Think of Chocolate Hazelnut Affogato as an adult ice cream float. Instead of fizzy pop poured over ice cream, you have hot bold espresso laced with Frangelico liqueur. Gently melting and swirling with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream and toasted hazelnuts. Incredibly easy and oh so good.
The term Affogato is Italian for “drowned” whereby one drowns their ice cream with hot espresso. There are many variations out there and it’s fun to be creative by using flavoured espressos, other flavours of gelato or ice cream and of course different liqueurs. I personally love the combination of chocolate and coffee, so this Chocolate Hazelnut Affogato was exactly what I was craving.
This recipe also gave me cause to dust off my espresso machine which probably hadn’t been used for 6 years!! I know, it’s a shame. Call it life, laziness, or forgetfulness there’s little excuse not to have it out and ready for amazing coffee. My husband and I used to spend quality time together, making and enjoying frothy milk topped coffee swirled with flavoured syrup and sometimes caramel. I miss those days a lot! So now that my espresso maker is polished, primed and supplies purchased my excitement is renewed and serious coffee drinking can begin.
Preheat oven to 350℉. On a small baking sheet or pie plate, spread hazelnuts in a single layer and toast for 10-13 minutes until starting to turn golden. Allow to cool to room temperature and coarsely chop.
Combine heavy cream and icing sugar and whip until soft peaks form. Keep chilled until ready to use.
Brew 4 shots of espresso or use espresso powder as per product instructions. Combine with Frangelico liqueur.
Place a scoop of ice cream in individual serving dishes or glasses. Pour 1/4 of espresso/liqueur into each dish. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with chopped hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
Move over zucchini and pumpkin, squash takes the cake! Finely grated butternut squash gives way to moist and tender Squash Spice Cake. Yes, it is widely known that zucchini makes for moist muffins, cakes and loaves, but wait right there!! What about squash, doesn’t it deserve the same recognition? It does and as far as I’m concerned it’s very much undervalued in the cake and muffin world. I think because we are all mildly obsessed with using zucchini and pumpkin in our baking right now we’re overlooking an equal rival. So today I bring the squash front and center in this lovely Squash Spice Cake.
This cake is every bit as moist as its zucchini counterpart but with a subtle sweetness that zucchini lacks. What is important in this recipe is to use a fine grater, like the one you would use to grate fresh parmesan cheese. It needs to be quite fine in order to cook down and soften in the time it takes for the cake to bake. A light spice and toasted hazelnuts creates interest and crunch, plus it makes the house smell wonderful.
What I love about this recipe is the gorgeous burnished copper colour that this cake takes on. It’s moist, tender and ready to go head to head with any zucchini cake around. Enjoy!
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt, set aside.
Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, incorporating after each. Whisk in sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.
Whisk in dry ingredients and combine until just incorporated.
Stir in squash and 1 cup of the hazelnuts.
Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Icing
Beat together butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and 2 cups of icing sugar, beat until smooth. Spread evenly onto cooled cake and top with remaining 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts. Cut into 24 pieces.
Recipe Notes
Peel butternut squash then split in half lengthwise. Cut into large chunks and grate using a fine grater. It is essential to use the fine grates (like you would use to grate parmesan cheese). The finely grated squash will cook in the time the cake takes to bake.
The brown sugar in the icing will dissolve as it gets beaten with the cream cheese and butter.
Recent Comments