Squidgy coffee and walnut cake

Method

1 Heat the oven to 190°C (180°C fan oven), gas mark 5. While it warms, line two nine-inch sandwich tins.

2 In a bowl, combine the eggs, butter, flour and sugar and beat with a hand blender until fluffy. Add the baking powder, espresso coffee and coffee essence, and blend until smooth, then fold in the chopped walnuts.

3 Divide the mixture between the tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 20 minutes, then see if the cake centres feel springy. If not, bake for a further minute. Remove and leave for a few minutes before turning out onto a rack. 

4 Beat together the filling ingredients until fluffy. When the cakes are cool, sandwich them with this mixture.

5 To ice, add some icing sugar to the coffee, mix to a paste and smooth on top with a palette knife dipped in hot water. For the marble effect, mix more coffee with icing sugar for a darker, runnier mixture, then drizzle on top. Decorate with walnuts and/or coffee beans.