Mini coffee & walnut layer cake

I love this little baby cake which I made for a special occasion of my friend’s new born baby to seduce my friend’s sweet tooth. The sparkling shine glazed walnut looks like fossil been wrap in a amber colour of lava. I posted on Nigella’s cookalong to share the new twist of her recipe here is the link http://www.nigella.com/cookalong/2013/09/entries/156

For the sponge cake

• 25 g  walnut pieces
• 113 g caster sugar
• 113 g soft unsalted butter, plus some for greasing
• 100 g plain flour
• 2 tsps instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
•  ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 large egg
• 1 tbsp of milk
• 1 tbsp brandy (optional)

For the frosting

• 175 g soft unsalted butter
• 350 g icing sugar
•  2 ½ tsps  instant espresso powder (dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water)
• 1 tsp of brandy

For the glazed caramel walnut

• Approx. 6 to 8 walnut halves (to decorate)
• 2 tbsps of water
• 100 g of caster sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350°F.
2. Put the halved walnut onto a baking tray bake lined with baking paper in 180°C for about 3 to 5 minutes or until turn lightly brown. Then remove it from the oven and let it cool complete.
3. To make caramel sugar, in a saucepan put together sugar and water on a heat to completely dissolve the sugar, (neverever stir the sugar) until you have a light brown then remove the pan from the heat.
4. Using a thong or chopstick dip the walnut onto the warm caramel (be careful is a hot sugar syrup, don’t get it on your hand) and place the dipped walnut onto baking tray with lined baking paper. Set aside.
5. Butter six 7cm / 3inch mini square tins and line the base of each with baking parchment.
6. Put the walnut pieces and sugar into a food processor and blitz to a fine nutty powder.
7. Add the 225g/2 sticks butter, flour, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and eggs and process to a smooth batter.
8. Add the milk, pouring it down the funnel with the motor still running, or just pulsing, to loosen the cake mixture: it should be a soft, dropping consistency, so add more milk if you need to. (If you are making this by hand, bash the nuts to a rubbly powder with a rolling pin and mix with the dry ingredients; then cream the butter and sugar together, and beat in some dry ingredients and eggs alternately and, finally, the milk.)
9. Divide the mixture between the 6 lined tins and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the sponge has risen and feels springy to the touch or insert a skewer into the middle and it come out clean.
10. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, before turning them out onto the rack and peeling off the baking parchment.
11. When the sponges are cool. Carefully half the mini cakes by using bread knife, you can make the buttercream.
12. Pulse the icing sugar in the food processor until it is lump free, then add the butter and process to make a smooth icing.
13. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add it while still hot to the processor, pulsing to blend into the buttercream.
14. If you are doing this by hand, sieve the icing sugar and beat it into the butter with a wooden spoon. Then beat in the hot coffee liquid.
15. Place all the halved sponges upside down on your cake stand or serving plate.
16. Spread with about half the icing; then place on it the second halved sponges, right side up (i.e. so the 2 flat sides of the sponges meet in the middle) and cover the top with the remaining icing in a ramshackle swirly pattern. (I used piping bag with some decorated pattern to piped the buttercream on the top)
17. This cake is all about old-fashioned, rustic charm, so don’t worry unduly: however the frosting goes on is fine. similarly, don’t fret about some buttercream oozing out around the middle: that’s what makes it look so inviting.
18. Gently press the walnut halves into the top of the icing all around the edge of the circle about 1cm apart.
19. For the final touch, place the glazed walnut on top of the frosting.

A very easy cakes yet so inviting to eat and this is not exactly like you see in Parisian patisserie window, I enjoyed it by just looking at them.