Coffee Walnut Cake & Cupcakes

It was my dear hubby's birthday (yesterday) & also first birthday of From Divya's Kitchen (today) on Facebook. So decided to bake some new flavour :) & here it is. Finishing touch is not professional but it does taste like heaven. I am sure coffee lovers will love it :)

Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes or one 8 inches cake)
For the cake
1 cup plain flour (maida)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp curds (dahi)
5 tbsp milk
5 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (akhrot)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp coffee
2 tsp hot water

2 tsp sugar + 2 tsp water + 1/4 tsp vanilla (soaking syrup)

butter to grease the baking tray
walnuts (akhrot) for decoration
Strawberry jam (optional)

For the icing
1/2 cup icing sugar
4 tbsp cocoa or 2 tsp coffee powder
3 to 4 tbsp water

For Butter Cream Icing with Coffee
1 cup unsalted butter softened (not melted) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.
3-4 cups powdered sugar, SIFTED
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coffee powder
up to 4 tbsp milk or cream

Method
Pre heat oven to 180 c
Grease baking tray with butter & keep aside.
Mix all cake ingredients and pour in the cup cake tray or cake tin & bake for 25 mins.
Take cake out & cool it.

For the Icing
To make icing mix cocoa powder with icing sugar & water.
Make a thick paste by beating it well.
If you are using coffee then you will see change in colour.
Do icing & decorate with walnuts.

For Butter Cream Icing with Coffee
Beat butter for a few minutes in a mixer.
Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed, until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter.
Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, coffee, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.
If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar.
If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.
Refrigerate till needed.

How to proceed
For cup cakes just put the icing sugar icing in a piping bag with nozzle & start decorating.
For cake, cut it horizontally & pour soaking syrup on both pieces.
Apply butter cream icing on lower part.
Next apply strawberry jam, if you want, & put top part on it.
Apply butter cream on top and refrigerate for 10 minutes, it helps in giving finishing touch to butter cream.
Decorate with icing sugar icing & walnuts.

Tips
Make the icing sugar icing after the cake has cooled as the icing hardens quickly.
Icing/frosting should be cold when you apply. 
Icing Sugar substitute – 4 tbsp fine powdered sugar + ½ tsp cornflour. (I used this in above recipe).
Never apply frosting on a hot cake.