Chocolate Berry Tiramisu Cake

Chocolate Berry Tiramisu Cake 

(Serves 8)

Ingredients :

600ml thickened cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup caster sugar

500g mascarpone cheese

1-1/3 cups freshly brewed strong coffee, cooled

2/3 cup hazelnut-flavoured liqueur

500g packet sponge finger biscuits

250g frozen raspberries

250g frozen blueberries

100g dark chocolate, grated

Steps:

1.  Line a 24cm (base) springform cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Whip cream until soft peaks form.  Stir in vanilla and sugar.  Whip until thick.  Add mascarpone and stir gently to combine.
3. combine coffee liqueur in a shallow dish.  Dip biscuits, 1 at a time, into coffee mixture and use to line base of pan (Cut to fit, if necessary).  Top with a third of the mascarpone mixture, half the berries and a third of the chocolate.  Repeat Layers.
4. Top Chocolate with a final layer of soaked biscuits, remaining mascarpone mixture and remaining chocolate.  Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow biscuits to soften and flavours to develop.  Serve.

Notes:

• Mascarpone is a soft Italian cream cheese with a rich, buttery texture and a slightly tart flavour.  Well known for its use in tiramisu and cheesecakes.  It is also great dolloped on fruit.  Take care when mixing mascarpone. - if over mixed, it can separate and become grainy.
• Take care not to over-whop cream lest it breaks down into water and milk solids!
• Hazelnut-flavored liqueur can be replaced with actual rum.  Or add 2-3 teaspoons of rum flavor (syrup in a small bottle sold in baking stores like Phoon Huat) to 2/3 cup of water.
• (Hershey's) Cocoa powder can take the place of dark chocolate int he recipe 
• Sponge Fingers - found in Cold Storage.  Look for them under the label of Cantreau's Lady's Fingers.
• Frozen berries are hard to find - can be omitted from recipe.

Got this recipe from my friend and thought I better type it out before I loose the piece of paper.  She did it for me once using decaf coffee and I loved it.  (^_^)v