Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cuisine type: Italian
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Dessert
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking

The Weekly's Top 10 cakes — Number 7

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
½ cup (75g) plain flour
½ cup (75g) self-raising flour
½ cup (75g) cornflour
¼ cup (10g) instant coffee granules
1½ cups (375ml) boiling water
¾ cup (180ml) marsala
¼ cup (60ml) coffee-flavoured liqueur
300ml thickened cream
½ cup (80g) icing sugar
3 cups (750g) mascarpone
3 1⁄3 cups (500g) Vienna almonds,
chopped coarsely

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease two deep 22cm-round cake pans; line bases with baking paper.

Beat eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer for about 10 minutes or until thick and creamy. Add caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved between additions.

Gently fold triple-sifted flours into egg mixture. Divide cake mixture evenly between pans; bake about 25 minutes. Turn cakes, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, dissolve coffee in the boiling water in a medium heatproof bowl. Stir in marsala and liqueur; cool.

Beat cream and icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; transfer to a large bowl. Stir in mascarpone and ½ cup of the coffee mixture.

Split cooled cakes in half. Centre half of one cake on serving plate; brush with quarter of remaining coffee mixture, spread with 1 cup of cream mixture. Repeat layering until last cake half is covered with cream. Spread remaining cream around side of cake; refrigerate. Just before serving, press almonds all over cake.
Not suitable to freeze or microwave.

COOK'S NOTES: This cake is best made a day ahead; keep, refrigerated,
in an airtight container. Vienna almonds are whole almonds that have been coated in a toffee mixture. Any coffee-flavoured liqueur, such as Kahlua or Tia Maria, can be used in this recipe.