I want to include fondant fanciers because they are fun format of quite a ‘basic’ recipe we all know and love. However, due to the inevitable use of lashing of fondant I’ve always found them too sweet. By including the bitterness of coffee as a prevalent flavour note throughout, we help to moderate this sweetness.
P.s These are such ugly f*ckers but they were too delicious to mark up as a failure. Despite their appearance, they made the cut.
RECIPE:
LATTE COFFEE SPONGE
225g SOFT BUTTER
225g CASTER SUGAR
1 TBSP GROUND COFFEE
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
4 WHOLE MEDIUM EGGS
225g SELF-RAISING FLOUR
50ml MILK
MOCHA GANACHE
250g 65% CHOCOLATE
2 SHOTS OF ESPRESSO
200ml DOUBLE CREAM
VANILLA MASCARPONE
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
100g MASCARPONE CHEEES
100ml DOUBLE CREAM
AMERICANO ICING
500g FONDANT ICING
100ml BLACK COFFEE- AMERICANO
BEFORE YOU START…
Preheat your oven to 160c (fan oven, 170c for other, less powerful ovens)
Grease and line a square 20cm baking tin
METHOD:
FOR THE LATTE COFFEE SPONGE…
Cream the butter, vanilla, ground coffee and sugar until light and fluffy. Alternate adding the eggs and flour to the sugar and butter mixture, mixing just enough to evenly combine before adding the next inclusion.
Finish by folding through the milk to loosen mixture (and make the latte coffee) before transferring into the lined baking tin and baking for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden.
FOR THE MOCHA GANACHE…
Combine the espresso with the double cream in a pan and heat until steaming. Pour over the chocolate and mix until smooth.
Leave to thicken, covered in clingfilm, at room temperature until it’s spreadable.
Once your sponge has cooled cut in half horizontally and spread a thin layer between the two and use to sandwich them together. Set the sponge in the fridge for an hour or so before assembly.
FOR THE VANILLA MASCARPONE…
Mix the vanilla and mascarpone together until smooth. Gradually add the cream and mix until firm. Decant into a piping bag and set aside in the fridge until ready.
FOR THE AMERICANO ICING…
Mix until smooth. Adjusting the thickness if you prefer a thicker or thinner coating (for me I prefer thinner as the icing is very sweet and a thinner layer serves me better (although may not look as ‘aesthetic’)
To Finish: Cut your sponge into 16 equal pieces (or whatever shape you prefer!). If your ganache has set solid reheat it slightly until spreadable once more. Spread a thin layer of the ganache across each surface of the fancies. Pipe a dome on each of your fancies before pouring a layer of icing (as thick or thin as you like!) before finishing the fancies with a sprinkle of ground coffee.
