This is a really busy time for me with one thing going on right after another and my sweet friend Claire from Claire K Creations offered me this gorgeous recipe for coffee and macadamia loaf cake. The Australian Macadamia Society sent Claire a big package of vacuum sealed macadamia nuts and asked her to come up with recipes.
I’m so pleased she is sharing this one with us because I LOVE macadamia nuts. You’d think I was born in Australia, I like them so much. Whether they’re used in sweet or savoury – I’m happy.
Just a little background on Claire. She’s young, gorgeous and has just recently celebrated her first wedding anniversary with her best friend Will. She works on her blog non-stop and produces the cutest videos of her culinary creations. I fell in love with her the first moment I met her. (in a totally platonic motherly way as she’s young enough to be a daughter or dare I say it, my granddaughter?)
Do you fill piping bags like this? I do and when I saw Claire’s video I knew she’d seen it on the net too.
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Hi! I’m Claire from Claire K Creations. Maureen has probably already told our story but we became blogging friends last year (or was it the year before?) and met for the first time at Eat Drink blog in November, although it was kind of like we’d been friends forever. I already loved Maureen but when I told mum I was going to meet her she said ‘oh I like her, she’s the really sweet-looking lady who comments on your blog all the time.’
She was quite right. Maureen is wonderful and I’m very excited to be visiting here today. I was even lucky enough to meet the famous John over Christmas and I think even his missing sweet tooth will like the recipe I’ve got for you today.
Now I’m a bit of a walking contradiction when it comes to food. I don’t really eat fruit but throw it all in a smoothie and I love it. I don’t like bananas but I would never pass up a slice of banana bread or cake and I really can’t stand coffee but bake it into something and I’ll devour it willingly.
When I saw a recipe for coffee and walnut cake my stomach let out a little grumble. It had chosen. I’ve gotten very experimental with my baking lately so after tinkering a little, my version doesn’t really resemble the Women’s Weekly Bake one at all.
I used coconut oil instead of butter (save the butter for slathering on the warm slices), which gives it a pretty tender crumb. Actually I thought it was going to be a failure when I cut into it and it crumbled a bit but then I realized there was a nut stuck under my knife making my dodgy cutting skills even worse. The caster sugar was replaced with brown sugar giving it the glorious golden colour and crunchy crust. Oh and I used wholemeal flour because it makes me think I’m eating something healthy.
You could vary this one by leaving out the nuts if you don’t like them (I will judge you a little though, who doesn’t like macadamia nuts?!) and even add a coffee icing drizzle over the top to finish it.
However you make it, I’m sure you’re going to love it, even if, like me, you and coffee aren’t friends. The combination of the brown sugar, coffee and cinnamon will have you hanging by your oven willing it to bake faster. I loved it so much I may or may not have eaten a whole slice while sitting on the floor photographing it. Enjoy!
If you like the look of this, I’d love you to stop by Claire K Creations (my blog) and check out my other recipes. Thanks for having me Maureen!
- 125 grams coconut oil
- 1 cup loosely-packed brown sugar
- ½ cup full-cream milk
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 1⅓ cups wholemeal self-raising flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten lightly
- 70g roasted macadamia nuts, chopped roughly
- Pre-heat the oven to 140C fan-forced and grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- In a small saucepan, stir the coconut oil, sugar, milk and coffee until everything has melted together.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and cinnamon together then stir in the coconut oil mixture.
- Add the eggs and half of the nuts and stir them through.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 10 minutes.
- Take the tin out and scatter the rest of the nuts over the top then return it to the oven for another 30-45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave the loaf to rest in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- You may not be able to resist slicing into it while it’s still warm. That’s perfectly ok.
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Okay back to me. Isn’t that a gorgeous loaf cake? This recipe is a keeper. Thank you so much, Claire!
And yes, I’m very sweet but it’s because I eat so much cake! Follow Claire’s blog at clairekcreations.com, find her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest too. You’ll be smitten just like I was. With Claire, that smile is real and as they say in Tennessee.. “she’s good people.”
G’day! Love the flavor combination, TRUE!
Your photos are GREAT, warm and welcoming me to enjoy a slice of this too! Thank you!
Cheers! Joanne
What’s On The List
http://www.whatsonthelist.net
Isn’t that the truth? Those photos come alive!
What a delicious loaf! I love coffee and I love macadamia nuts!
Me too! They are not only delicious, they are native to Australia and they’re good for you.
Holy Moly, ladies, this bread looks fabulous!!!
I think it’s cake but it probably has the texture of a banana or other quick bread. Thanks Ashley!
This does look lovely – I like my coffee in the regular way and in baked goods, so this sounds wonderful!
I’d love to see what you come up with for a loaf cake, Kari!
That is a gorgeous cake, absolutely melt-in-mouth perfect – so nice to meet you Claire 😀
Cheers
CCU
You haven’t met Claire??? What? can that be true? OMG you need to correct this. 🙂 She’s SUCH a good blogging friend. to everyone!
Aww two of my favourite bloggers together! 😀
LOL aren’t we cute? 🙂 You should see us in the same room. So much smiling you need sunglasses.
Wow, Claire is gorgeous. If her cooking is anything like her 1,000-watt smile, heaven help us!
lol we ARE in trouble 🙂
Lovely to meet Claire through you, Maureen. I know, *hangs head in shame*. I wish I could get around more blogs. This cake does look rather yummily special. Do we get to look like Claire if we eat enough of it? Love both of your smiles! Now, I need a cure of macadamia nuts.
LOL After much research the answer to your question is no. how she can be that slim and gorgeous and eat the way she does – well it’s criminal. I only have to have one whiff to put on 10 pounds.
Maureen: I think coffee and nuts pair together so well. I bet this is a great cake to eat any time of the day. Mmmmm!!!!
I couldn’t agree more 🙂
What a clever piping bag solution, thank you Maureen and Claire.
We adore macadamia nuts too but they are horrifically expensive in Canada.
the piping bag solution is effn brilliant!!! it’s the only way I do it now. I never made a video though 🙂
Nice to meet you Claire! I think Maureen has made so many great friends while blogging – it is so nice she shares them with all of us. That bread looks scrumptious – I would love a slice!
That’s such a kind thing to say, Eileen! thank you
Two of my favorite bloggers on one page, how cool! I thought I was the second mother to Claire but I guess we can share her Maureen. I guess. 🙂
Claire, so fun to see you here, your pictures are so amazing and make me want to sneak a piece or two of this yummy stuff right out of the computer!
You be her mother and I’ll be her grandmother, how’s that?
Just looking at these photos made my mouth water! This is such a beautiful cake. I need to head over to Claire’s blog! It seems like I discover all of my favorite blogs through other blogs. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe Maureen & Claire!
Thanks so much for coming by and that is a lovely cake with beautiful photos.
I love loaf cakes and the changes you have made sound perfect Claire. Maureen, one of the best things for me about blogging has been meeting some wonderful like minded people. We have a special bond. I hold you and Claire very dearly in my likey to have met bloggy heart
LOL I feel the same way about you, Tania!
Super looking cake! And lovely post. That piping bag tip is wonderful – I don’t often using a piping bag (I don’t have the decorating gene) but I should really do it more, and this takes most of the mess out of it. Good stuff – thanks.
I don’t pipe much but I have done a lot more knowing that there’s almost nothing to cleaning up afterward.
I loved the icing tutorial!!! How simple and fuss free, i will have to try it myself.
I love macadamia nuts to so I will have to check out the recipe for closely 😉 Yum!
You’ll love the piping method. I’ve been using it for ages and won’t do anything else.
I love your loaf, Claire and will go check out some of your other ecipes.
You’ll love her food blog !
I love cooking with macadamias. What a great looking cake and lovely to see Claire on your site xx
Isn’t Claire cute, Charlie? It was only because of you that I got to meet Claire in person at your holiday digs in Noosa. 🙂
What a wonderful guest blog post…. I love macadamia nuts and most of all I love that you used coconut oil in the recipe. 🙂 YUM! Well done. 🙂
If you met Claire in person you’d smile from ear to ear. She’s got that kind of personality to bring out the best in people.
A gorgeous cake and flavor combination! I bet it tastes wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
What a beautiful loaf!!! Well done and your photos left me craving a piece.
Everything Claire makes is as good to look at as it is to eat. She’s a clever one!
Wow – sounds rich, rich, rich to me. Macadamia nuts are so buttery just by themselves!
Macadamia nuts are rich but they are really good for us too.
The bread sounds delicious and I do like the syran wrap trick with the piping bag. It really will make cleanup a breeze.
Hi Mireya, let us know how you get on with the piping bag technique?
It looks like another great cake recipe 🙂 I love nuts, cinamon and coffee combination.. I can smell it, yumm!
Hi Agnes and thanks for stopping by. It is a gorgeous cake, isn’t it?
Claire’s blog is great isn’t it? This cake looks really tasty and the photos are fab. I love macadamias, definitely a cake to try. GG
I couldn’t agree more!
Mmmmm, Maureen, you’ve put me in the mood for some macadamia nut recipes — heading for Hawaii in one week and hopefully I’ll have something as sweet and delightful as your loaf cake! Lovely photos!
Aloha,
Roz
Macadamia nuts are native to Australia but the Hawaiians turned them into a household word in the states. I hope you have a wonderful time there! I’m just a bit jealous.
Wow what a lovely introduction Maureen you are too sweet! x
I calls ’em like I sees ’em.
What a wonderful story thank you so much for your support.
Just so you and all your readers know we have a new website which is http://www.australian-macadamias.org
Lots of recipes and great macadamia information.
Cheers 🙂
Thanks heaps for coming by and giving us the new link. You’ve got great recipes!
You know, in my experience living on both continents, I’ve actually found that North Americans seem to love macadamias even more than Australians. Maybe because they’re less common?
I remain a pistachio/almond girl, but I do love sweet coffee desserts!
The American company really promotes macadamia nuts well. It’s something the Australian Macadamia Society is working on I think. 🙂
that’s an amazing recipe and like you I like macadamia nuts in EVERYTHING just a shame that they’re quite expensive if not I would eat them even more 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe!!! Thanks for sharing Maureen and Claire!
What a perfectly lovely recipe to share when life is stressful. 🙂 I love macadamia nuts too – and am looking forward to grocery shopping on Wednesday so I can snag some. 🙂
Good for you, make sure you let us know when you’ve made something special to look at. 🙂 I love macadamias too.
Oh mine ! Macadamia Loaf cake! That’s truly orgasmic!
Oh how I wish I had a slice of this Coffee & Macadamia Loaf with my tea this afternoon. Are you ladies express ship by any chance?! 🙂
We could for the right price 🙂 LOL
Two wonderful chefs in the one kitchen! What a gorgous recipe 🙂 I especially love the piping technique, its genius!
you will LOVE that technique 🙂
BEAUTIFUL loaf!! Claire, so nice to meet you. The cake looks positively divine. Would love to have a slice.
me too 🙂
I’m trying to avoid dessert posts as I already have a sizeable list of desserts that I’d like to make at some point and don’t really need to add more items … unless they’re REALLY intriguing. This loaf does look lovely though the macadamia nuts are a pricier nut choice than I’m prepared to make for something I’m going to have to give away after a slice, or two. 🙂
I’d make this cake, slice it and freeze it with baking paper in between the slices. 🙂
Knowing that they were in the freezer would tempt me to dig out a slice every day until they were all gone. I don’t need the temptation as I have NO resistance. 🙂
I’ll admit that I am guilty of that on occasion.
Hi Claire! Your coffee macadamia loaf cake looks fabulous! I love macadamia nuts. I actually have never used icing before, but now I know the coolest trick when I use it. The second shot with slices… I’m ready to grab one!
yes, now you can pipe icing without making a mess, Name!
This is WOW. The cake looks so scrumptious and tempting. I have never had loaf cake, so i need to give a try on this. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
And a lot of talking about Claire gives me a idea how good she is with food and specially baking. From here, I go straight to Claire’s site and treat myself with some lovely creations. Thank you so much. Lovely blog.
Thanks very much and you’re right – Claire is a fan tastic cook.
Is the 125 coconut oil the same as 1 & 1/4 cup?
This is Claire Cameron’s recipe and I suspect that’s 125 grams of coconut oil which is a bit less than 2/3 of a cup. (more than half a cup but less than 2/3)
It is looking so yummy with nuts. I love nuts in cakes. Can I use any other oil except coconut oil.
What a delicious cake. It is looking so yummy with nuts.
Very nice article of loaf cake
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
And a lot of talking about Claire gives me a idea how good she is with food and specially baking. From here, I go straight to Claire’s site and treat myself with some lovely creations. Thank you so much. Lovely blog.
A Perfect Combination for Both Coffee and Cake Lover
Great Recipe i have ever seen
Thanks for Sharing
This looks delicious. My nana loves macadamia nuts. I’m going to bake this for her.
looks great. Gonna try it on weekend. Drooling already.
Looks yummy, surely gonna try
The recipe looks absolutely great & delicious. I will defiinitely try it