Espresso cheesecake

Preparation

Chilling is the secret to perfecting this espresso cheesecake recipe; freezing the chocolate beforehand makes it easier to grate, and chill the cream, limoncello and even the whisk and bowl for 10 minutes before making the whipped topping to ensure glossy peaks. It's worth noting, too, that while this dessert is perfect for preparing ahead for a dinner party the cream topping is best made no more than 2 hours before serving.

1. Begin by preparing the cheesecake filling. Beat together the cream cheese, coffee, icing sugar and lemon zest until fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag and chill in the fridge until required.

2. For the base, crush the biscuits until they resemble breadcrumbs and mix through the lemon zest. Reserve a tablespoon of the breadcrumb mix for the topping, then melt the butter and mix through the biscuits.

3. Place 4 metal rings on a clean tray and divide the biscuit mixture between them. Press down firmly, then transfer the tray to the fridge for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the lemon cream topping. Using a mixer with a balloon whisk, whip the cream, limoncello and lemon zest to soft peaks. Transfer to a piping bag and chill in the fridge until ready to use.

5. Remove the cheesecake bases and filling from the fridge and pipe the filling into the rings. Smooth the top with a spatula or palate knife and gently tap the underside of the tray to remove any air bubbles. Return to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.

6. After this time, carefully remove the rings using the warmth from your hands to gently easy it off. Scatter the grated chocolate across a large plate and roll each cheesecake across it to coat the edges - if the cheesecake feels too soft place it in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.

7. Pipe small dots of the lemon cream across the top of each cheesecake and sprinkle over any remaining grated chocolate, lime zest, the reserved biscuit mix and grated coffee bean to serve.