AFFOGATO CAKES

PREP + COOK TIME 50 MINUTES (+ COOLING) MAKES 10

1¼ cups (185g) self-raising flour 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

¾ cup (75g) hazelnut meal

(ground hazelnuts)

1¼ cups (275g) caster sugar

100g butter, melted

3 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

½ cup (125ml) strong espresso coffee,

cooled (see tips)

1 litre (4 cups) vanilla bean ice-cream

COFFEE SYRUP

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

1/3 cup (80ml) hazelnut-flavoured

liqueur

½ cup (125ml) hot strong espresso

coffee

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease 10 holes of a 12-hole (¾-cup/180ml) mini cheesecake pan with removable bases; line bases and sides with baking paper.

2 Sift flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl; stir in hazelnut meal and sugar. Add butter, eggs, milk and coffee; whisk until smooth. Spoon mixture into holes.

3 Bake cakes for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean.

4 Meanwhile, scoop ice-cream into 10 balls; place on a chilled tray.

Freeze until ready to serve.

5 Make coffee syrup.

6 Leave cakes in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a large plate. Drizzle with half the syrup. Serve cakes warm or cooled, topped with ice-cream and drizzled with remaining syrup. COFFEE SYRUP

Stir sugar and liqueur in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil, without stirring, for 3 minutes or until syrup thickens. Cool for 2 minutes. Stir in coffee; cool to room temperature. 5 Beat egg whites and remaining sugar in a clean large bowl with an electric mixer until medium peaks form (between soft and firm peaks). Fold egg white mixture into yolk mixture, in three batches, until just combined. Pour mixture into pan; gently smooth the surface.

6 Bake cake, turning halfway, for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Place a piece of baking paper, just larger than the pan, on a work surface. Immediately turn hot pan upside-down on the paper; leave to cool completely in this position.

7 Carefully run a small knife or thin metal spatula around the edge of the cake and the tube to help release cake from pan. Invert cake onto a cake stand or plate.

8 Make icing.

9 Spoon icing onto top of cake, allowing it to drip down over the edge. Dust the top of the cake with sifted extra green tea powder.

ICING

Sift icing sugar into a medium bowl. Gradually add enough milk, stirring, until icing is the consistency of thickened cream. Use immediately.