TIRAMISU LAYER CAKE

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs
125g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
125g plain flour

For the frosting:

3 x 250g tubs mascarpone cheese
50g icing sugar
4 tbsp Tia Maria or Kahlua
100g dark chocolate, grated

For the coffee syrup:

100ml strong espresso
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tbsp Tia Maria or Kahlua

To decorate:

Redcurrants
Coffee beans, roughly chopped
1 tbsp grated dark chocolate

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan assisted/Gas 4. Butter the sides of three 20cm springform cake tins. Add a spoonful of plain flour and shake around until coated, shake off the excess and line the base with baking parchment. Set to one side.

2. Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until trebled in volume. Sift the baking powder and flour together and sift over the egg mixture. Fold in with a large metal spoon until fully incorporated.

3. Spoon into the prepared tins, level off and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

4. To make the filling, beat together the mascarpone, icing sugar and chosen liqueur until smooth. Set to one side. To make the coffee syrup, place the coffee and sugar in a bowl and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chosen liquor and set aside.

5. To assemble, drizzle some coffee syrup over one of the sponges and spread a quarter of the mascarpone mixture over. Scatter with half of the grated chocolate and top with another sponge. Drizzle with the coffee syrup and spread another quarter of the mascarpone mixture over and the remaining grated chocolate. Top with the third sponge, drizzle with remaining coffee syrup then spread the remaining mascarpone over the top and sides of the cake.

6. To finish, scatter the grated chocolate over the top of the cake and arrange the redcurrants and coffee beans on top.