A Beautifully light and moist sponge cake with a cinnamon and walnut swirl with a crunchy topping.

It took me a while to get my head around this one. A coffee cake is a cake to be enjoyed with a coffee (or with tea or in my case a hot chocolate). This cake does not contain coffee, which is a relief to me as I don’t like coffee but distressing for all those coffee lovers out there!

You Will Need:

• 250g Butter
• 250g Caster Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 80g Yoghurt ( I have used both greek and natural with great success)
• 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 250g Plain Flour

The Swirl:

• 1tbsp Cinnamon
• 30g Walnuts (chopped)
• 60g Plain Flour
• 60g Brown Sugar
• 60g Butter

Crunchy Topping:

• 1tbsp Cinnamon
• 30g Walnuts (chopped)
• 60g Plain Flour
• 30g Brown Sugar
• 30g Butter

Method:

• Line and grease a square 21cm tin and pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C
• Make the Swirl first by putting all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Then make the Crunchy Topping the same way.
• Put both to one side (in their separate bowls).
• Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Next blend in the yoghurt.
• Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda then fold until well incorporated.

Assembly:

• Pour half the cake batter in to the prepared cake tin, gently level the batter in to the tin, but don’t fuss about making it perfectly level.
• Sprinkle and spread ‘The Swirl’ over this.
• Pour the remaining cake batter into the tin and level it nicely.
• Next sprinkle on the ‘Crunchy Topping.
• Bake in the oven from 45mins to 1hour until golden and cooked through. To test your cake is cooked through I use a cocktail stick, insert it into the middle of the cake, if it comes out with just a few moist cake crumbs the cake is perfectly cooked.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 mins.
• Carefully turn out on to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• And enjoy!