Cocktail-Inspired Quick Dessert Recipes: Negroni Cheesecake, Espresso Tiramisu, and Pina Colada Cupcakes

Some days you want to surprise your dinner guests with a unique creation that they never saw coming. All desserts are made equally delicious but cocktail-inspired ones definitely pack a punch. Believe it or not, you can play around with these drink flavours and infuse them to come up with a sweet surprise that will be polished off within minutes. Here are some recipes:

Negroni Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 50 g blanched and toasted hazelnuts
• 180 g digestive biscuit crumbs
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 500 g cream cheese
• 80 g caster sugar
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 6 gelatin leaves
• 100 ml gin
• 100 ml sweet vermouth
• 100 ml orange bitters
• 3 Seville oranges

Instructions:

1. Pulse the hazelnuts along with the digestive biscuit crumbs to create the base of your cheesecake.
2. Mix in the 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
3. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a springform cake tin. Bake it in the oven for 10 minutes at 180 C and let this chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
4. Zest two oranges, then blend it in the cream cheese and caster sugar.
5. Whisk the heavy cream until you get soft peaks then fold in the orange and cream cheese mix into this.
6. Ladle it over the set biscuit base and let the cheesecake set.
7. Soak the gelatin leaves in warm water.
8. Create the negroni, and then warm 100 ml of it in a saucepan with some orange zest and the juice of the remaining orange.
9. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatin leaves and add them to the warm negroni. Whisk thoroughly.
10. Add it to the remaining negroni, then pour this mixture over the chilled cheesecake.
11. Let the gelatin layer set before serving. This should take about 2 to 3 hours.

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 209 g flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 150 g brown sugar
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 113 g melted, unsalted butter
• 120 ml fresh pineapple juice
• 120 ml coconut milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg

For the frosting:

• 170 g room temperature unsalted butter
• 360 g confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp coconut extract
• Pinch of salt
• 60 ml heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. You can also use a silicone cupcake baking mould too.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together first.
3. Then whisk the melted butter and the sugars together. Next add pineapple juice, coconut milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
4. Fold in the sifted flour into the wet ingredients.
5. Fill the cupcake liners and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Let the cupcakes cool and start working on the frosting.
7. Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy, then add half the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla and coconut extracts.
8. Then add the rest of the sugar and whisk further.
9. Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe the frosting over them or just use a spatula. Decorate with some sprinkles, if you want.

Espresso Martini Tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 400 ml freshly brewed espresso
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp vodka
• 4 tbsp coffee liqueur
• 500 g mascarpone
• 600 ml heavy cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 300 g sponge lady fingers
• 50 g Cadbury Bournville dark chocolate
• Cadbury Cocoa Powder, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Mix the brewed coffee, brown sugar, 3 tsp of coffee liqueur, and vodka in a bowl.
2. Whisk the mascarpone, heavy cream, icing sugar, and vanilla extract until you get soft peaks.
3. Set aside ⅓ amount of this mixture, and add coffee powder along with the rest of the coffee liqueur into the rest of the cream.
4. Dip the sling lady fingers in the coffee and coffee liqueur and layer them in the bottom of a serving dish.
5. Spoon the plain mascarpone and heavy cream mix over this and grate some of the Cadbury about bills chocolate.
6. Add another layer of coffee dipped sponge lady fingers, then ladle the coffee infused cream.
7. Rinse and repeat until you’ve finished all the ingredients.
8. Dust the top layer with Cadbury cocoa powder and chill in the fridge. Serve chilled.