awesome coffee and walnut bundt cake

I do love a bundt cake!  Must be linked to my Polish Gran's baking.  I definitely remember lots of cakes in bundt form.  Anyway - this is my version of one of my favourite cakes - the awesome coffee and walnut.  A favourite amongst cyclists at the 'cake stop' I have been told!  However you don't have to be a cyclist to enjoy this one - or even own a bike.  Feel free to eat a slice while watching TV and having a sedentary afternoon! 

This is a really easy method as everything just gets mixed in together in the bowl before baking.  Feel free to use another nut if you so choose.  I also used hazelnuts in another incarnation of this cake - my equally tasty hazelnut mocha cake. 

I hope you enjoy!  Happy baking :-)


Ingredients:

1 cup soured milk/yogurt (squeeze of lemon until milk curdles - don't worry it'll look horrible but will be OK - it helps the rise!)
3 eggs
2 cups light brown sugar
3 cups plain flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla essence/vanilla pod seeds
1 tsp mixed spice
half cup vegetable oil
2 heaped tsp baking powder
2 level tbs instant coffee granules
1/2 cup cold coffee (made with instant or ground coffee)
pinch salt
cream cheese icing:

1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp instant coffee
1 cup cream cheese

Garnish with whatever you fancy or leave plain.  I blitz some leftover cake in the processor to make cake crumbs to sprinkle on top, but you could do this with walnuts, chocolate chips, sprinkling of nutmeg cocoa........

1. Grease a bundt tin, and dust it lightly with flour. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add eggs, milk/yogurt, cold coffee, coffee granules, oil, sugar, vanilla, mixed spice and salt. Beat using an electric whisk for about 3-4 mins
3. Stir in chopped walnuts.  
4. Pour the mixture into the tin, and bake in the oven for about 50 minutes until well risen and a skewer comes out clean.
5. Turn off the oven, and remove cake - leave to cool for about 10 minutes before easing out of the tin.  Then leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 
6. Mix the icing ingredients together either by hand or in the processor until smooth
7. Cut the cake in half and divide the icing between the middle and the top of the cake. 
8. Top with your garnish of choice, then cut yourself a slice and enjoy!