Tiramisu Cake Great British Bake Off Technical Challenge

Another technical challenge from the British Bake Off 2014

Adapted from Mary Berry Recipe

Ingredients

 sponge

• 4 large free-range eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g self-raising flour

For the filling

• 6 shots of espresso coffee (150 ml)
• 100ml brandy
• 750g mascarpone cheese
• 300ml double cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 75g dark chocolate grated

For the decoration

• 100g dark chocolate finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  
  
  

  

  
  

method

1. Preheat the oven to 175 C
   Grease a 38x25cm Swiss roll tin and line with baking parchment.
2. For the sponge, place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and, using an electric hand-held mixer, whisk together for about five minutes, or until the mixture is very pale and thick. The mixture should leave a light trail on the surface when the whisk is lifted.
3. Sift over the flour and fold in gently using a metal spoon or spatula, taking care not to over mix.
   
   
   Watch technique0:35 mins
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and tilt the tin to level the surface.
   
   
   

   
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until risen, golden-brown and springy to the touch. Cool in the tin for five minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
   
   
   Watch technique0:29 mins
6. For the filling mix espresso & brandy. Set aside to cool.
7. When the sponge is cold, carefully slice the cake in half horizontally, so you have two thin sponges of equal depth.
8. Using the loose base of a square cake tin as a guide, 7inch squares from each sponge.
   
   
   

   

   
   
9. Line the base and sides of the square tin with long rectangles of baking parchment; there should be plenty of excess parchment which you can use to help lift the cake from the tin later.
   
   
   

   

   
   
10. Place the mascarpone cheese in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Gradually beat in the cream and icing sugar to make a creamy, spreadable frosting.
11. Place one layer of sponge in the base of the lined cake tin. Spoon over one-quarter of the coffee brandy mixture. Then spread one-quarter of the mascarpone frosting over the soaked sponge. Scatter over one-third of the grated chocolate.
    
    
    

    

    
    
    

    

    
    
    

    

    
    
    

    

    
    
12. Place the second sponge on top, spoon over another quarter of the coffee mixture then spread another quarter of the frosting over the soaked sponge. Scatter over another one third of the grated chocolate. Repeat with the third sponge and another one-quarter of the coffee mixture and frosting and the remaining grated chocolate.
13. Place the fourth sponge on top and spoon over the remaining coffee mixture. Using a palette knife spread a very thin layer of the remaining frosting over the top of the cake.
    
    
    

    

    
    
14. Chill for at least one hour in the fridge before turning out.
15. While the cake is chilling, melt half of the chopped chocolate in a small bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. (Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.) Gently stir the chocolate until it reaches a melting temperature of 53C.
    
    
    Watch technique1:43 mins
16. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the remaining half of chopped chocolate and continuing stirring gently until the chocolate cools to 31C or lower and is thick enough to pipe.
17. Place a sheet of baking parchment on the work surface. Use another sheet to make a paper piping bag.
    Watch technique1:35 mins
18. Spoon the melted chocolate into the paper piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe decorative shapes onto the baking parchment. Leave to set until required.