Coffee and Walnut Ring Gateau Recipe

For the cake:
15 ml/1 tbsp instant coffee powder
15 ml/1 tbsp milk
100 g/4 oz/1 cup self-raising (self-rising) flour
5 ml/1 tsp baking powder
100 g/4 oz butter or margarine, softened
100 g/4 oz caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
For the filling:
45 ml/3 tbsp apricot jam (conserve), sieved (strained)

15 ml/1 tbsp water
10 ml/2 tsp instant coffee powder
30 ml/2 tbsp milk
100 g/4 oz icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted

50g/2 oz butter or margarine, softened
50g/2 oz walnuts, chopped

For the icing (frosting):
30 ml/2 tbsp instant coffee powder

90 ml/6 tbsp milk
450 g/1 lb icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted

50g/2 oz butter or margarine

A few walnut halves to decorate

Method:

To make the cake, dissolve the coffee in the milk, then mix into the remaining cake ingredients and beat until everything is well blended. Spoon into a greased 23 cm/9 in ring mould (tube pan) and bake in a preheated oven at 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 for 40 minutes until springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cut the cake in half horizontally.

To make the filling, heat the jam and water until well blended, then brush over the cut surfaces of the cake. Dissolve the coffee in the milk, then mix into the icing sugar with the butter or margarine and nuts and beat until you have a spreadable consistency. Sandwich together the two halves of the cake with the filling.

To make the icing, dissolve the coffee in the milk in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Add the icing sugar and butter or margarine and beat until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool and thicken to coating consistency, beating occasionally. Spoon the icing over the cake, decorate with walnut halves and leave to set.