost before decorating. This actually makes for an even softer cake!
Freezing Leftovers: To freeze any leftover slices of coffee and walnut cake, simply stand the slices in a tub with a small square of baking paper separating them.
This means you can take a slice out and defrost at room temperature without them all getting squashed or sticking together.
You can also freeze the whole cake as one but you’d need to then defrost it in one go and eat the whole thing within a couple of days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy coffee and walnut cake. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
Yes! To make a gluten and dairy free coffee and walnut cake, you’ll need to switch a few ingredients. Use Stork baking block or a vegan margarine instead of butter, and make homemade dairy free buttermilk using the recipe notes above.
Gluten free flour absorbs more water so naturally the cake batter needs more hydration to create a soft cake crumb. I use buttermilk in this gluten free cake recipe which stops the cake being dense and dry. It’s a super soft and moist coffee and walnut cake, not dry at all!
Yes, walnuts are gluten free. Just ensure the pack of walnuts you’re using doesn’t have any ‘may contain’ labelling for wheat or gluten.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.
Gluten Free Coffee and Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 230 g caster sugar
- 175 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 110 ml buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 60 ml coffee, *see notes
- 200 g gluten free self-raising flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 50 g walnut halves, (roughly chopped)
For the icing:
- 150 g unsalted butter, (room temperature)
- 250 g icing sugar
- 30 ml coffee
- walnut halves, (to decorate)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / Fan 160C / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm round baking tins and set aside while you make the cake batter.
- Add the sugar, butter, eggs, coffee and buttermilk to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 1-2 minutes. Don’t worry if it separates a little – it’ll come together in the next step!
- Sift in the flour and xanthan gum and beat again until smooth. Add the chopped walnuts and fold in. Pour the cake batter evenly between the two tins, smooth the tops and bake in the oven for approx 25-30 minutes. They’re ready when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Place the cake tins on a cooling rack for approx 10 mins, then turn out the cakes and remove the paper. Let the cakes cool completely on the rack before decorating.
To decorate:
- Beat the butter, icing sugar and coffee in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Slather half on top of one of the cakes, then sandwich the second cake gently on top.
- Spread the rest of the buttercream evenly over the second cake and then decorate with the walnut halves.
Notes
- Weighing Scales vs Cups: You can toggle this recipe card to convert the ingredients into cups – I have weighed each item individually to ensure the conversion is accurate as possible. However, I always recommend using weighing scales – these are cheap to buy and much more accurate. And in gluten free baking, a tiny variation can make a huge difference!
- Dairy Free? See my FAQs above for instructions on how to make a gluten free dairy free coffee and walnut cake.
- Storing: Check out the blog post above for more information on storing and freezing this cake.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and tell all your gluten free friends about this Gluten Free Coffee and Walnut Cake!
Nutrition
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This cake is delicious. Nice strong coffee flavour
Thanks so much, I’m so pleased you liked it!
can I make cup cakes with this recipe?