Espresso martini cocktail fancies

Method

• step 1

  Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 30 x 20cm tin and line with baking parchment. Put the cake ingredients in a bowl except for the liqueur. Whisk until smooth using an electric whisk, then transfer to the tin, smooth out and bake for 30-35mins until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely.

• step 2

  Meanwhile, for the filling, whisk the butter, icing sugar and milk together until smooth, then transfer to a piping bag.

• step 3

  When the cake is cold, slice off the top so it’s flat, turn over, trim and cut into neat, approx. 4cm squares (four squares across and seven down). You should have 28. Dip each one briefly in the liqueur and sit dipped-side up. Put a tiny dot of chocolate spread on top of each cake, then pipe a raspberry-sized ball of the buttercream filling on top of each one.

• step 4

  For the icing, mix the espresso powder with 1 tsp water to dissolve, then mix with the fondant icing sugar and enough water to make it a condensed milk consistency. Put the cakes on wire racks set over trays to catch the drips, then coat each one in the icing. The best way to do this is to hold each one over the bowl of icing on a slotted spoon then generously drizzle over the icing with a tablespoon. Remove from the slotted spoon with a cutlery knife and sit on the rack to dry. Decorate with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a chocolate- covered coffee bean. Serve in cake cases, if you like. Will keep for two days in an airtight container.
  Why not also try our piña colada and strawberry daiquiri fancies?