The Italian dessert of vanilla ice cream covered with espresso and traditionally served in a glass is affogato.
Affogato combines a scoop of gelato or ice cream with a shot of hot espresso poured over it. The name comes from the Italian word for “drowned,” describing the way the coffee partially submerges the frozen dessert.
Vanilla is a classic pairing, although coffee, chocolate, hazelnut, and other gelato flavors can also be used. The contrast between hot espresso and cold ice cream is central to the experience, and the dessert is commonly served immediately so the ice cream begins melting into the coffee.
Affogato is sometimes listed as a dessert and sometimes as a coffee-based after-dinner course. It is distinct from iced coffee because the coffee is poured over frozen dessert rather than chilled and mixed with ice.