Vanilla and mascarpone cream cake

Name: Vanilla and mascarpone cream cake
Ingredients: 4 eggs; 170 g sugar; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 3 level tablespoons cornstarch; 700 ml milk; 5 ml vanilla extract; 250 g mascarpone; 7.5 g gelatin; 30 ml cold water; 200 g sugar; 375 ml milk; 100 ml whipping cream; 250 g chocolate; 100 ml whipping cream; 45 g Finetti; 20 g baking chocolate; 60 ml water; 20 g chocolate pearls; 50 ladyfingers

Dessert - Vanilla and mascarpone cream cake by Noemi C. - Recipia

The vanilla and mascarpone cream cake sets well if the ladyfingers are dipped briefly in the caramelized milk. Layers of cold cream, chocolate and whipped cream make this a no-bake dessert, handy to prepare a day ahead; I leave the vanilla cream fairly thick, with clear whisk marks, before folding in the mascarpone. Prep: 40 minutes. Cook: 23 minutes. Rest: 10 hours and 55 minutes. Total time: 11 hours and 58 minutes. Serves: 12. About 600 kcal and 10 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the vanilla cream

4 eggs
170 g sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 level tablespoons cornstarch
700 ml milk
5 ml vanilla extract
250 g mascarpone
7.5 g gelatin
30 ml cold water

For the syrup

200 g sugar
375 ml milk

For the chocolate cream

100 ml whipping cream
250 g chocolate

For decorating

100 ml whipping cream
45 g Finetti
20 g baking chocolate
60 ml water
20 g chocolate pearls
50 ladyfingers

Preparation

1. Beat the eggs with 170 g sugar and the salt until foamy. Stir in the cornstarch, then gradually pour in the 700 ml milk, stirring. Put the cream over low heat and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until it thickens like pudding. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. 2. Leave the cream to cool for 60 minutes. Bloom the gelatin for 10 minutes in 30 ml cold water, then melt it over a bain-marie for 1 minute, without letting it boil. 3. Beat the mascarpone into the cold cream, one spoonful at a time. Pour in the melted gelatin in a thin stream and beat until smooth. 4. Put 200 g sugar in a saucepan and leave it over the heat for 6 minutes, until it turns amber. Carefully add 375 ml milk and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring until the caramel dissolves. Leave the syrup to cool for 30 minutes. 5. Heat 100 ml whipping cream for 3 minutes, until almost boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Chill the cream for 60 minutes, until spreadable. 6. Melt the baking chocolate with 60 ml water over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring until the sauce is smooth. Leave it to cool for 15 minutes. Whip the remaining 100 ml cream to stiff peaks, then mix the Finetti with 3 tablespoons of the chocolate sauce. 7. Line a rectangular pan with plastic wrap. Add half the vanilla cream, then 25 ladyfingers quickly dipped in the syrup. Spread over the chocolate cream, then add the rest of the vanilla cream and the other 25 syrup-dipped ladyfingers. 8. Chill the cake for 8 hours. Carefully turn it out onto a platter, remove the plastic wrap and cover it with whipped cream. Decorate with the Finetti cream and chocolate sauce, then sprinkle over the chocolate pearls.

Notes

The slices go well with unsweetened coffee or plain black tea. Choose dry ladyfingers of a similar thickness; soft ones break easily when dipped in syrup and are harder to arrange in a layer. Stop cooking the caramel when it is light amber; if it gets too dark, the milk will taste bitter. The mascarpone is easier to fold in if left on the counter for 15 minutes, and the cooked cream must be completely cool. For two even layers, use a rectangular pan about 30 × 20 cm. Finetti can be replaced with the same amount of another hazelnut and cocoa spread with a similar consistency. I don’t fuss over the decoration, I’m not good at making even peaks. This dessert contains gluten, eggs, dairy and hazelnuts. It can be assembled a day ahead; keep it covered in the fridge and eat it within 3 days.