Granita al caffe with bizcocho

Tam West

This is my version of the coffee granita served with lots of whipped cream at La Casa del Caffe Tazza d'Oro in Rome. It is just perfect in hot weather when you need a sharp sugar and caffeine hit. I have served it here with a plain cake made with yoghurt. It is the old 1,2,3 cake using the yoghurt container as the measure for the ingredients. I have converted it to metric - I got the recipe off the very retro design Royal baking powder packet I found in a supermarket in Gibraltar. It makes a great plainish but lemony cake that is good with frozen desserts or just with a cup of coffee.

For the cake

3	Eggs
200 g	Caster sugar
1	Lemon, zest only (Main)
1 tsp	Baking powder
125 ml	Plain unsweetened yoghurt (Main)
270 g	Flour
125 ml	Extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch	Icing sugar, for dusting

For the granita

500 ml	Coffee, strong, freshly brewed (Main)
½ cup	Caster sugar
4 servings	Whipped cream (Main)

Directions

To make the cake

1. Heat the oven to 180C.
2. Line 1 loaf tin or 3 small ones with baking paper.
3. Beat the eggs, sugar and zest together until pale and thick.
4. Stir in the baking powder, yoghurt, flour and oil.
5. Pour into a loaf tin/s and place in the oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
6. Remove from the oven, remove from the tin and serve sliced dusted with icing sugar with the granita.

To make the granita

1. Mix the hot coffee and sugar so that the sugar dissolves.
2. Cool, pour into a shallow tray and freeze, stirring occasionally so that it doesn't freeze into a solid block.
3. Once frozen, and working very quickly, break up the lumps of granita and place in a food processor and process until like "snow". Place back in the freezer and freeze. If you do not have a food processor, simply be careful to stir frequently as it freezes so that you have a frozen mass of coffee flavoured ice crystals. It will be coarser than the food processor method but just as delicious. Serve in bowls, glasses or cups with whipped cream.

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