A couple of months ago, Mikki and I were watching the Great British Bake Off Masterclass on Netflix and they were making this fun Mary Berry’s Tiramisu Cake. So I thought this would be perfect for Mikki’s birthday. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Sponge:

• 4 large eggs
• 100g extra-fine sugar
• 100g King Arthur self-rising flour, sifted

Filling:

• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 150ml boiling water
• 100ml brandy
• 3 x 250g tubs full-fat mascarpone cheese
• 300ml heavy cream
• 3 tbsp confectionary sugar, sifted
• 65g dark chocolate grated

Top decoration:

• 100g dark chocolate, melted in double boiler
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a baking cookie sheet with soft butter and line with parchment paper.
• To make the sponge, whisk eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl slow at first then at higher speed for five minutes so that the mixture is pale and thick.
• Sift the flour and then fold it gently using a rubber spatula, try to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
• Pour the mixture slowly onto the baking sheet and tilt to cover the surface.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden-brown and springs to touch. Cool for five minutes in the sheet and then transfer to wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• Start the filling, dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water and add the brandy. Leave to cool.
• When the sponge has cooled, peel the parchment paper and cut in half. Then use the square baking pan as a guide to cut the sponge. For each square piece of sponge cut horizontally using a serrated knife, start at each corner towards the middle. This should give you four equally thick sponge pieces. Keep the leftover pieces in case you need to fill in gaps.
• Line the square pan with long pieces of parchment paper in both directions so that it’s easy to take out at the end.
• Meanwhile mix the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Slowly add the cream and icing sugar to make a creamy, spreadable frosting. Use as much or little cream as you would like.
• Start layering with the first square piece of sponge at the bottom of the square pan. Brush on some of the coffee brandy mixture. Then spread some of the mascarpone frosting over the soaked sponge. Then add some of the grated chocolate.
• Then add the second square sponge on top, and repeat the process, then third square and repeat the process.
• Place the fourth square sponge on top and spoon over the remaining coffee mixture. Using a palette or butter knife to spread a thin layer of the frosting over the top of the cake.
• Wipe the knife and spread the rest of the frosting in a thicker layer over the cake. Chill for an hour in the fridge, cover with plastic wrap.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stove.
• Remove the cake from the fridge and lift the cake from the pan using the parchment paper, place on a large cake plate.
• Dust with cocoa powder, then decorate with steaks of melted chocolate.