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Black Walnut Coffee Cake Recipe

 Forget what you think you know about dry, crumbly coffee cake. I’m about to blow your mind with this black walnut coffee cake recipe.

Throughout my entire life, if our family went on vacation, my mom made two things: what she calls her “travel brownies” – and this decadent black walnut coffee cake. It’s a family favorite and I’m so excited to share it with you! Now, if you’ve never had black walnut extract before, you’re in for a serious treat. It’s a tough ingredient to find in-store, but my sister discovered an awesome online option that will last for years (especially if you’re only using it for special occasion foods such as this). Sure, you can make this recipe without the black walnut extract, but I will say that it makes a big difference in the flavor! To have the ultimate experience, you’ll want that sweet and smoky key ingredient.

When my husband and I met, I realized for the first time that a lot of people associate coffee cake with being very dry and crumbly. That is not the case with this one! It could be the copious amounts of butter (this is definitely not a healthy treat, by any means) but let me tell you, it is dense and moist and utterly divine. It’s about the only coffee cake that he will eat – and when I made it for this particular blog post, he helped himself to two pieces right out of the oven!

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This treat can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert!

Once you’ve poured yourself a steaming hot cup of coffee (or spiced mocha), slice a piece of the coffee cake and take a moment to yourself to just indulge in the rich sweetness and appreciate life a little bit more.

Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Black Walnut Coffee Cake

Black walnut extract may not be frequently used anymore, but it creates a rich and delicious flavor in this moist, dense coffee cake from my childhood.
Cook Time40 mins

Ingredients

Batter

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp black walnut extract
  • 1 cup milk (regular or non-dairy)
  • 3 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Topping

  • 4 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup walnuts finely chopped

Drizzle

  • ½ cup butter melted

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Grease a 9×13 pan
  • In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar
  • Add three eggs (one at a time) mixing after each
  • Add both of the extracts and mix thoroughly
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt
  • To the egg/sugar mixture, alternately add the cup of milk and the flour mixture
  • Pour half the batter into 9×13 pan
  • Combine topping ingredients
  • Sprinkle half of the topping mixture over batter
  • Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over top and spread evenly
  • Sprinkle the remaining topping mixture on top and drizzle with melted butter
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean
  • Allow to cool
  • When cool, top with glaze in a criss-cross manner

Will you be testing out this recipe?

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Comments

  8. This looks so tasty!!! I’ve been meaning to get back into baking lately and I’ve been needing some fancy new recipes to add to my repertoire. I’m going to have to try this one out for sure ❤️

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Even in my family, not my mother but my mother-in-law, I grew up with some “vacation” recipes. I love your cake, it looks exquisite, can’t wait to try it!!!

    Reply

  15. Okay, coffee and walnuts, two of my favourites so I can’t really pass on this! I will have to get the black walnut extract and bake this! I can already imagine it with a steaming cup of coffee in hand and a great read, dreams! Thank you for sharing x

    Reply

  18. This cake looks amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever had something like this before but definitely want to try

    Reply

  25. 5 stars
    This is going into my recipe book! Pretty to behold and divine to partake of. I have never tried a black walnut coffee cake before, but all things moist and delicious have my name somewhere in them.
    Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

  27. This looks and sounds amazing! It’s so funny that you shared this today. I have been eyeing a black walnut cake recipe in my grandma’s cookbook for months now! I will have to check and see how similar this one is. Either way, I’m going to try it soon!

    Reply

  28. I’ve never had black walnut extract but I’m very intrigued. We are big fans of moist coffee cake around here – dry coffee cake just doesn’t do it for me! Wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  29. okay i am absolutely DROOLING! I am usually hopeless at baking but this one looks worth a shot! thanks for sharing Steph.

    xx rebecca // thecrystalpress.com

    Reply

  31. Walnut cake is one of my mums favourite cakes! So this recipe I definitely want to try and attempt for her, because I am sure she will appreciate it. Thanks for sharing x

    Reply

  36. Wow, this cake looks utterly delish! I absolutely love coffee cake so this is right up my street. I’ll defiantly be giving this a go. Thank you for sharing! Xo

    Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

    Reply

  40. Oh my gosh! This looks entirely too amazing. Seeing that icing sells me on it alone. Ha! I’ve never had coffee cake with walnuts in it – I’ll have to test this recipe out. So yum!

    Reply

  41. 5 stars
    I’m not the biggest fan of nuts but this cake might make me into one– it looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I didn’t even know walnut extract existed?? Will definitely be making this!

    Reply

  42. This looks and sounds so delicious! My hubby loves coffee cake! I’ll have to save this recipe for a surprise brekkie for him!

    Xo , Steph

    Reply

  48. Who doesn’t love a good coffee cake? This one looks delicious! You could eat this in the morning or in the afternoon with a cup of coffee. Yummy!

    Reply

  50. 5 stars
    This looks better than any other coffee cake I’ve had! I’ll have to see where I can find black walnut extract and then I’m going to make. I think it’ll be yummy to have over Easter weekend.

    Reply

  51. We are taking a mini trip for spring break to do some hiking. I was just saying that I should bake some muffins to bring with us for an easy breakfast before we head out for a day on the trails, buuuttt…I think I should make this coffee cake instead! That texture looks so decadent!

    Reply

  54. Oh, this coffee cake recipe sounds delicious! I usually make one with pecans, so I’ll have to give this black walnut one a try!

    Reply

  55. 5 stars
    I love walnut coffee cake but I haven’t had it in years. This recipe makes me reminisce of warm cups of tea with grandma watching reruns of 70s TV

    Reply

  56. I could probably eat coffee cake every day of my life and be okay with it, especially when there are such fun varieties out there like this one! I haven’t really used black walnut, but the ingredient always feels like a very Appalachia thing to me. I’ve been exploring that region’s cooking a bit more lately, so I would love to try working with it!

    Reply

  57. Coffee cake is one of my favorite sweets EVER! This recipe looks so easy and delicious – it’s definitely something I want to try!

    Reply

  60. You must know that this is not only MY coffee cake recipe but it was my mom’s recipe and my grandmother’s recipe. Therefore it’s your great-grandmothers recipe!! It’s sooooo good!!
    Black walnut extract is hard to find these days but it makes the cake for sure. You can still get it online if you can’t find it in stores.
    I recall the smell of this cake filling the house when I was a little girl, just as you do. Isn’t this amazing!!

    Reply

  64. Never saw recipe on your page before but this one was nicely laid out. Generations recipes are the best and tried out. I think it’s the milk that gives it the softness. good one! Xx
    Isa A. Blogger

    Reply

  67. 5 stars
    I am going to search for black walnut extract on Amazon because this looks sooooo lush – I can’t believe this is a coffee cake! I generally do not enjoy coffee cake but this one sounds too good to pass, so will make it as soon as I can get my paws on the extract x

    Reply

  69. Wowowow that looks so yummy! I love walnuts! Totally going to make it this weekend when it’s cold so I can snuggle up with a yummy pastry with my coffee!

    Reply

  70. 5 stars
    This sounds so delicious! I haven’t had coffee cake since I started college and now I’m totally craving it. Over the summer I went on vacation to Michigan and had coffee cake nearly everyday, now I’m missing it so much!

    Reply

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