Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake

Make a fluffy, moist vegan coffee loaf cake (or layered cake/muffins) loaded with coffee flavor, studded with walnuts, drizzled in a decadent sweet coffee glaze, and 100% egg and dairy-free (you can’t even tell!)

Rich and Sweet Coffee Walnut Loaf Cake

Looking for a delicious and crowd-pleasing sweet morning or afternoon pick-me-up? This coffee and walnut loaf cake is wonderfully moist and tender yet firm enough for slicing, uses only simple ingredients but provides a luxurious, decadent flavor, and is perfect for breakfast, brunch, enjoying alongside rosemary tea or coffee, or as a tasty dessert.

It’s really simple and easy to prepare, too. All you need is about 10 minutes of prep time. It’s also fairly adaptable – whether you want to make it gluten-free, omit or sub the walnuts for other tasty add-ins (like dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dates), or even swap the glaze for a creamy vanilla vegan buttercream frosting. You can also easily adapt it to a layered cake, mini loaves, or muffins!

Looking for more simple vegan crowd-pleasing bakes? Check out our recipes for Carrot Cake Muffins, Easy Vegan Lemon Cupcakes, and Salted Caramel Brownies.

The Ingredients

Coffee Walnut Cake Recipe Variations

• Spices: Several spices complement coffee well, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and blends like homemade pumpkin pie spice.
• Molasses: Just a little deepens the flavor complexity of the coffee walnut cake recipe.
• Vegan chocolate chips: (or chunks): Use your favorite dairy-free chips/chunks (milk or dark chocolate) to fold into the coffee walnut loaf cake.
• Shredded coconut: Add a few tablespoons for subtle flavor and extra texture.
• Caramel sauce: Swirl store-bought or homemade caramel sauce (like our 4-ingredient vegan date caramel sauce) between layers of the loaf batter.
• Nut butter: Swirl it into the top of the vegan coffee loaf before baking.
• Dried fruit: Like raisins, dates, cranberries – for extra sweetness and chewiness.
• Orange: Add the zest of one orange for a subtle citrusy flavor and brightness.
• Streusel topping: Replace the glaze with a crisp crumble topping.

How to Make Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake?

This step helps make a fluffy, moist vegan cake, so cream it well. It should be pale and fluffy when ready.

Be careful not to over-mix it, though, or it can overwork the gluten in the flour and lead to a dense, tough loaf.

Enjoy a slice alone, warm and slathered in vegan butter or nut butter, with vegan whipped cream, a scoop of banana ice cream (vanilla or coffee flavored), and as a part of a delicious brunch, afternoon tea, or dessert spread!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Use high-quality ingredients: Use high-quality coffee you like the flavor of, good walnuts, and natural vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Measure the flour correctly: Fluff it up in its bag, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it with the back of a knife. Too much flour leads to dry, dense bakes.
• Don’t over-mix the batter: You could overwork the gluten and end up with a dense, dry coffee loaf.
• For a stronger coffee flavor: Dissolve more instant coffee/espresso into the water for a stronger brew.
• It tastes even better on day two: So, if you have the patience, leaving it is a great idea. Otherwise, make enough for leftovers.

Storage Instructions

Once baked, store the cooled coffee and walnut loaf cake in an airtight container on the countertop for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. The flavors of the loaf only improve overnight, so we’re a big fan of making enough for leftovers.

You can also freeze it for up to 3 months, whole or sliced with parchment paper between the slices (best done without the glaze topping). Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a Ziplock/Stasher bag to avoid freezer burn.

When you want a slice, leave it to thaw at room temperature or defrost it in a toaster oven or microwave.