Coffee Namelaka, soft, velvety, and aromatic, this Japanese cream delights with its silky texture and delicate yet enveloping coffee flavor.
It is made with a few ingredients and without eggs, perfect to serve as a spoon dessert or as a filling for cakes, tarts, and glass desserts.
You will only need white chocolate, milk, cream, instant coffee, and a pinch of gelatin to prepare it. The longest part? The rest in the refrigerator. But I assure you that the wait is worth every spoonful: you will get a smooth and shiny cream, with a light mousse-like consistency, but more stable and versatile. Ideal also for those looking for a dessert without too much fuss but with a patisserie-worthy result.
The namelaka is a cream originating in Japan in the Valrhona laboratories, the famous French chocolate brand. In Japanese, “namelaka” means “ultra creamy,” and the name perfectly describes its texture. It is a cross between a ganache and a mousse: softer than ganache, denser than whipped cream. It contains no eggs and is based on a mix of chocolate, cream, milk, and gelatin, with a prolonged rest in the fridge that gives it its unique, smooth, and melting consistency. It is a modern, elegant, and very versatile cream.
This coffee version has a strong yet balanced flavor, perfect for those looking for a simple yet impressive dessert, perfect both as a post-meal treat and for an afternoon indulgence.
At the end of the recipe, in the FAQ section, I answered some questions about this preparation. If you have any other doubts or curiosities, write a comment or use the appropriate contact form at the end of the page.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 446.13 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 31.62 (g) of which sugars 27.55 (g)
- Proteins 5.59 (g)
- Fat 33.56 (g) of which saturated 8.83 (g)of which unsaturated 4.64 (g)
- Fibers 0.09 (g)
- Sodium 40.10 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Coffee Namelaka
- 6 oz white chocolate
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup fresh cream
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 1 tsp gelatin sheets
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Bowls
- Small pot
- Hand whisk
- Immersion blender
- Plastic wrap
Recipe for Coffee Namelaka
Begin the preparation of the coffee namelaka by softening the gelatin in cold water.
Weigh the white chocolate in a bowl and melt it.
You can do this in a bain-marie or in the microwave in short 30-second intervals.
Mix well and set aside.
Heat the milk in a small pot; it should come to just a simmer.
Add the squeezed gelatin and mix quickly with the whisk to dissolve it.
Also add the instant coffee and mix again.
Pour the coffee milk into the bowl with the melted white chocolate in three stages, stirring each time.
Slowly pour in the fresh cream and mix with the whisk until it is completely blended with the other ingredients.
Blend the mixture for 30 seconds with an immersion blender, avoiding incorporating air.
Don’t worry if the preparation is very liquid; it’s normal.
Cover the cream with plastic wrap in contact and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.
After the resting time, take the cream out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and mix it with a spoon or whisk to make it less firm.
Transfer the coffee namelaka into individual serving bowls or use it to decorate and fill other desserts.
Namelaka
Check this section for clarification on your doubts. If you don’t find an answer to your question, comment or write to me using the form below.
Coffee Desserts, recipe collection from breakfast to dessert
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use espresso instead of instant coffee?
For this recipe, it is preferable to use instant coffee, which dissolves perfectly in the milk without altering its consistency. Espresso has a watery component that could unbalance the final result.
Can I substitute white chocolate with another type of chocolate?
The classic version of namelaka uses white chocolate, which provides sweetness and structure. You can experiment with dark chocolate, but you will need to rebalance the proportions of the ingredients (especially cream and gelatin) because the percentage of fats and sugars changes.
Can namelaka be frozen?
Yes, namelaka can be frozen. I recommend storing it in single-serving portions and letting it thaw slowly in the refrigerator before using it, to maintain its velvety texture.
With instant coffee, I also prepared Water Coffee Cream without lactose
For questions, curiosities, or if you want to collaborate with me, use the contact form below:
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