Ingredients:
Cake Layers:
6 eggs (seperated)
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mascarpone Filling:
6 egg yolks
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
16 oz mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Soaking liquid:
1 ¾ cups coffee strong brewed, or espresso
1/3 cup Baileys (rum is traditional, but we like Baileys)
Topping:
Sprinkle lightly with cocoa powder
Instructions
Make the lady fingers / cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the pan with with parchment paper. This can be made in a round cake pan, square or rectangle. The cake can even be cut into pieced and assembled like lady finger cookies.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer), whip egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Transfer mixture to a different bowl, scraping the bowl clean. Rinse off the beater.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer), whip egg whites. Once the mixture starts to thicken, add the remaining ½ cup sugar and continue beating. Once stiff peaks form add vanilla and beat to combine.
- Gently stir in egg yolk mixture on low speed.
- Add flour and salt and gently stir or fold in with a spatula. The batter should be thick and pale yellow.
- Pour about 1 cup of batter into the pan. If you're making cake, you will have about 3 layers.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until set and very lightly browned. Carefully transfer parchment paper to a wire rack to cool.
- Once cooled, carefully remove the cake from the parchment paper, set aside to use in the recipe.
Make the soaking liquid:
- Brew coffee and let it cool. (or use instant coffee or instant espresso and brew 1 ¾ cups).
- Mix the bailey into the coffee, then pour the mixture into a large dish or baking pan that will fit the layers. Set aside. You will soak the cakes in this liquid.
Make the filling:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, milk and sugar until combined.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture boils. Turn heat to medium- low and boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a container with lid – but don’t put the lid on yet. Leave the lid open and whisk the mixture every few minutes until it’s cooled slightly. Then put the lid on and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. NOTE: this can be done before you bake the cake, if desired, so it has time to cool. It can even be done the day before and chilled overnight.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer), Beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, transfer to a different bowl.
- In the same bowl used to beat whipping cream (but with the cream no longer in it), beat the chilled custard, mascarpone and vanilla with the paddle attachment until combined.
- Gently fold in beaten whipping cream.
Putting it together:
- Soak the cakes in the soaking liquid.
- Place it in the bottom of the dish you wish to serve this.
- Spread 1/3 of the filling mixture evenly on top of the layer.
- Repeat with the second and third cake layers and remaining custard. Alternating soaked lady finger, custard, soaked lady finger, custard.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top custard layer.
- Chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- Cut into square portions and serve.
