Sweet and creamy with the distinctive bitter flavor of coffee, this luscious cheesecake makes a fabulous dessert or a treat to serve with coffee.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

• 140 g/5 oz finely ground digestive crumbs
• 55 g/2 oz butter, melted
• 570 g/1 lb 4 oz mascarpone
• 5 tablespoons creme fraiche
• 4 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 4 tablespoons boiling water
• 100 g/3 oz caster sugar, plus 1½ tablespoon for the topping
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 240 ml/8 fl oz sour cream
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Method:

Grease a 20-cm/8-inch round springform cake tin. Stir the crumbs into the melted butter. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the prepared tin, pressing down to make an even base. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Beat together the mascarpone and creme fraiche until smooth, then stir in the coffee and caster sugar. Stir in the eggs until well mixed. Wrap the base and sides of the springform tin in two layers of foil, then pour in the mascarpone mixture. Place the tin in a roasting tin and pour water around it to reach half to two-third of the way up the sides. Bake for about 50 minutes until set but still soft.

Stir the remaining sugar into the sour cream. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and gently spoon the sour cream on top. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool. Chill for at least 4 hours. Turn out the cheesecake and dust with cocoa powder.