Name: Coffee hazelnut cake with marsala dates
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Coffee hazelnut cake; 1 2/3 cups self-raising flour; 1 cup ground hazelnuts; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tbsp cocoa powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 250 g butter, softened; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 3 eggs; 1/2 cup milk; 1 cup freshly-brewed strong black coffee; Marsala dates; 2/3 cup marsala; 1/4 cup caster sugar; 12 fresh dates, halved lengthways, pitted; Ricotta filling; 3 cups firm ricotta; 375 g mascarpone; 3/4 cup caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Coffee hazelnut cake with marsala dates

Ricotta, a fabulously versatile cheese with a mild flavour and creamy texture, is used extensively in Italian desserts. Here, it's the star of our beautiful coffee hazelnut cake, acting as a silky filling between layers.

Serves 8

Prep

40M

Cook

Total

1H 40M

Ingredients

Coffee hazelnut cake

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

1 cup ground hazelnuts

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

250 g butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup freshly-brewed strong black coffee

Marsala dates

2/3 cup marsala

1/4 cup caster sugar

12 fresh dates, halved lengthways, pitted

Ricotta filling

3 cups firm ricotta

375 g mascarpone

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 deep 20cm round cake pans. Line bases and sides with baking paper.

2.Sift flour, hazelnut meal, baking soda, cocoa and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Fold in combined sifted flour mixture, milk and coffee, in 2 batches (the mixture may look split at this stage). Spoon mixture evenly into pans; level surfaces.

3.Bake cakes for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Stand cakes in pans for 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool.

4.Make the marsala dates: stir marsala and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium, then add dates. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until dates are just starting to soften. Remove from heat. Cool dates in marsala syrup. Cut dates into thin wedges.

5.Make the ricotta filling: process the ingredients until just smooth and combined.

6.Split cakes in half. Place base of one cake onto a cake stand. Drizzle with a little syrup from marsala dates. Top with a quarter of the ricotta mixture. Repeat the layering with remaining cake, syrup and ricotta mixture, finishing with ricotta mixture. Top cake with dates, then drizzle with remaining syrup.