Vegan Coffee Walnut Sponge Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
For cake
- 3.5 cups self raising cake flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
- 1 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 cups almond milk (or soy or a nut milk)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water
For praline
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
For coffee buttercream
- 125g/4ozs. butter substitute, softened
- 2.5 cups icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Walnuts to decorate
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line 2x20cm/8inch round tins on the base and sides. Whisk the cake flour, bicarb and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. In a jug measure the oil, almond milk, vanilla and coffee water.
Step 2 - Add the liquid to the flour and whisk for 3 minutes on medium speed - I know this will seem counterintuitive to mix it for this amount of time but it will work and make it light. Divide batter evenly into two tins and bake for 35 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Step 3 - Switch to a beater attachment and beat the butter substitute and icing sugar on low speed. Add the coffee and vanilla and then switch to higher speed beating until smooth.
Step 4 - In a food processor, blitz the 1/2 cup of walnuts and mix with the 1/4 cup of sugar.
Step 5 - Spread a layer of the buttercream on one cake half and then sprinkle the sugary walnuts. Then place the next layer on top and spread the buttercream on this layer leaving about 1/2 cup of buttercream for piping on top. Use a fluted piping tip (I used a #8B) to pipe flowers and press a walnut on top.