Monthly Archives: June 2026

Tiramisu Ice-Cream Cake

I have dragged this from the depths of the annals of Pane Amore e Cha Cha Cha as it deserves its new time in the spot light. This is ridiculously easy to make and you can kinda make as many layers as you want – just add more of one thing or another.

Ingredients

65ml espresso/strong black coffee
30ml marsala/sherry or Kahlua
A packet of sponge fingers, you may or may not use them all
Some vanilla ice cream, I used a tub of Yeo Valley Organic Madagascan Vanilla or about half of one batch of this home made stuff
About 50g of grated dark chocolate – but I now use hot chocolate flakes which makes the job SO MUCH NICER.

Line small loaf tin (about 6″ x 4″) with some parchment paper. 

All you do is mix together the coffee and liqueur. It’s easier if you put it into a shallow bowl. Then briefly dip each sponge finger in, front and back, and lay into the tin. When you’ve covered the base then spread on the ice cream – if you’ve made home made ice cream it’s wonderfully easy to do this at the point of making as it will be ‘soft serve’, otherwise just let your ice cream chambré a bit before using.

On top of the ice cream layer sprinkle on the chocolate flakes, then repeat: soaked sponge fingers, ice cream, chocolate. Finish with either a layer of soaked sponge fingers or ice cream/chocolate flakes. See how you go.

Cover the tin with cling film and freeze. I like to slice these about three hours after it’s been in the freezer so when you want one you can just coax it away from its mothership and easily have a slice. It can become difficult to slice if it’s been in the freezer for ages few days. But if you plan to serve it as a whole dessert then turn it out and leave it at room temperature (I mean be sensible here if it’s 40C then give it less time) for about 15 mins, slice and serve!

A very high cocoa content chocolate bar, with inclusions, that you make yourself.

As some of you know, I am the Guardian’s Chocolate Correspondent. My column comes out once a month on the last Wednesday of the month. I have a lot of chocolate in my life but I eat it modestly. And when I’m not testing I only eat chocolate that’s over 85% cocoa content.

Thing is, there’s not a huge amount out there that’s 85% with any sort of inclusions (bits in it) and I do like inclusions. So I decided to make my own.

You don’t need any special equipment and this recipe is infinitely adaptable but this is what I do.

200g of good chocolate. I use 85-100% cocoa but of course you use what you want
100g of almond butter
100g of inclusions. I use quinoa puffs, nuts, a few raisins, you get the idea. You get the idea. 20g of quinoa puffs is plenty incidentally, as any more and the bar will be overwhelmed. I don’t recommend puffing your own quinoa just buy ready made.
Orange zest – this elevates the entire chocolate into something wonderful.

Measure out the chocolate and the nut butter into a bowl that can sit atop a sauce pan of simmering water. Don’t let the water touch the underside of the bowl. Stir and take the bowl off the saucepan (be careful not to burn your fingers) before the chocolate is completely melted – when some of the pieces are starting to lose their shape and some of the chocolate is already melted. Continue stirring whilst off the heat.

If you find you’ve taken the chocolate off too early then just pop it back on top of the hot water (turn the heat under the saucepan off). When all the chocolate has melted down stir in the inclusions until everything is well coated and then pour into the base of a tin. I use a 3lb loaf tin lined with baking parchment. Put in fridge for about an hour. I keep it in the fridge there after. Slice into pieces and enjoy.

There’s nothing to stop you halving this recipe but obviously use a smaller loaf tin.