Coffee semifreddo with hazelnut pieces

No ice cream maker, no churn, just a strong espresso, roasted hazelnuts, and six hours in the freezer. Guaranteed pleasure!

Recipes
14th July 2026

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A slice of semifreddo cake iced with coffee and hazelnut pieces.

Coffee semifreddo with hazelnut pieces

A frozen dessert that melts on the tongue before it's even fully thawed. Beneath a thin layer of dark chocolate lies an intensely coffee-flavored frozen mousse, studded with roasted hazelnut pieces. Semifreddo, literally "half-cold" in Italian, owes its airy texture to a simple technique: air is incorporated into the mixture before freezing, resulting in a unique texture. closer to foam than to a block of ice.

No ice cream maker, no churn. A loaf tin, a whisk, and six hours of patience in the freezer are all you need. This is the version our baristas have been preparing for coffee house events for the past two years, the one we're sharing here.

Coffee and hazelnuts, a combination rooted in Italian tradition

The combination of coffee and hazelnuts in a frozen dessert is not a recent trend. It runs through several regional Italian semifreddo traditions. The Neapolitan Coviglia, a festive coffee or chocolate dessert served on special occasions, is a prime example. So too is Panera, a Genoese specialty made exclusively with coffee, or Spumone, a frozen mousse traditionally available in various flavors. The first documented reference to semifreddo dates back to 1779, in the book... Il cuoco maceratese by Antonio Nebbia.

What distinguishes a successful semifreddo from an ordinary frozen dessert is often the coffee itself. Artisanal roasting at low temperatures preserves volatile aromatic compounds, and this is the profile we develop at Café 9|38 for theOrganic EspressoSome origins, such as theEthiopia Bio 9|38Our tastings revealed caramel-hazelnut notes that create a unique resonance with the roasted hazelnuts. The harmony isn't just built on the plate; it begins with the nut itself.

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Preparation time 20

Freezing 6

Total time 6 30

Type of dish Dessert

Kitchen Italian

Portions 7 people

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
100 g cane sugar
5 cl strong, cooled espresso
25 cl full liquid cream (very cold)
12 whole hazelnuts (approximately 20g)
70 g dark chocolate

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast them for 8 minutes until golden brown.
Let it cool completely, then roughly chop the hazelnuts with a knife.
Whisk the egg yolks with the cane sugar until the mixture turns white and triples in volume.
Incorporate the cooled espresso in a thin stream, whisking gently so as not to break the aeration.
In a separate, chilled bowl, whip the liquid cream into stiff peaks.
Incorporate the whipped cream into the coffee-egg mixture in three stages, gently folding the mixture with a spatula.
Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix briefly.
Pour into a loaf tin lined with cling film. Smooth the surface, cover and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours.
When ready to serve, unmold the semifreddo. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler over low heat (about 2 minutes, stirring regularly). Drizzle the chocolate over the top, slice, and serve immediately.

Notes

The coffee: Opt for a full-bodied espresso made from artisanally roasted beans. Based on our tastings, Brazilian or Ethiopian coffees enhance the aromatic harmony of the dessert thanks to their natural hazelnut notes.
Texture: Take the semifreddo out of the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before serving to obtain a firm but melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Conservation: Up to 3 days in the freezer, well covered with cling film.
Trap to avoid: Insufficient aeration results in a dense and compact texture. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until you obtain a true ribbon before incorporating the rest.

Here's a frozen dessert made without an ice cream maker, rooted in Italian tradition, where the quality of the coffee makes all the difference. It's what gives the semifreddo its character, and the Coffee selection 9|38 offers several low-temperature roasted profiles to refine your version.

Your online store for coffees roasted in Switzerland, inspired by the preparation methods of baristas.

With more than 50 years of experience in the coffee sector in Switzerland, Café 9|38 has accumulated valuable know-how that we are delighted to share with you to enrich your knowledge of coffee.