Hazelnut Coffee Cake with Coffee Glaze

Set at Pension Linden

25 minutes · Makes one 20cm round cake, 10 slices

an afternoon coffee cake

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 140g plain flour
• 100g ground hazelnuts
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 30ml just-boiled water
• 30ml whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• For the thin coffee glaze:
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder
• 15ml just-boiled water, plus a little more if needed
• 25g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C conventional / 160°C fan. Grease the tin with a little extra butter and line its base with baking paper. Dissolve the cake's espresso powder in 30ml hot water and let it cool.
2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, ground hazelnuts, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat the 150g butter and caster sugar for 3-4 minutes, until paler and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. If the mixture begins to split, add a spoonful of the measured dry ingredients.
4. Fold in half the dry ingredients. Stir the cooled coffee, milk and vanilla together, then fold them into the batter followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
5. Spoon into the tin and level the surface. Bake on the middle shelf for 40-45 minutes, until the centre springs back lightly and a skewer inserted into it comes out without wet batter. If the top browns before the centre is ready, loosely cover with foil for the final part of baking.
6. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes. Remove carefully, peel off the paper and cool completely on a rack, allowing about 60 minutes more. A warm cake will absorb the glaze instead of holding a thin layer on top.
7. Dissolve the remaining teaspoon of espresso powder in 15ml hot water. Stir into the icing sugar. Add extra water ½ tsp at a time only if needed: the glaze should pour in a slow ribbon. Spoon over the cool cake and spread towards the edge. Scatter over the chopped hazelnuts and let the glaze settle for 5 minutes before slicing.

Essy note: Decaffeinated instant espresso can replace the regular espresso in equal quantities. Use lactose-free butter and milk if needed. Contains hazelnuts, eggs, wheat and dairy.

Questions from the Kitchen

Written by Esther

Esther is a photographer and storyteller, and the founder of Essy's Essentials - a seasonal home for stories, rituals, recipes and everyday luxuries.

Published 19 September 2026

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