How to make coffee and walnut cake – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

What does our chief perfectionist choose as a birthday treat? This sumptuous coffee and walnut cake, which you, too, can whip up in less than an hour

Today is my birthday, so I’m celebrating with a classic that, for all the sticky tres leches and sophisticated sachertortes I’ve enjoyed in recent years, remains my absolute favourite, my desert island cake: that darling of the WI tea tent, the coffee and walnut sandwich. The great Nigel Slater once named it his last meal on Earth, and I’m hoping to have it for tea.

Prep 30 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 8