Espresso Martini Cake
If you’re looking for something special for Christmas Day, and you don’t want to make Christmas pudding or trifle or pavlova, here’s a lovely alternative!
Espresso Martini Cake makes the most of the flavours of the famous cocktail, transformed into a luscious mousse like cake encased In Savoiardi biscuits.
Good looking enough to grace any Christmas table and utterly delicious as well!
36 Savoiardi biscuits
2 free-range eggs
75g caster sugar
400g mascarpone
200g cream
40g or 4 tablespoons espresso coffee
100g coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons cocoa
100g chopped chocolate + 50g extra chocolate for the topping
150mls cream, whipped, extra for “espresso” topping
You will need a 20 cm springform tin for this cake.
Take 12 of the Savoiardi biscuits and break into rough pieces. Put these into a ziplock bag or similar and bash with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. You want small pieces and crumbs.
Scatter half over the base of the springform tin. Trim the remaining Savoiardi biscuits by cutting off a third from the bottom of each one. This will help them sit flat in the tin, also, it’s easier to fill the cake when the biscuits are not too high.
Put the eggs and caster sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, and mix on medium high speed until the mixture is pale and thick and increased in volume. Beat in the mascarpone slowly at medium speed. Then add the cream and continue beating on medium speed until the cream is incorporated.
Add the coffee and coffee liqueur, and beat on medium until thick. Be careful at this stage because if you over beat you will curdle the mixture.
Carefully fold in the cocoa. Stir through the chocolate rubble.
Spoon half the mixture into the springform tin. Scatter the other half of the biscuit pieces over the mixture. Spoon the remaining mixture on top.
Remove to the fridge and chill for several hours and preferably overnight so that the cake can set.
When ready to serve, take the springform tin from the fridge and carefully remove the outer ring. Transfer the unmoulded cake to a large plate or cake stand. Don’t even attempt to get it off the base - it’s far too fragile.
To serve, scatter more chopped chocolate over the top of the cake or you could grate chocolate instead. If you think it needs it, pipe a little whipped cream on the top to give the cake an expresso topping. Tying a ribbon round the cake is also a nice thing to do.
It keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days too!
TIPS AND TRICKS
*You may not need all the biscuits. The ring around the cake should take about 20 biscuits, but there may be some discrepancy in biscuit size. It’s always good to have some in reserve.