Tiramisu -- the chiffon cake version 提拉米苏之戚风蛋糕版本

In May 2008 I made my first Tiramisu. I always believe this is a dessert that needs passion and love, and love is something so strange to have many layers --- layers that are so sweet to make you want to devote everything, while other layers so sour and bitter to only make you drop tears. Love is full of happy smiles and unhappy tears. The only thing I am sure to tell you, girls, is that if a love makes more tears come out from you than sweet smiles, you'd better look for someone else.

There is a softer and more creamy version served in cup in Italy, because less gelatine is used. Since what I wanted to make is a solid cake at that time, I chose the other version with more gelatine and chiffon cake as the base instead of the finger biscuits.

Chiffon Cake: an 8in round mould

4 L size eggs

Caster sugar A 40g

Vegetable oil 60g
Squeezed orange juice 60g
Vanilla extract 2 drops
Self-raising flour 120g
Baking powder 1/4 tsp
Caster sugar B 60g
Salt 1g
Cream of tartar 1/4tsp

Cheese Mousse:
Sugar (melted in water, sugar:water=1:1) 50g
Egg yolks X 3
Caster sugar 50g
Leaf Gelatine 2-3 pieces
Mascarpone cheese 250g
Whipping cream 250g
Finger biscuirt or the chiffon cake ( above ) 2 pieces
Coffee flavour liqueur 5g
Marsala wine 5g ( or blandy 5g)
Espresso 30g
Another coffee liqueur 20g for brushing the cake

Instructions-Chiffon cake:

- Add sugar A into egg yolks and slightly beat until mixed. Add vanilla extract.

- Add orange juice and oil, stir well. Add sifted flour and baking powder and slightly stir until the mixture is smooth but not stiff. Cover the mixture with a cheesecloth to keep it from drying.

- Mix together the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt, beat it with a high speed until big bubbles show ( about 1min), and add sugar a little at a time (in three turns) and beat until very stiff with a middle speed. 

- Gently fold 1/3 of the egg white into the egg yolk mixture, and fold back with the 2/3 egg white mixture until well mixed and smooth. But don't over blend.

- Pour the mixture in the cake mould, bake in the lowest level of the oven at 180C for 40 minutes. 

- Take the cake out from the oven, unmould it and cool it on a wire rack with upside down.

Instructions-cheese mousse:

- Beat the whipping cream until flothy but can still flow. Put in into the fridge.

- Soak the leaf gelatine in cold water for 5 mins, squeeze extra water and set aside.

- Beat the egg yolks and sugar above hot water until thick and pale.

- Hear half of the sugar liquid (25g) to 120C, pour into the egg yolk mixture.

- Hear the leaf gelatine above hot water until it melt. Add the gelatine into the egg yolk mixture.

- Add Mascarpone cheese.

- After it is cool, mix in Marsala wine and whipped cream.

To construct the cake, brush the sliced chiffon cake with coffee liqueur and sugar liquid. Put one piece of chiffon cake at the bottom, pour on one layer of cheese mousse, and another piece of chiffon cake, and the other layer of cheese mousse, level the surface and refridgeate the cake for 12 hours. Spinkle the cocoa powder on the surface before serving.

I can promise you that the taste of this cake is one of the most unforgetable tastes of love.