Variation on a Theme: Cappuccino Fudge

Along with a cake, I made Stefi an edible present: I present to you Cappuccino Fudge!

As long term readers of my blog well know, I absolutely adore fudge. Over the years, I’ve found ways of refining my fudge recipes and process, and it has ranged from using condensed milk, to evaporated milk, to caster sugar, to brown sugar, to salted butter, to unsalted butter. I discovered a better way of making fudge when I made my Southern States Caramel cake, when I was looking for a good boiled icing recipe that wouldn't set too hard.

My current fudge recipe suits my tastes because it’s not sickly, crystal sweet, but round, rich, fatty, and smooth. The consistency is firm and can even be moulded like fondant if you treat it right! It reminds me of the high quality all-butter fudges you get from Thorntons or other chocolate shops. 

But another thing I really love about my current recipe is how easily it can be adapted to other flavours and combinations. Fat is a great vehicle for flavour, and seeing as nowadays I make fudge with copious amounts of butter and full-fat whipping cream, it holds flavours exceptionally well, even better than when I did that orange chocolate fudge video back in the early days of my YouTube channel. 

 

And so, I share with you my first proper venture into an unusual fudge flavour since I started using my updated recipe: cappuccino! This is essentially fudge with instant coffee added to taste, topped off with a stiff vanilla buttercream, and dusted with drinking chocolate powder. 

Find yourself a good quality finely ground instant espresso powder. It should be more like powder than granules. This can be mixed directly into the fudge mixture to taste, starting small and adding if you want it stronger. Alternatively, if you only have coffee granules, you can dilute them in the vanilla essence to get a concentrated coffee essence. That's what I did.

I made the topping using a fairly stiff buttercream flavoured with a splash of vanilla essence. I piped it on with a star nozzle, but you could equally as easily swoop it on to look more like milk foam. I used Cadbury drinking chocolate to dust it, but you could also use the chocolate topping that comes in boxes of instant cappuccino sachets. My dad loves that stuff, so there’s never any of it around me to use! 

INGREDIMENTS

1¼ pounds (570 grammes) caster sugar

8 fluid ounces (225 millilitres) whipping cream, slightly warmed

8 ounces (225 grammes) unsalted butter

¼ to ½ teaspoon (1 to 3 millilitres) fine salt

1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) vanilla essence

For the topping

3 ounces (85 grammes) unsalted butter

9 ounces (250 grammes) icing sugar

Milk, at room temperature, for mixing

Vanilla to taste

Hot chocolate powder, for dusting

HOW-TO

• In a large saucepan with a metal or enamel interior (don't use a dark coated pan), add the sugar, cream, and half of the butter. Stir well over medium-low heat until everything has dissolved nicely and is a syrup with no gritty sugar on the bottom. Bring to a simmer.
• When it begins to simmer, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for up to 30 minutes, until it reaches soft-ball stage (112°C to 115°C (235° F to 240° F)). On reaching this temperature, remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bubbling has completely stopped.
• Cut the remaining butter into small cubes, and then beat the syrup with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
• As the syrup begins to thicken and lose its gloss, taking on a matte appearance, start adding the butter, a cube at a time while beating, making sure to beat in each cube fully before adding the next. The whole process should take about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Eventually, you will get a deliciously thick, fudge mixture. If the fudge begins to split, leaving oily patches or film, add in half a teaspoon of cold water and beat until it comes together again.
• To flavour, dissolve the coffee granules in the vanilla essence and beat in thoroughly. Salt to taste: you'll need a surprising amount of salt.
• Pour out into a 7 inch (20 centimetre) square tin, that has been lined with non-stick paper. You could use a silicone tin, which is what I do.
• Allow the fudge to cool to room temperature before icing, then make a stiff buttercream with the icing ingredients, and pipe or dollop on top of the fudge. Dust with hot chocolate powder.
• Allow the whole confection to set for at least 6 hours at room temperature before cutting into equally sized pieces. I recommend one inch (2.5 centimetre) squares.