Coffee & Walnut Cake

A light coffee fatless sponge, split and filled with unsweetened cocoa whipped cream, topped with walnuts and a dusting of cocoa. Gluten-free and low in sugar, thanks to a caster sugar and monk-fruit sweetener blend that still supports the egg foam.

> Naturally gluten-free (made with Freee self-raising flour and cornflour). Low sugar, using a caster sugar and monk-fruit sweetener blend in place of a full sugar quantity.

Ingredients

Sponge

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 53g caster sugar
• 53g 1:1 monk-fruit sweetener
• 56g Freee self-raising flour
• 35g cornflour
• 13–16g espresso or very strong coffee, completely cooled
• ⅓ tsp baking powder (optional — the self-raising flour already contains raising agents)
• 67g chopped walnuts
• 25–65g dark chocolate, chopped (optional)
• Pinch of salt

Coffee soak

• 70–130ml espresso or very strong coffee

Cocoa cream

• 270–400ml whipping cream, very cold
• 15–25g cocoa powder
• Espresso or strong brewed coffee

To finish

• 5 walnut halves/pieces
• Cocoa powder, for dusting

Method

1. Heat oven to 165°C fan. Grease or line the base of two 7 inch round tins with baking paper. Don't heavily grease the sides — the sponge benefits from being able to grip them as it rises.

2. Make an espresso or very strong cafetière coffee. Reduce down to 13–16g and leave it to cool. You can also use instant coffee.

3. Sift together the 56g SR flour and 35g cornflour (and the ⅓ tsp baking powder, if using).

4. Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they hold soft peaks.

5. Gradually add the caster sugar and monk fruit, continuing to whisk until you have a thick, glossy meringue.

6. Lightly whisk the yolks with the cooled coffee.

7. Gently whisk/fold the yolk-coffee mixture into the whites just until incorporated.

8. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients, walnuts and chocolate (if using) in 2–3 additions. Use a large metal spoon/spatula and stop as soon as no flour remains. Don't knock the air out.

9. Transfer immediately to the tins and very gently level the surface.

10. Bake for roughly 25–30 minutes. Start checking at 23–25 minutes. It's ready when: the centre springs back when lightly touched; a skewer comes out clean; and the sponge has begun to pull very slightly from the edge.

11. Cool for several minutes in the tins, then turn out and cool completely before cutting.

12. Pour the coffee soak over the cake sponges so it absorbs.

Cocoa cream

13. Mix a small amount of the cream with the cocoa powder to make a paste, then add the rest of the cream — this prevents the cocoa powder going everywhere when you turn on the whisk.

14. Whisk together with an electric whisk until soft peaks.

15. Add the coffee, and whisk a little more if needed.

Assemble

16. Carefully cut the sponge horizontally into 2 layers.

17. Spread the cocoa cream generously over the bottom layer.

18. Replace the top.

19. Dust the top evenly with cocoa powder, allowing the natural cracks and texture of the sponge to remain visible.

20. Arrange 5 walnut pieces: 1 in the centre + 4 around the outside.

Notes

• Coffee: Strong cafetière coffee works, but don't be tempted to add lots more for flavour. Extra water is particularly unhelpful in a fatless sponge. Make the coffee stronger, not more voluminous.
• Walnuts: None in the sponge. Keeping them on top gives you the flavour and crunch without compromising the rise.
• Sugar: A normal recipe would scale to use around 175g sugar for 4 eggs. This uses 53g actual sugar + 53g monk fruit, so the real sugar is dramatically reduced while retaining some sugar to support the egg foam.
• SR flour: Freee self-raising, not plain. Because it already contains raising agents, don't use the original recipe's full scaled quantity of baking powder.
• Cream: Keep it completely unsweetened. With the sweet sponge and cocoa-dusted top, it doesn't need sugar.
• Make ahead: Bake the sponge earlier in the day, cool it completely, then fill it closer to serving. Once filled, keep chilled.
• Serving: Poached pear is my first choice alongside it. The moisture and gentle sweetness work particularly well with a fatless coffee sponge, cocoa cream and walnuts.