Cherry sponge layer cake
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Easy
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Ready in:
2 hours 20 mins
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Added to favourites by 3 cooks
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Prep:
2 hours 15 mins
Cook:
5 mins
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Serves:
6
This is a delicious fruity variation of the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu.
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| heaped ¾ cup ricotta |
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| heaped ½ cup caster sugar |
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| ½ teaspoon natural vanilla essence |
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| a few drops of natural almond essence |
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| 250 g packet sponge finger biscuits, 18 biscuits |
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| 4½ tablespoons cherry jam |
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| To decorate: |
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| 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted |
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| fresh cherries |
Preparation method
1.
Beat the ricotta with ⅓ cup of the sugar and the vanilla.
2.
Gently heat 90 ml of water in a saucepan with the remaining sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, add the almond essence, then pour into a shallow dish and leave to cool.
3.
Line a rectangular loaf tin, measuring 9 x 20 cm and 6 cm deep, with plastic wrap, leaving enough excess hanging over the sides to cover the dessert before chilling it.
4.
Dip six of the sponge fingers in the syrup. Arrange them, side by side, in the tin, sugar-side down, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread with half the jam, then half the ricotta mixture. Put another layer of six syrup-dipped biscuits on top, the rest of the jam, then the remaining ricotta mixture. Finish with the remaining six biscuits, dipped in the syrup. Wrap the plastic wrap over the top, put a rectangular piece of cardboard on top and lightly weigh it down. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5.
When ready to serve, peel back the plastic wrap and carefully lift out the cake on a serving plate. Remove the plastic wrap. Dust with cocoa and decorate with cherries. Serve cut into six slices.
Copyright
Copyright by The Readers Digest Association, Inc. 2006
cook's tips
• For an adult flavour, replace the almond essence with 1 tablespoon kirsch.
• When adding the biscuits to the syrup, dip them just long enough to flavour them, but do not soak or they will break.
• There are several sizes of sponge finger biscuits. It doesn't matter what size you use as long as you cover each layer with biscuits. We have used the larger Italian ones (also known as savoiardi). If you can't get these, use a 125 g packet of the small ones (also known as boudoir biscuits), with eight biscuits on each layer.