Coffee and walnut layer cake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°c (fan 150°c, gas mark 3). Grease and base line 3 x 20cm sandwich tins

2. Place the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix together preferably using an electric mixer until you get a crumb consistency.

3. Mix the coffee granules with one tablespoon of warm milk in a large jug. Add the rest of the milk, eggs and maple syrup. Slowly add this to the crumb like mixture and gently beat until well combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

4. Divide the mixture equally between the three tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when pressed gently. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.

5. While the cake is cooling make the icing: Beat the butter until very soft ad slowly start adding the icing sugar, do this a spoonful at a time or you will have an icing sugar cloud in your kitchen. When all the icing sugar has been added, beat until smooth and slightly lighter in colour.

6. Add coffee extract and beat again until fully incorporated. Sandwich the three cake layers with the icing and then cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing. Decorate with halved walnuts.