This Coffee Walnut Loaf with coffee buttercream frosting is an easy recipe to bake. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, for brunch, or simple snacking!
When it's stormy and cold out, a slice of coffee cake with a cup of hot tea is the answer.
When it's warm and sunny, coffee cake with a tall iced coffee is the answer.
In other words, it's always a good time for coffee cake!
Luckily, coffee cake comes in so many different flavors. We love them all!
Now, to clarify, coffee cake does not always contain coffee. It's called coffee cake because it's a cake that is made to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
Like this Banana Crumb Coffee Cake recipe. Readers love it, and we've personally been making it at least once a month for our family for over a decade. It does NOT contain any coffee.
We also really love making Irish Coffee Cake, which also does not contain coffee. And when we're in the mood for a layer cake, we make Chocolate Coffee Cake. Now that cake does contain coffee (that cake is perfect for coffee lovers!).
And so does our latest easy recipe to add to our coffee cake obsession: Coffee Walnut Loaf.
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🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
The first bite my daughter took out of this coffee walnut cake, her eyes got really wide and she declared how good it was. It has grown to become one of our favorite cakes!
- Flavor: this is a moist cake with rich coffee flavor and delicious crunch from the walnuts. Then the coffee buttercream frosting adds some sweetness and takes it to the next level.
- Easy: This is a simple recipe to follow, making it a great recipe for even beginning bakers. I've include a step-by-step photo guide below to help you as you bake this cake.
- Simple ingredients: you can find all of the ingredients to make this coffee walnut loaf cake from your local grocery store.
🛒 Ingredient notes
The batter for this coffee walnut cake recipe comes together quickly with some simple ingredients.
- Flour - I use all-purpose flour for this cake, and have not tested the recipe with any other type of flour. If you do use a different flour, you may need to make some alterations to the other ingredient measurements.
- Butter - Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you start making this cake.
- Eggs - Similar to the butter, make sure the eggs are at room temperature when you mix them into the batter. Room temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into cake batter and create a smoother batter.
- Brown sugar - When measuring brown sugar, make sure you pack the sugar down into the measuring cup for accurate measurement.
- Walnuts - You'll be using walnuts both in the cake batter and on top of the cake. Be sure to chop up the walnuts that will be added to the batter, so that you don't have any large pieces in the cake. You can buy walnut halves or chopped walnuts to make things easier. And you can substitute pecans if you don't have or don't like walnuts.
- Instant coffee - use any medium-roast instant coffee or instant espresso powder that you like for this recipe.
- Baking powder - this is the leavening agent used in the recipe to help the cake rise.
- Salt - use kosher salt for this coffee walnut cake.
Optional: sometimes I like to add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cake batter. This adds a rich bakery aroma and flavor to the cake.
To make the coffee buttercream frosting, you'll need:
- Butter - again, this stick of butter needs to be softened to room temperature in order to create a smooth frosting.
- Powdered sugar - you may find you need a little more or a little less powdered sugar, depending on how thick you want the frosting.
- Instant coffee - Use the same instant coffee or instant espresso you did for the cake batter.
- Milk - You can use any milk or milk alternative that you like in the frosting recipe.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here's a step-by-step visual guide to help you bake this cake.
Start by pre-heating the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and using a hand mixer), cream the butter for 1 minute. Then add the brown sugar and cream together for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Pour in the coffee and mix.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in-between.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then fold in half of the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the frosting.
Make the frosting
Wash and dry the stand mixer and paddle attachment.
- Cream the softened unsalted butter and the powdered sugar.
Assemble the cake
- When the cake is done baking, it's a good idea to let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, frost with the coffee frosting. Top with additional chopped walnuts, if desired. Serve immediately.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
It's important not to over-mix the cake batter in order to have a fluffy, moist coffee cake. If a cake ends up being dense and not fluffy, it's often because it was over-worked. Just mix the ingredients until they are incorporated.
If you want thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. Start by adding just about 2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar at a time until the frosting reaches your preferred consistency. If you want thinner frosting, add more milk.
Make sure the cake is cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two or three days. If the cake is unfrosted, you can store the cake in a separate airtight container from the frosting and store both in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can also freeze an unfrosted cake by wrapping the cooled cake in plastic wrap, then storing in a freezer bag or freezer-friendly container in the freezer for up to one month.
🍽 Serving ideas
Enjoy a slice of cake with an afternoon tea or coffee. Or enjoy this coffee-flavored cake with a coffee milkshake!
It's also perfect to serve for brunch next to a Brunch Board.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Mixing bowl - You'll need a large bowl and a whisk to mix together the dry ingredients.
- Mixer - You will either need a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer to make the cake batter.
- Loaf pan - For best results, bake this cake in a 9x5-inch loaf pan that has been lightly greased with butter and/or lined with parchment paper.
More coffee cake recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Coffee Walnut Loaf
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
For the cake loaf
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1-2 teaspoons warm water (use just enough to dissolve the coffee granules)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
For the frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1-1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 Tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1-2 teaspoons warm water (use just enough to dissolve the coffee granules)
- optional: additional chopped walnuts for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and using a hand mixer), cream the butter for 1 minute. Then add the brown sugar and cream together for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Pour in the coffee and mix.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in-between.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then fold in half of the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the frosting.
Make the frosting
- Wash and dry the stand mixer and paddle attachment. Then cream the butter for 2 minutes, then add the powdered sugar and cream together for 2 minutes.
- Add the milk and the dissolved instant coffee, then blend until smooth and creamy.
- If you want thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. If you want thinner frosting, add more milk.
Assemble the cake
- When the cake is done baking, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, frost with the coffee frosting. Top with additional chopped walnuts, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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