FOOD
The Great British Bake Offf finalist Sandro Farmhouse won the hearts of a nation in 2022 and these scrumptious bakes from his debut cookbook are guaranteed to put a smile on your face
ESPRESSO MARTINI CHEESECAKE
Serves 8 Takes 1 hour 50 minutes, plus overnight chilling
INGREDIENTS For the base
• 1 x 250g pack speculoos biscuits (I use Biscoff)
• 80g/3¼oz unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake
• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 600g/1lb 5oz cream cheese
• 30g/1¼oz plain flour
• 200g/7oz light soft brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 150ml/¼pt sour cream
• 4 tbsp coffee liqueur
To decorate
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• Chocolate coffee beans
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
1. Grease and line with baking parchment a 20cm/8in round springform cake tin, then wrap it with 2 layers of thick foil, all the way up to the top edge. Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5.
2. For the base, crush the speculoos biscuits to a fine crumb, then stir through the melted butter. Press into the base of the prepared tin in an even layer and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then set aside while you make the filling. Turn the oven down to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the instant coffee and boiling water, then set aside to cool.
4. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a mixing bowl and hand-held electric whisk), beat the cream cheese, plain flour and brown sugar together until fluffy – around 3-4 minutes.
5. In a measuring jug, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, coffee liqueur and cooled brewed coffee until smooth, then slowly add this into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared tin.
6. Place the tin in a deep roasting tray and pour a kettle of boiling water into the tray. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the middle is still slightly wobbly.
7. Once done, put a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it ajar and leave the cheesecake in the oven until the oven has cooled down completely, then transfer the tin to the fridge and leave it there overnight.
8. When ready to serve, release the cheesecake from the tin and place on a plate. To decorate, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then swoosh it over the top of the cheesecake like the foam on an espresso martini. Decorate with chocolate coffee beans and a dusting of cocoa. W
Sandro Farmhouse is on a mission to share his love of baking, with even just a quick flick through his debut cookbook bound to leave you smitten by the line-up of delicious bakes.
And although he didn’t win The Great British Bake Off crown, Sandro recalls that he felt like a champion after reaching the final of the popular Channel 4 show in 2022.
