Coffee Tiramisu Cake

Tiramisu is an Italian cake or dessert and translates to pick me up. The dessert is made with ladyfingers dipped in strong coffee, layered in a glass with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone flavoured with Marsala then dusted with cocoa powder. Tiramisu is a layered cake made with layers of coffee saturated sponge and a mixture of mascarpone cheese, Marsala, eggs and sugar. Cocoa powder is sifted on top as a garnish and a bitter contrast to the sweet cheese mixture.

Ingredients

500 g cream

500 g cream cheese

150 g eggs

150 g caster sugar

50 ml Marsala

10 g gelatin powder

100 ml water

1 vanilla sponge (30 cm)

10 g cocoa powder for dusting

14 shortbread biscuit

100 g toasted flaked almonds

Coffee syrup

Mix 25 g instant coffee with 170 ml hot water, 50 g caster sugar and 30 ml Marsala

Method

Place cream in a bowl and whisk to soft peak. In a separate bowl soften cream cheese with a whisk. Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix water and gelatin in a bowl and melt in a microwave or in a Bain Marie. Blend Marsala with gelatin and mix into egg mixture. Blend into cream cheese and fold in the soft whipped cream. Cut sponge in 3 layers and drizzle coffee syrup on each layer. Place cream cheese filling evenly on each layer and on the outside of the sponge. Leave to set covered in the fridge overnight. Cut in 14 pieces and decorate with toasted almonds on the outside of cake. Decorate on top with dusted cocoa powder, rosettes of tiramisu filling and shortbread biscuits or sponge fingers.

Note: Marsala is a fortified wine similar to Madeira, port wine or sherry, which can be used as a substitute.