Lovely lemony, creamy layer cake inspired by tiramisu

I know what you’re thinking. There is no lemon in tiramisu. You don’t need to tell me. Tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts. But the concept here is that of a tiramisu; soft mascarpone and spongy fingers soaked in liqueur, layered together in one glorious cake.

I was taught how to make proper tiramisu by an Italian chef who folded mascarpone into whisked egg yolks with such care and attention that it felt like there was no one else in the kitchen. The elements of classic tiramisu really are no frills and little fuss; the soaking syrup in the classic is strong coffee. There is sponge, savoiardi biscuits or ladyfingers, and the creamy bit, egg yolk-enriched mascarpone, with the addition of Marsala, making it a true taste of Italy.

This one, however, is centred on the humble lemon and turned into a dainty, sliceable gateau. That Italian chef may grimace at my interpretation. But in my defence, it is a labour of love and truly delicious. I am making the sponge rather than using ladyfingers, as I want delicate layers in my gateau. This one is baked in two square tins and each one cut horizontally to make four squares for layering.

The lemon element comes in two parts. First, tangy lemon curd is folded through the eggy mascarpone mix for a beautiful citrus kick, and secondly, the soaking syrup uses limoncello. If you need a reason to get that bottle of neon-yellow liqueur out of the back of your drinks cupboard, this is it. If you don’t have it or want to go alcohol free, it can easily be substituted with lemon juice.

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The syrup is brushed on the sponge in between each layer and assembled in a square cake tin, which keeps everything nice and tidy. Any leftover lemony syrup can be simmered with some peeled lemon zest to make a few pieces of candied lemon to garnish your gateau with.

This cake is a beautiful and bright little number and a good one for a crowd. Chill it for a few hours before slicing into squares or fingers to serve. It freezes well too.

Recipe: Lemon tiramisu gateau