No-Bake Coffee and Cream Cake

The no-bake coffee and cream cake is a delicious and refreshing dessert, ideal for a sweet break or to conclude a meal. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 300 ml cold espresso coffee
• 500 ml whipping cream
• 200 g dry biscuits (ladyfinger type)
• 100 g powdered sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (for dusting)
• 4 sheets of fish gelatin (or 8 g powdered gelatin, 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 hot cream, stirring until completely dissolved.
3. In a bowl, whip the remaining cream with the powdered sugar until it reaches a firm consistency.
4. Gently fold the cream with gelatin into the whipped cream, being careful not to deflate it.
5. Take a springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
6. Begin assembling the cake by starting with a layer of biscuits quickly dipped in the cold espresso coffee. Be careful not to soak them too much to avoid breaking.
7. Pour a layer of cream over the biscuits and level it with a spatula.
8. Continue alternating layers of biscuits and cream until the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of cream.
9. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or even better, overnight.
10. Before serving, dust the surface of the no-bake coffee cake with unsweetened cocoa powder for a final touch of flavor and decoration.

Trivia

The no-bake coffee and cream cake is a variant of the more well-known tiramisu, with the difference that it does not contain eggs and is more like a no-bake cheesecake. In Italy, coffee is very loved and is often used in pastry for its intense flavor and its ability to contrast with the sweetness of creams and desserts.