Ingredients
Ingredients
50g butter, plus extra for the tins
4 large eggs
140g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
25g cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp demerara sugar
75ml hot espresso or strong rich coffee
4 large egg yolks
75g caster sugar
125ml marsala
200g white chocolate, half chopped, half grated
500g tub mascarpone
200g dark chocolate, grated
1 tbsp cocoa
Direction
For the cakes, heat oven to 180C/
160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line 2 x 20cm
sandwich tins. Melt the butter and allow
to cool slightly. Put the eggs, sugar and
vanilla into a bowl and whisk for about
8 mins or until the mixture is pale, thick
and has trebled in volume.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder
and a pinch of salt over the egg
mixture, then gently fold together.
Pour the cooled butter around the
edge of the bowl and fold in until
fully incorporated. Divide the batter
between the prepared tins and bake
for 10-12 mins or until a skewer inserted
into the middle of the cakes comes
out clean. Allow to cool in the tins
for a few mins, then transfer to a wire
rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Dissolve
the sugar in the coffee and set aside.
Put the egg yolks, sugar and Marsala into
a heatproof bowl, then set over a large
pan of simmering water. Whisk for 5 mins
until the mixture is thick and has trebled
in volume – make sure the mixture is
really thick. Remove from the heat and
take the bowl off the pan. Keep whisking
until the mixture is cool.
Melt the chopped white chocolate
in the microwave on Low and allow
to cool slightly. Meanwhile, beat the
mascarpone until smooth, then fold
into the egg mixture with the cooled
white chocolate.
Slice the cakes in half horizontally.
Place one layer in the bottom of a 20cm
springform tin. Brush with the coffee
syrup and spread with 3 tbsp of the
mascarpone mixture. Scatter with
1 tbsp grated dark chocolate, then repeat
until you end with the fourth layer of
cake. Cover with cling film and chill for
at least 2 hrs along with the remaining
mascarpone mixture.
Remove the tin and put the cake
on a serving plate, then cover with the
remaining mascarpone mixture. Mix
the remaining dark chocolate with the
grated white chocolate and press
carefully onto the sides of the cake.
Dust the top with cocoa.
