Coffee & pecan squares
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Cuts into 12-16
Ingredients
- 225g butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
- 4 tbsp instant coffee granules
- 100g pecans, plus 8 for the topping
- 225g light muscovado sugar
- 4 eggs
- 225g self-raising flour (if you have rye flour, you can swap in 25g of it)
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the icing
- 100g butter, softened
- 200g icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Method
- STEP 1
Butter a 30 x 20cm 2.5cm deep cake tin and line with parchment. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Dissolve the coffee in 3 tbsp of boiling water and set aside. Scatter all the pecans, including the 8 for the topping, over a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8-10 mins, then leave to cool slightly. Split 8 of the pecans in half to make 16 pieces and set aside. Chop the rest finely, retaining a bit of texture.
- STEP 2
Use an electric whisk to cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, then crack in and incorporate the eggs, one at a time. Beat in half the dissolved coffee. When everything is mixed together evenly, fold through the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and half the chopped nuts. Scrape into the tin and scatter over the rest of the chopped nuts, then level the top with a spatula. Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, then leave to cool completely.
- STEP 3
To make the icing, beat the butter until smooth, then beat in the icing sugar, the vanilla and the remaining dissolved coffee. Lift the cooled cake onto a board and spread with the icing. Top with the pecan halves, cut into squares and serve.
