Tiramisu Cake

Tiramisu, the Italian coffee and mascarpone trifle is a classic dessert and a real dinner party favourite. My cakey tribute showcases all of the familiar tiramisu flavours and is a really interesting, not to mention delicious alternative. I've used a soft coffee sponge and topped it with a sweet mascarpone icing perfumed with marsala. Oh and of course I've finished it off with a liberal dusting of cocoa powder, that goes without saying!

Prep time: 20 Mins

Baking time: 40 Mins

100g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

150g Caster Sugar

4 Medium Eggs

150g Self Raising Flour

1tbsp Coffee Granules dissolved in 2tbsp of boiling water (and cooled)

234g Pot of Mascarpone Cheese

110g Icing Sugar

1tbsp Marsala (Or Sherry)

Cocoa Powder to dust

So let's get going! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease/line the base of a 20cm loose bottomed tin. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir through 50g of the flour, followed by the coffee. Mix in the rest of the flour until you are left with a smooth batter. Spoon into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for around 40 minutes, until a metal skewer can be cleanly removed when inserted into the middle of the cake. When you're happy it's cooked remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake is cool you can make the icing. Combine together the cream cheese and icing sugar, then add in the marsala and do the same. Spoon the icing onto the middle of the cake then using the back of spoon, gently work it in a circular motion towards the edges. Finish by dusting with cocoa powder and you're good to go!