If you’re looking for a moist, fluffy coffee cake that is bursting with coffee flavour, then this recipe is it! Soft coffee cake layers are sandwiched between the most divine white chocolate and coffee whipped ganache frosting, and lightly candied walnuts – YUM!
How to make coffee cake
This recipe has three different elements, but they’re all easy to put together!
The whipped ganache frosting is the star of this cake so I would highly recommend making it. It’ll be best to start on the ganache first before making the cake as it needs time to cool in the fridge before whipping (instructions for making the ganache are after the coffee cake).
Coffee cake
For the coffee cake, begin by preheating your oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 4 on recipe card below if you don’t have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release). Set aside for now.
In a bowl, sift together flour, cornflour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant coffee powder. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
In another bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and soft brown sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine – see note 2 on recipe card below), cream together for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
Add in your vanilla, vinegar and half a cup of the buttermilk, and mix until well combined. The batter may look curdled but that’s okay. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining 1 cup of buttermilk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3 on recipe card below). Your batter should be nice and smooth and no longer curdled.
Divide the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once done, let the cakes cool in the cake tins for 20 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting.
White chocolate and coffee whipped ganache frosting
Chop up your chocolate into small pieces (no need to do this if using chocolate callets) and place in a heat proof bowl.
Place the cream in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and heat it up until it begins to gently bubble. Once it’s gently bubbling, immediately take it off the heat (you don’t want to overheat the cream) and pour it over the chocolate. Add in the coffee at this point too but no need to mix it.
Allow the chocolate/cream mixture to sit for 5 minutes untouched. After 5 minutes, stir with a spatula and then using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Keep the immersion blender at the bottom of the bowl to prevent air bubbles getting into the ganache.
Pour the ganache into a wide baking tray/dish (this will allow it to cool quicker), and cover it with cling wrap so that it’s touching the top of the ganache. This will prevent a skin from forming as it cools. Place it in the fridge for at least a few hours to allow it to thicken up slightly and become very cold. You can also do this step the day beforehand.
Once ready, pour the ganache into a bowl and whip until you reach semi-stiff peaks. It comes together quite quickly so be careful not to overwhip the cream.
Lightly candied walnuts
Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add in sugar, butter and cinnamon, stirring occasionally.
Once the sugar is melted and begins to gently bubble, add in the walnuts and stir so that the walnuts are evenly coated with the butter/sugar mixture. Once coated immediately take it off the heat and pour it onto a tray. Use a spatula or spoon to separate the walnuts.
Allow the walnuts to cool and harden (about 5 minutes or so).
How to decorate this coffee cake
OPTIONAL: Begin by trimming off the top of the cake layers so that they’re nice and flat. These cake layers bake up quite flat so you should only need to trim off a very small amount.
Place your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and spread out a generous amount of the whipped ganache frosting on top. Evenly distribute half of the candied walnuts on top of the cream.
Place the next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more whipped ganache. I like to do a little bit of piping on the top (I used a 1A piping tip for this cake). Finish off by evenly distributing the remaining walnuts on top. Enjoy!
IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Coffee Cake
- 2½ cups (320 g) flour - regular all purpose (see note 1 if you want to use cake flour)
- ⅓ cup (40 g) cornflour - also known as cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- 4 tbsp (15 g) instant coffee powder - I use a fine powdered coffee
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
- 1½ cups (300 g) soft brown sugar - firmly packed (see note 6)
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- 1¼ tbsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1½ cups (337 g) buttermilk - room temperature, see note 5 if using a homemade buttermilk substitute
Whipped White Chocolate & Coffee Ganache Frosting
- 1 cup (180 g) white chocolate - couverture preferred, otherwise regular eating chocolate. Try not to use compound white chocolate. Milk chocolate can be used too.
- 3 cups (675 g) cream - minimum fat percentage of 34%
- 1½ tbsp instant coffee powder - I use a fine powdered coffee
Lightly Candied Walnuts
- 2 tbsp (30 g) soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (100 g) walnuts - roughly chopped or halved
Instructions
- IMPORTANT: For this recipe I would highly recommend using gram measurements, especially for the flour for accurate results. It has a high fat/liquid ratio so slight adjustments to the quantities can throw off the balance of the cake 🙂
- The whipped ganache frosting is the star of this cake so I would highly recommend making it! It'll be best to start on the ganache first before making the cake as it needs time to cool in the fridge before whipping (instructions for making the ganache are after the coffee cake).
Coffee Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 4 if you don't have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release). Set aside.
- In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornflour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant coffee powder. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In another bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and soft brown sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 2), cream together for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
- Add in your vanilla, vinegar and half a cup of the buttermilk, and mix until well combined. The batter may look curdled but that's okay. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
- Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining 1 cup of buttermilk, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3). Your batter should be nice and smooth and no longer curdled (see note 7 if your batter is still curdled).
- Divide the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once done, let the cakes cool in the cake tins for 20 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting.
Whipped White Chocolate & Coffee Ganache
- Chop up your chocolate into small pieces (no need to do this if using chocolate callets) and place in a heat proof bowl.
- Place the cream in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and heat it up until it begins to gently bubble. Once it's gently bubbling, immediately take it off the heat (you don't want to overheat the cream) and pour it over the chocolate. Add in the coffee at this point too but no need to mix it.
- Allow the chocolate/cream mixture to sit for 5 minutes untouched. After 5 minutes, stir with a spatula and then using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Keep the immersion blender at the bottom of the bowl to prevent air bubbles getting into the ganache.
- Pour the ganache into a wide baking tray/dish (this will allow it to cool quicker), and cover it with cling wrap so that it's touching the top of the ganache. This will prevent a skin from forming as it cools. Place it in the fridge for at least a few hours to allow it to thicken up slightly and become very cold. Ideally you want to leave it for over 6+ hours (overnight is best). You can also do this step the day beforehand.
- Once ready, pour the ganache into a bowl and whip until you reach semi-stiff peaks. It comes together quite quickly so be careful not to overwhip the cream.
Lightly Candied Walnuts
- Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add in sugar, butter and cinnamon, stirring occasionally.
- Once the sugar is melted and begins to gently bubble, add in the walnuts and stir so that the walnuts are evenly coated with the butter/sugar mixture. Once coated immediately take it off the heat and pour it onto a tray. Use a spatula or spoon to separate the walnuts.
- Allow the walnuts to cool and harden (about 5 minutes or so).
Assembly
- OPTIONAL: Begin by trimming off the top of the cake layers so that they're nice and flat. These cake layers bake up quite flat so you should only need to trim off a very small amount.
- Place your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and spread out a generous amount of the whipped ganache frosting on top. Evenly distribute half of the candied walnuts on top of the cream.
- Place the next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more whipped ganache. I like to do a little bit of piping on the top (I used a 1A piping tip for this cake). Finish off by evenly distributing the remaining walnuts on top. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
191 Comments
Hi, I’m planning to bake this cake , but need to do it 4 days in advance of eating it, as I need to travel with it to my mum. Can the sponge be frozen, or will it keep if chilled? I was going to assemble it once I’ve arrived at hers, so I don’t have to worry about the decoration surviving the trip. Thanks
Hi Fiona! 🙂 I haven’t tried freezing these cake layers myself, but if you wrap each layer well in cling wrap and place into an airtight container before freezing, it should be fine! Pull the cake layers out the night before you’re going to use them to thaw. I would recommend making the ganache the day beforehand and letting it chill in the fridge so it has ample time to stabilize before whipping it and decorating the cake 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you all enjoy the recipe!
hi! do you know how stable the ganache is? i.e. can I make it a few days ahead of time? Should I wait to whip the cream/chocolate mixture until before I frost the cake or can I do that ahead of time too?
Hi Josh! 🙂 Yes you can totally make the ganache mixture ahead of time. Yes, I would recommend only whipping it just before using it on the cake as it is a very light whipped cream texture (not as firm as say a 1:1 ratio ganache). Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Hello! I want to try and make this cake into cupcakes, what would be the temperature and baking time for a 12 muffin tin? Thank you in advance! ☺️
Hi Brandy! 🙂 Temp would be the same but reduce the cook time to about the 18 min mark 🙂
1x this recipe will make about two trays.
Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Made this cake this morning.
I eneded up having to do a coffee buttercream frosting because my whipped chocolate coffee ganache curdled. Not sure if I didn’t let it seton fridge for long enough. It was cold tho.
I will definitely try yo make it again.
The cake still tasted amazing. Love all your recipes.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Nuria despite the coffee ganache curdling! It may be because it wasn’t left in the fridge for long enough (this happens to me too if I try and whip ganache too quickly). Although the ganache may feel cold, it needs time for the chocolate to really solidify and stabilize the ganache 🙂
Hope it works out better next time and so glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
This is the most delicious Coffee Cake. Turned out perfectly & the ganache is amazing with candied walnuts!
Aww yay! So glad you loved the coffee cake Joss 😀
I’m unable to get corn flour in North Carolina. Any suggestions?
Hi Don! 🙂 It may be called cornstarch where you’re located? Sorry there has been some confusion around this before as here in NZ it’s labelled cornflour. It’s referring to the white powder that you use to thicken soups/pies, etc 🙂
Hope that helps!
Hi What is the replacement of buttermilk . I confuse and i dont see any in supermarket its hard to find 😔 thanks
Hi Diane! 🙂 Check out this post for a homemade buttermilk substitute: https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/how-to-make-buttermilk/
Just keep in mind for this recipe you want to use less of it as stated in the notes 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I would like to try this recipe, but only want a one layer, so if I use the 1/2 button will the batter fit into a 8 inch round bake pan? Is there perhaps a different frosting that could be used on the cake other than what is listed in the ingredients, thanks
Hi Deb! 🙂 Yes that’s correct, if you half the recipe there will be enough batter for one 8 inch cake 🙂
You could try a regular buttercream and add coffee to it if you like! Here is my recipe if you wanted to try it out 🙂 https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/silky-smooth-buttercream-frosting/
Hope you enjoy the recipe Deb 🙂
thank you, I forgot to ask about the eggs now that half recipe requests 1.5 large eggs, please could you let me know how many grams of egg I would need, im not sure about egg weights without the shell.
Hi Deb! 🙂 Usually what I like to do is mix a single egg together with a fork, and then use half of the egg. Alternatively, you could weigh it – half a large egg should be around 31g 🙂
wow, i have to say this is such a wonderful coffee cake, my whole family loves it. My only complaint is that it’s a bit crumbly. will adding 1 more egg help with the texture to make it less crumbly? thanks
So glad to hear your family loved the recipe Monica 😀
In terms of the crumbliness, may I ask if you used cup or gram measurements? I would recommend using the gram measurements (if you didn’t already) as a bit too much flour can sometimes cause crumbliness too, but if you did use the gram measurements, then you could try adding in one more egg (though sometimes this can make the cake a bit dense). Alternatively, you can try mixing the batter a little more at the end too and this should help make it a bit less crumbly 🙂
Hope that helps for next time Monica!
i think the reason why the cake was crumbly is that i used homemade buttermilk, maybe that’s why it’s crumbly. Should i make add one more egg to make it less crumbly? thank you
sorry if i have so many questions, let’s say i’m gonna use milk instead of homemade buttermilk, do you change the baking soda and baking powder measurements? thank you
Homemade buttermilk shouldn’t really affect how crumbly the cake is. Usually if a cake is crumbly it means there is not enough liquid/fat/eggs or too much flour. Your eggs may be a bit smaller than the ones I use so I would recommend trying an extra egg and seeing how that goes 🙂
And no need to apologise at all! I wouldn’t recommend just using milk for this recipe as the acid in the homemade buttermilk helps with the rise of the cake 🙂
can you use white sugar with the same amount as brown sugar?
Hi Jess! 🙂 You could do that, it’ll just change the taste/texture slightly but should still be great 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Just baked the cake and it turned out awesome! It’s just that I live in a tropical place and the whipped ganache seems a little too soft and would melt easily… I’ve piped and decorated the cake already, it is currently in the fridge and will stay there for up to a day… do you think the layers will hold up? Do you think the piped patterns will still be defined? Do you think it can survive 45 mins in a 25-30 degrees c environment?
Hi Simone! 🙂 So glad the cake turned out awesome 😀
With the whipped ganache, although it is a soft frosting it should be able to hold it’s shape and should be able to withstand a bit of heat (more than a regular whipped cream due to the additional white chocolate in the ganache). Just be sure not to keep the cake in direct sunlight 🙂
If you noticed that the frosting was melting easily while decorating, then next time you could add more white chocolate to the initial mixture (before allowing it to set) as this will make the frosting more firm when whipped. Just keep in mind the frosting will be sweeter 🙂
Hope that helps for next time and hope the cake survived the heat 😀