Coffee and Walnut Loaf cakes originate from the United Kingdom. I've put a spin on the traditional cake by making it dairy free, gluten free and refined sugar free. It's a much healthier, sweet treat that is spongey, moist and decadent! If you enjoy a nice dense loaf like I do, this one is perfect for you.
I love baking simple warm treats for the fall season. If you're looking for more baked goods to enjoy, try my Healthier Apple Crisp. It's refined sugar free and vegan with a gluten-free option.
Jump to:
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I will never recommend a product I don't use or trust. Thank you for your support.
📝Ingredient Notes
Instant coffee- I use Nescafe Clasico Dark Roast Instant Coffee.
Oat flour helps make this loaf cake dense. It's also a good source of fiber and protein, which makes this a filling dessert.
Unsweetened plain coconut yogurt by SoDelicious is often used as a sour cream or greek yogurt substitute, as the taste shares a resemblance of the two. It doesn't bring a coconut flavor to the loaf. Since this is a "no butter" recipe, this yogurt supplies the healthy fats needed to make this loaf nice and moist.
Almond flour is also nutritious just as oat flour is, but it also helps give some stability and texture to the cake. Without the almond flour, I feel that it's too mushy and doesn't have as great of a texture.
Corn starch (also called corn flour in some countries) used in baking makes the crumb more tender and delicate. It also provides structure to the cake.
🔪Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place 1½ cups of rolled oats into a blender and blend until it turns into oat flour.
- Sift the oat flour into a large mixing bowl and discard any pieces that are whole or not finely ground.
4. Sift in the almond flour and then add in the rest of the dry ingredients, and mix well.
5. Place the instant coffee in a small ramekin or measuring cup and dissolve with warm water.
6. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the unsweetened plain coconut yogurt, honey, vanilla and coffee mixture. Lastly, whisk the eggs into the wet mixture.
7. Add the wet mixture in with the dry mixture.
8. Grease a loaf tin with vegan butter and then line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.
9. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and use a silicone spatula to scrape off any remaining batter from the bowl. Top it with walnut pieces.
10. Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted through the center of the loaf.
11. Let it sit a few minutes in the loaf pan, then very carefully lift it out using the parchment paper and transfer it to a cooling rack.
12. It's important to let the loaf cool completely before slicing into it because the loaf will continue to cook while coming down to room temperature.
13. Sift a confectioner sugar substitute over the top of the loaf if desired. I use Swerve Ultimate Sugar Replacement.
Slice and enjoy!
🍯Substitutions
Corn starch or tapioca starch can be used.
Honey- 100% pure maple syrup can be used in place of honey.
🧊Storing
For best quality and longer shelf life, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. There it can last up to 4 days. It can also be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
✅Pro Tips
- Make sure to completely let the baked loaf cool completely before cutting it open. It will still be cooking on the inside while it's hot, so it needs to come to room temperature first. Otherwise, it could be mushy and undercooked when cutting into it.
- I find that cutting into the center of it it once it comes to room temperature allows it to further cool and it isn't as dense.
- Make sure to use room temperature eggs so that they mix better with the wet ingredients.
- The instant coffee that I use dissolves easily in warm water. Be sure to completely dissolve your coffee granules if using a different brand, and then add it to the wet mixture.
- Follow the measurements and instructions exact, as inconsistencies can provide different results.
- If you want to bring out more flavor from the walnuts, toast them on the stove in a skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe can be frozen. Make sure it comes to room temperature before freezing. Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and then transfer to a freezer safe ziplock.
To thaw, remove the bag and plastic wrap and then let it come to room temperature on the counter.
This recipe is not vegan since it uses eggs and honey. I have not yet found an egg substitute that will work for this loaf. So I cannot provide a substitution for it. It is, however, gluten free since its made with almond flour and oat flour! Just make sure to find oats that are certified gluten free if you have a strict gluten-free diet.
A traditional Coffee and Walnut cake is made with butter, flour, milk and sugar. In place of butter, this recipe is made with yogurt as a source of healthy fats. Instead of white flour, I use oat and almond flour and then honey as a sweetener.
Oat flour and almond flour are a good source of protein, fiber and they are a good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Honey, while high in sugar and carbs, provides some nutrients compared to white or brown sugar and is just a bit lower on the glycemic index. It should still be consumed in moderation, but is a better choice between the white and brown sugar.
First off, this loaf is a dense cake! To help it not turn out wet or mushy, and still have a nice texture, make sure to let it completely cool to room temperature. This can take a couple of hours or so. Once it's cool to the touch, I like to slice it in half, allowing the air to reach it and further cool it. For best quality, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Before you go! If you enjoyed this recipe for my Coffee and Walnut Loaf, leave a review and comment down below to share it with me. I love to hear from you! Also, if you aren't already following me on social media, find me by searching @thedairyfreemenu and follow along for more cooking inspiration!
📖 Recipe
Coffee and Walnut Loaf
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups rolled oats (150 grams) ground into flour
- 1 cup almond flour (134 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 grams)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch (8 grams) or tapioca starch*
- ¼ teaspoon salt (2 grams)
Wet Ingredients
- ⅔ cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt (169 grams)
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup honey (237 grams)
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract (7 grams)
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee (11 grams)
- 1 tablespoon warm water (17 grams)
Toppings
- ½ cup walnut pieces (50 grams)
- sugar-free powdered sugar substitute sifted, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place 1½ cups of rolled oats into a blender and blend until it turns into oat flour.
- Sift the oat flour into a large mixing bowl and discard any pieces that are whole or not finely ground.
- Sift in the almond flour and then add in the rest of the dry ingredients, and mix well.
- Place the instant coffee in a small ramekin or measuring cup and dissolve with warm water.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the unsweetened plain coconut yogurt, honey, vanilla and coffee mixture. Lastly, whisk the eggs into the wet mixture.
- Add the wet mixture in with the dry mixture.
- Grease a loaf pan with vegan butter and then line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and use a silicone spatula to scrape off any remaining batter from the bowl.
- Top with walnut pieces and bake for about 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted through the center of the loaf.
- Let it sit a few minutes in the loaf pan, then very carefully lift it out using the parchment paper and transfer it to a cooling rack.
- It's important to let the loaf cool completely before slicing into it because the loaf will continue to cook while coming down to room temperature. Cutting into it before its cooled down could possibly result in a mushy loaf.
- Sift a confectioner sugar substitute over the top of loaf if desired. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Some countries call corn starch "corn flour". It is not to be confused with corn meal, as those are completely different things.
- I use an 8.4 by 4.4 by 2.4 inch loaf pan (also measures 21.3 by 11.1 centimeters).
- I find that cutting into the center of it it once it comes to room temperature allows it to further cool and it isn't as dense.
- For best quality and longer shelf life, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. There it can last up to 4 days. It can also be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
Nutrition
Note: The nutrition label is only an estimate. Amounts may vary.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!