Coffee & Walnut Ring

Coffee and Walnut Ring
Whitworth's Cookery Handbook

125gm (4oz) butter or margarine
175gm (6oz) dark soft brown or dark muscovado sugar
2 eggs, beaten
45ml (3 tbsp) instant coffee powder
45ml (3 tbsp) hot water
125gm (4 oz) self raising flour, sifted
40gm (1.5 oz) chopped walnuts
75ml (3 fl oz) milk

Glace Icing
5ml (1 tsp) instant coffee powder
15ml (1 tbsp) hot water
50gm (2 oz) finest icing sugar

Lightly grease a 1.25 litre (2pt) ring mould.
Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Mix the coffee powder and hot water and beat into the mixture.

(This is what happens to the batter when you add the hot water and coffee, it curdles big time, but doesn't lose volume)

Fold in the flour and chopped walnuts, then stir in the milk. Spoon into the prepared mould and smooth the surface.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for around 40 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Cool slightly before carefully turning out of the mould onto a wire rack.

To make the Glace icing, mix the coffee powder with the hot water. Add to the icing sugar, mixing well. Carefully pour over the ring, allowing some icing to trickle over the side. Decorate with walnut halves.

And as you can see, instead of glace icing I used melted chocolate. I've tried both, and though am not one of those people who believe chocolate makes everything better, but chocolate definitely does make Coffee and Walnut Ring better!