COOKIES AND CREAM LAYER CAKE

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder

1 tbsp hot water

700ml double cream

100ml Kahlúa or Tia Maria

4 tbsp icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

375g Lotus Biscoff biscuits

To serve:

dark chocolate curls

fresh blackberries

fresh coffee beans, roughly chopped

1 tsp cocoa powder

chilled Tia Maria

METHOD

1. Stir the coffee powder into the hot water to dissolve and set aside to cool. Liberally brush a 20cm loose-bottomed, springform tin and line with cling film. Set to one side. Place the cream in a large bowl, add the Kahlúa, icing sugar, vanilla extract and the cooled coffee. Whip until soft peaks form.

2. To assemble the cake, line the base of the tin with biscuits, filling any gaps with broken biscuits. Spread a thin layer of the coffee cream over the biscuits and then top with another layer of biscuits. Repeat until you have 6 layers of biscuits, finally finishing with a layer of cream. Cover with cling film and chill overnight in the fridge.

3. When you’re ready to serve, loosen the sides of the cake tin, remove the cling film from the sides of the cake and lift off the base on to a serving platter. Scatter with chocolate curls, blackberries, coffee beans and cocoa powder. Slice and serve with a chilled glass of Tia Maria.

Coffee liqueur know-how…

Tia Maria is a dark liqueur made from coffee, vanilla and Jamaican rum, and Kahlúa is pretty much the same, but made in Mexico – so feel free to substitute depending on what you have available. If you want to go teetotal with this dish, double up on the amount of coffee mixture, add an extra teaspoon of vanilla and add more icing sugar to taste