TIRAMISU CELEBRATION CAKE
SERVES 10300g unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs, lightly beaten
180g caster sugar, plus extra 25g
180g self-raising flour, sifted(^2) / 3 cup (160ml) hot espresso
(^1) / 3 cup (80ml) Vin Santo (Italian dessert
wine – substitute Marsala)
500g pure icing sugar, sifted
250g mascarpone
50g dark (70%) chocolate, coarsely
grated, plus extra finely grated
to serve
Dark-chocolate-coated coffee
beans, to decorate
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 x 20cm
springform cake pans and line the bases
with baking paper.
Melt 50g butter and set aside. Place
egg and caster sugar in a stand mixer
fitted with whisk attachment and whisk
for 7 minutes or until pale and tripled in
volume. Using a large metal spoon, very
gently fold flour into egg mixture. Pour
melted butter down side of bowl and
gently fold in until just combined. Divide
mixture between prepared pans. Bake
both cakes on the centre shelf of the oven
for 25 minutes or until golden and starting
to come away from the sides of pans.
Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out
onto a wire rack and cool completely.
When cool, use a serrated bread knife
to trim the tops of the cakes to level, then
slice each cake in half horizontally. Stir
extra caster sugar into hot espresso until
dissolved, then add wine. Brush tops
of cakes with a little espresso mixture,
reserving remaining mixture.
Place remaining 250g butter in a stand
mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
and beat for 2 minutes or until thick
and pale. Add icing sugar and beat for
5 minutes or until creamy. Spoon half the
buttercream mixture into a separate bowl
and add mascarpone. Using a wooden
spoon, beat until smooth. Stir chocolate
through mascarpone mixture and chill for
30 minutes or until slightly firm. Add 1 tbs
reserved espresso mixture to remaining
buttercream and beat until combined.
To assemble, place 1 cake on a serving
plate and top with half the coffee
buttercream. Top with second cake
and spread with one-third mascarpone
buttercream. Top with third cake and
spread with remaining coffee buttercream.
Top with final cake, then thinly cover
cake with three-quarters remaining
mascarpone buttercream.
Transfer remaining mascarpone
buttercream to a piping bag fitted with
a 1cm star nozzle. Pipe around top edge
of cake and decorate with chocolate-
coated coffee beans. Scatter with finely
grated chocolate to serve.
JAMIE OLIVER.