Skip to main content

Frozen Espresso Cheesecake

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes one 10 x 5-inch cake; serves 10

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely ground chocolate wafer cookies (8 ounces; about 35 cookies)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
4 1/2 teaspoons good-quality instant espresso powder (such as Medaglia d’Oro)
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 pounds mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 ounces hard torrone (Italian nougat), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Stir together the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl; set aside.

    Step 2

    Put the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, the espresso, and salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thick, about 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and vanilla by hand until smooth. Stir in the torrone; set aside.

    Step 3

    Beat the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a clean mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream with a rubber spatula into mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate.

    Step 4

    Line a 10 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Pour one-third of the mascarpone mixture into the lined pan; even the layer with an offset spatula. Evenly top with half of the crumb mixture; press the crumbs gently. Repeat to make a second layer of mascarpone mixture and crumbs. Top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Loosely fold over the parchment and plastic wrap. Freeze at least 3 hours, or overnight.

    Step 5

    To serve, let the cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Set the loaf pan in a larger pan; pour cold water into the pan to reach three-quarters up the sides of the loaf pan. Let stand 10 seconds. Holding the parchment, lift out the cake. Invert onto a plate; peel off the plastic and parchment. Let stand 10 minutes more before serving.

The cookbook cover with a blue background and fine typeface.
Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
Read More
Like spicy carrot rigatoni and weeknight-fancy ravioli with peas.
Like lemony baked salmon and strawberry shortcake roll.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
A warmly spiced Ashkenazi charoset, perfect for your Passover seder—or spooned over yogurt the next morning.
Crispy, Parmesan-crusted cutlets make this spring dish sing.
A feel-good dinner designed to cram a ton of veg in each serving.