Affogato cakes

MAKES 10 // PREP + COOK TIME 50 MINS (PLUS COOLING, STANDING)

Affogato, meaning “drowned” in Italian, is an instant dessert, made by dousing ice-cream with a shot of hot espresso and liqueur. This version is almost as simple – a hazelnut-based cake topped with a scoop of ice-cream, drenched with a hazelnut liqueur and coffee syrup.

185 gm (1¼ cups) self-raising flour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 90 gm (¾ cup) hazelnut meal 275 gm (1¼ cups) caster sugar 100 gm butter, melted

3 eggs

2 tbsp milk

125 ml (½ cup) strong espresso, cooled (see note) 1 litre (4 cups) vanilla bean ice-cream

COFFEE SYRUP

220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar 80 ml hazelnut liqueur

(see note)

125 ml (½ cup) strong espresso 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 10 holes of a 12-hole mini cheesecake tin with removable bases; line bases and sides with baking paper.

2 Sift flour, cocoa and soda into a large bowl, then stir in hazelnut meal and sugar.

Add butter, eggs, milk and coffee, and whisk until smooth. Spoon mixture into holes.

3 Bake cakes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (25 minutes).

4 Meanwhile, scoop ice-cream into 10 balls; place on a chilled tray. Freeze until ready to serve. 5 For the coffee syrup, combine sugar and liqueur in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until sugar dissolves (2 minutes). Bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, until syrup thickens (3 minutes). Cool slightly, stir in coffee then cool to room temperature. 6 Stand cakes in tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a large plate. Drizzle with half the syrup. Serve cakes topped with ice-cream and remaining syrup.

Note We used Frangelico in the syrup. Cakes and syrup can be made up to 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated separately. Warm cakes and syrup before serving.