This decadent vegan Coffee & Walnut Cake is easy to make, and a real showstopper. Light and nutty sponge layers filled with fluffy coffee buttercream.
Mmmmm.... cake alert! I find it hard to resist the temptation to make a slightly-oversized triple layer cake from time to time, and I'm gradually working my way through vegan-ising all the Great British favourites. My Ultimate Vegan Victoria Sponge is one of the most popular recipes on the blog, and if you're looking for a failsafe rich fruit cake, my Ultimate Vegan Christmas Cake recipe is not far behind, (I've just had an e-mail from a reader who is using it as her wedding cake, isn't that lovely?!).
And today I bring you... the Ultimate Vegan Coffee & Walnut Cake. This one is a keeper, I promise. The coffee buttercream is incredibly creamy and light, and the dark, nutty sponge has just the right level of coffee to be a strong flavour without turning bitter.
I made mine a triple-layer because I like BIG cakes with lots of buttercream(!), but if you only have two tins you could either bake two cakes first then the third afterwards, or else make just 2 larger cakes and either use them as they are, or slice them in half to make 4 thinner layers, (oh the decadence!).
This is just the sort of showstopper to casually bring in to the office to share with anyone who has passed comment on your veganism recently, ("so do you just eat a lot of salad then?" - you know the ones!).
❄️ Freezing
Yes! The coffee sponges themselves freeze very well so you can make them ahead of time, (or even batch-cook two at once!). Pop a sheet of greaseproof paper or baking parchment between each layer then wrap the whole lot tightly in foil.
When you need to serve the cake you can just defrost. make the buttercream and layer it up - it is almost impossible to tell that it isn't freshly baked!
⭐️ Reader Testimonials
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I just wanted to express my appreciation for your wonderful recipe! I made this cake yesterday and was so happy with how it turned out! This cake will now be a regular feature in our household. Lovely recipe, thanks again!!!" Priyam
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Just made this today, my first attempt at making a cake and omg, its amazing! Im so proud to have done this. It's so so good! Thank you! I'll certainly be bookmarking your website and trying many more! 😁" Leigh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Great cake – have used this recipe a few times (was turning into a post Parkrun classic – now is just a classic )🥇 Not many complaints – the only one being ‘where’s my second slice gone!’" John
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Brilliant recipe... this really worked well, came out perfectly, looked good, tasted delicious, best vegan coffee cake I’ve made. Thank you" Jules
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "The cake is absolutely delicious! Perfect texture and sweetness and so nice and simple to make. Thank you for the recipe and building my confidence as a baker!" Antonia
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🍽 If you liked that...
.... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:
📖 Recipe
Ultimate Vegan Coffee & Walnut Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 6 tablespoon instant coffee (mixed with 3 tablespoon boiling water)
- 600 g self-raising flour
- 360 g caster sugar
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 600 ml soya milk
- 240 ml rapeseed oil (or other flavourless oil)
- 200 g walnuts (use two thirds chopped in the cake batter, and the remaining one third finely chopped for decoration)
For the Buttercream:
- 3 tablespoon instant coffee (mixed with 1 ½ tablespoon boiling water)
- 250 g dairy-free margarine (at room temperature)
- 640 g icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon dairy-free single cream (soya or oat)
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Mix the instant coffee and boiling water to a paste and leave to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan) / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line three 23cm / 9 inch cake tins with a circle of baking parchment or greaseproof paper, (slightly smaller or larger tins will be fine!). (If you only have two tins, you could either make two larger layers, or bake two cakes first then clean and re-line one of the tins to bake the third).
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, caster sugar and baking powder). In a jug, mix the wet ingredients (milk, oil and cooled coffee mixture), then add these to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, then bang the bowl on the work surface to stop the raising agents getting to work too soon.
- Stir in the chopped walnuts, then divide the mixture evenly between the three tins. Tap each tin firmly on the work surface, then bake for 18-22 minutes until an inserted skewer or knife comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the baking parchment and leave to cool completely. Ideally, it is best to leave the fully cooled cakes in an airtight tin or container overnight, to layer with buttercream the following day, (this helps the cakes to soften and stops a crust forming), but if you don't have time, just make sure they are completely cool throughout before starting to layer and decorate them.
For the Buttercream:
- Mix the instant coffee and boiling water to a paste and leave to cool.
- In a food mixer or large bowl with electric whisk/mixer, mix the margarine and icing sugar until fully combined, then add the coffee mixture, salt and cream, and whisk until light and fluffy.
- Roughly divide the buttercream into four in the bowl, and spread a quarter over the bottom layer of the cake. Place the middle layer on top, then spread another quarter over it. Finally, put the top layer in place and spread all the remaining buttercream over the top. Finish with the remaining chopped walnuts.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
Nutrition
Free 4-Week Vegan Meal Plan
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For more quick and easy vegan recipes take a look at my latest book Vegan in 15.
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Laura says
Heya - I'm excited to try this recipe for my partners birthday next week, but one of the guests is coeliac! Do you think I could sub out normal SR flour for GF SR flour?
Kate Ford says
Hi Laura, I've never tried making this with gluten-free flour so can't tell you if it would work or not, sorry! You might be better off looking for a specific vegan and gluten free coffee cake recipe, as the flours do behave quite differently. Sorry not to be more help!
Megan Taylor says
Excellent recipe. I adapted it to a maple and pecan loaf cake.
Kate Ford says
Oh I love the sound of maple and pecan, great idea!
Rav says
Can you use brewed coffee instead of coffee grounds and hot water?
Kate Ford says
Hi Rav, the coffee & hot water mix in the recipe is very concentrated - much stronger than normal drinking-strength coffee so you can't really just use normal coffee as you would need to add so much liquid to get the same level of flavour. If you prefer, you can use a good quality coffee essence instead - I like Camp coffee if you can get hold of that, or something similar. Hope that helps!
Alyson Saunders says
Halved the recipe & made cupcakes. They were absolutely delicious, getting the approval from my daughter & her boyfriend. Great recipe & so easy, will definitely be making again! 😊
Kate Ford says
Great to hear, thanks Alyson!
Fiona says
This is my go to coffee cake. Perfect every time.
Kate Ford says
That's great to hear, thanks Fiona x