Cold coffee and cream cake

The cold coffee and cream cake is a delicious and refreshing dessert, ideal for an indulgent break or to conclude a meal. Here is how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 300 ml of cold espresso coffee
• 500 ml of whipping cream
• 200 g of dry biscuits (such as ladyfingers)
• 100 g of powdered sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (for dusting)
• 4 sheets of fish gelatin (or 8 g of powdered gelatine, if you prefer)

Preparation

1. Start by soaking the fish gelatin sheets in cold water for about 10 minutes to soften them.
2. Take a portion of the whipping cream (about 100 ml) and heat it without bringing it to a boil. Squeeze the fish gelatin sheets from their soaking water and add them to the warm cream, stirring until completely dissolved.
3. In a bowl, whip the rest of the cream with the powdered sugar until it reaches a firm consistency.
4. Gently fold the gelatin cream into the whipped cream, being careful not to deflate it.
5. Take a springform pan and line the bottom with a disc of parchment paper.
6. Start composing the dessert by laying a layer of biscuits quickly soaked in cold espresso coffee. Be careful not to soak them too much to prevent breaking.
7. Pour a layer of cream over the biscuits and level with a spatula.
8. Continue alternating layers of biscuits and cream until all ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of cream.
9. Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or even better, overnight.
10. Before serving, dust the surface of the cold coffee cake with unsweetened cocoa powder for a final touch of flavor and decoration.

Curiosity

The cold coffee and cream cake is a variant of the more famous tiramisù, with the difference that it does not contain eggs and presents more like a no-bake cheesecake. In Italy, coffee is much loved and is often used in confectionery for its intense flavor and its power to contrast with the sweetness of creams and desserts.