Coffee, chocolate and walnut cake

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Butter a non-stick 23cm spring-form tin and lne the base with parchment paper.

Toast the walnuts on a baking tray in the oven until lightly golden. Cool and chop fairly finely. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and coffee. Don’t be concerned if it appears “curdled”. Add the sifted flour and baking powder and mix well. Fold in the walnuts and the chocolate. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1½ hours. To test if it is cooked pierce the centre of the cake with a skewer. If it comes out without any wet cake mixture on it, it is ready. Leave to cool before icing. Cream the butter and icing sugar until pale and light in texture. Add the coffee and mix well to incorporate.