Recipe below—bake along! This is a fantastic special occasion cake, for those who love the classic Italian dessert, but want a sliceable cake for that “wow” factor.
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• Recipe •
Makes one 9-inch (23 cm) torte
Serves 12 to 16
Note: The torte can be prepared up to a day in advance and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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• Ingredients •
Filling:
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
1 tub (500 g) mascarpone cheese
5 large egg yolks
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) brandy
2 tsp vanilla extract
Syrup:
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (125 ml) hot brewed coffee
2 Tbsp (30 ml) amber rum or brandy
Assembly:
1 8-inch (20 cm) cake layer, from Golden Vanilla Cake recipe
16 to 24 ladyfinger biscuits, depending on the size of the biscuits
Chocolate Shavings, for garnish
Topping:
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp amber rum or brandy
1 tsp vanilla extract
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• Directions •
1. For the filling, whip the cream to soft peaks and set aside. Beat the mascarpone gently to soften and fold it into the whipped cream in 2 additions. Chill until ready to assemble.
2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and brandy in a metal or glass bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water, whisking until the mixture has doubled in volume and the mixture makes and holds a ribbon when the whisk is lifted. Stir in the vanilla and remove the bowl from the heat to let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the chilled mascarpone mixture into the egg mixture in 2 additions (it will be quite fluid). Chill this while preparing the other components for assembly.
4. For the syrup, stir the sugar and hot coffee together, heating further if needed to ensure that the sugar has melted. Stir in the rum or brandy, and set aside.
5. To assemble the torte, slice the vanilla cake layer horizontally (as if to fill it with frosting) and place one 8-inch (20 cm) cake layer in the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan. Arrange the ladyfingers around the outside of this cake layer (the cake will help to keep them in place). Brush the cake layer with half of the coffee syrup and spread half of the mascarpone filling over the cake. Sprinkle a layer of grated chocolate over the filling and top with the remaining cake layer. Brush this with the remaining syrup, top with the remaining mascarpone cream, and sprinkle this with more grated chocolate. Cover the torte loosely and chill until set, about 4 hours.
6. For the topping, whip the cream until the cream holds a soft peak. Stir in the sugar, rum or brandy, and the vanilla, and spread this over the chilled filling. Top with a little more grated chocolate and chill until ready to serve.
7. To serve, remove the outer ring of the pan and slide the torte carefully onto a serving platter.
