LOUISA ELLIS:

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT & COFFEE CAKE

Learn how to create this delicious chocolate biscuit and coffee cake from MasterChef Champion Louisa Ellis.

LOUISA ELLIS:

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT & COFFEE CAKE RECIPE

For this month’s Michelin moment, we have partnered with Louisa Ellis, both a finalist and winner of MasterChef. Chef Ellis created a Chocolate Biscuit & Coffee Cake, a perfect choice for all home cooks. You can quite easily set this cake into any mould/cake tin so long as it is lined with baking paper. It’s so simple, all you have to do is mix everything together and allow time for it to set. Perfect if you don’t have a lot of time!

INGREDIENTS

100g of slightly crushed digestives/rich tea biscuits
65g of mini marshmallows or chopped large marshmallows
65g of chopped pecans plus extra whole pecans to decorate
120ml double cream
2 x ristretto shots of Difference Coffee (60ml)
200g of dark chocolate
25g of caster sugar
50g of white/caramel chocolate

METHOD

Bring the cream & sugar to the boil. Pour the hot cream & coffee mixture over the chocolate and whisk together until incorporated. Mix the biscuits, marshmallow & chopped pecans in a bowl with the chocolate mix and set into desired moulds. I’ve set mine into a silicone dome mould, but you can also set into a tray lined with baking paper and cut into even slices. If using a silicone mould, place into the freezer on a flat tray for 6 hours or until firm. If you are using a cake tin/tray, place into the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours until set. Melt the white/caramel chocolate in a bowl over a bain marie (pan of boiling water). Pop out the biscuit cake from the moulds onto a tray or portion the cake into slices if not using a mould. Drizzle with the melted chocolate and decorate with the whole pecans. Enjoy with a cup of Difference coffee!

ABOUT CHEF LOUISA ELLIS

Luton-born Louisa Ellis was an enthusiastic cook throughout her childhood, and after attending culinary college she began an impressive career path starting in the kitchens of multi-Rosette hotels. Building upon a broad experience spanning restaurant, room service, brasserie and banquet catering, Ellis fulfilled an early career goal in moving to Michelin-starred restaurants. In Birmingham, she worked at Adam’s Restaurant, followed by The Wilderness, a 24-seat restaurant specializing in modern British cuisine. Ellis attributes her passion for elevated cuisine and attention to detail to her experiences in these acclaimed kitchens.

While cooking at The Wilderness in 2017, Ellis successfully applied to compete on MasterChef: The Professionals. She finished in the final three as the only female finalist, at the age of just 22. Her career continued its ascent with a position at Sat Bains, a two-Michelin star restaurant in Nottingham. Next came a return to MasterChef in 2020, with Ellis ultimately winning the competition. She celebrates this victory as “My biggest achievement to date.”

Louisa Ellis is currently a private chef based in Nottingham. She creates tasting menus for events nationwide and sold-out a series of restaurant take-overs. During the pandemic, Ellis launched a successful “Heat at Home” service to continue feeding first-class cuisine to appreciative customers. Among them are NHS staff and emergency service workers who receive a special deal.

DISCOVER THE WORLD'S RAREST COFFES

OUR COLLECTION OF AWARD WINNING COFFEES

Why not enjoy our 3 best selling coffees: Hawaii Kona, Jamaica Blue Mountain and Wild Kopi Luwak. This classic Trio is all you will need to start the journey of discovery to the world's rarest classic coffees.

SHOP NOW