Tiramisu Cake

This baked version of tiramisu is a lot more work than the version where you used ready made savioardi sponge fingers, unless you're making the sponge fingers yourself. For this version, you need 3 main components, the coffee chiffon cake, the filling, and the caramelised nuts. I got this coffee chiffon recipe from Alex Goh's Creative Cakes. Altered somewhat, to avoid copyright infringement. In any case, with recipes, I wonder who does one really define copyright.

Coffee Chiffon
Group 1
4 egg yolks
2 tbspn coffee powder
115 ml water
85 ml vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

Group 2
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tspn cream of tartar

1. Mix the group 1 ingredients until all properly mixed.

2. In separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks appear and gradually add in sugar and cream of tartar.

3. With a light hand, mix the two groups of ingredients until well combined, pour into a 8" round pan, sides UNgreased, and bake at 175C for 40 minutes. Apparently chiffon needs to climb up the sides of the pan, hence no need to grease. (no need to use the chiffon pan)

4. When cake is done, invert and let cool, as one usually does with chiffon. Remove from pan after the cake has cooled.

5. Split cooled cake into 3 horizontal layers.


Filling:
250gm mascarporne, but if you are feeling generous, then 500gm.
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup castor sugar
2 cups cream, whipped till fairly thick.
Kahlua or Marsala wine - to taste

1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, until pale and creamy.

2. Add in the mascarporne and stir until combined, and all lumps removed. It should be a creamy texture. Add the kahlua. I usually chuck in about 6 tablespoons, that's why, cannot sell commercially. Too expensive.

3. Mix together with the whipped cream.

4. Chill mixture.

Coffee & Kahlua Mixture

Usually, I put 2 tablespoons coffee, into 3/4 cup water. Very concentrated. And also embellished with another 4-6 table spoons kahlua. This is to be brushed over the cake to make it nice coffee-ish moist.

Caramelised Nuts

1 cup sugar
50gms butter
1 cup chopped almonds (chopped coarsely as per picture)

1. Melt the sugar and the butter, until it turns a beautiful golden, caramelly thick liquid.
2. Stir in the nuts, and quickly lay out onto a tray lined with baking paper. Let cool, and when it has cooled, crush it either with a mortar, or food processor, or whatever heavy object you have. With mortar, just put into plastic bag and pound.
3. Set aside

Putting together the cake.

1. Brush the bottom layer of cake with the coffee mixture. Don't drown it. It should be just enough to make it moist, with disintergrating the whole thing in coffee.
2. Pour 1/4 of the mascarporne filling. Sprinkle chocolate chips or chocolate pieces evenly over the layer of mascarporne.
3. Repeat with another layer, but no need for more chocolate, unless it is your desire.
4. After finishing with top layer, sprinkle the caramelized nuts over the cake, and on the sides, if you wish. I put chocolate rice around mine, coz I didn't have enought caramelized nuts.
5. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours

Tip:
1. I put back the cake, when layering, into the 8" pan with removable base. This way, it's in a mold, and won't flop about, as the mascarporne cream isn't really very "thick"

2. You might want to add the element of gelatine, as recommended by some books. I personally loathe the idea of putting gelatine into tiramisu, but I suspect that is how the cake holds its shape for long distance travel. This recipe is fine, if you are serving it right from the fridge to the mouth, but if you need it to stand around for awhile, it'll melt really fast, as the ingredients are pure.

Gelatine: 1½ tablespoons to 40 ml water. Go try and see, and let me know.