The Baking Diaries since March 30th, 2011

Banana Tiramisu

Recipe- makes one 8 in cake + a few leftover glasses

Lady finger sponge (this is only the sponge layer, so not the lady finger pieces, which you buy) (not essential btw, for a cake its better, for spoon out tiramisu from pudding cup or a bowl then no need)

70g egg whites

70g sugar

100g yolks

60g flour

30g cornstarch

30ml oil

Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff peak

Add yolks, sift in flour, cornstarch, fold into egg mixture.

Fold in oil.

Pour into 8in cake mould, and bake at 210C for 10min.

Cool, slice into two layers.

Ingredients for tiramisu

1 lady finger sponge (the cake that can be made from ingredients above)

One pack of lady fingers- 10 pcs around

Warm coffee- 250ml. If you like stronger coffee taste, put more coffee beans

40 ml Amaretto (you can substitute this for marsala or kahlua, or a mixture of any of these together) (i put around 60 ml because i like a stronger alcohol taste)

Mascarpone cheese 250g

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

75g sugar 

10g gelatin powder

325g already whipped cream to stiff peaks

cocoa powder for dusting

Banana filling

3 bananas

20g sugar

1/2 pc lemon zest (not mandatory)

40g butter

1/4tsp cinnamon

5g rum

Banana filling: 

cut bananas into small slices. Heat butter & sugar in pan. Fry banans w/ lemon zest, cinnamon, rum until light golden brown. Leave to cool and for later use.

Beat mascarpone cheese and yolks

Beat whites with sugar to soft peaks & dissolve gelatine powder in 100ml hot water.

Fold whites, gelatine water, and whipped cream into mascarpone cheese.

Mix warm coffee with amaretto and other alcohol if you have.

Dip one slice of the lady finger into the coffee mixture so that it is soaked, but not so soaked that it will break.

Place in bottom of cake mould, then cover with some cheese mixture. Add some banana filling. Dip some lady finger biscuits into coffee mixture then arrange on cheese mixture, put some banana filling and put another layer of dipped sponge cake. Spoon some mascarpone cheese mixture.

Chill until set- around 2 hrs.

Dust with cocoa powder- use stencils for patterns.

(Source: Flickr / bakingexplosion)