Tiramisù coffee sponge sandwich

Preheat the oven to 160°C and lightly grease a 23cm x 32cm swiss roll tin.

For the sponge, bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer. Whisk the eggs, castor sugar and vanilla extract together in a metal bowl. Place it over the simmering water and warm through without stirring. Remove from the heat, pour it into a bowl and beat until thick and fluffy.

Sift the flour into the mixture and fold it in. Add the butter, biscuits and almond essence and mix to combine. Spoon it into the tin and bake for 25 minutes.

For the syrup, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat until the consistency is syrupy.

Remove the sponge from the oven and drizzle the syrup over. Turn it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge overnight.

For the cream, bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a metal bowl, place it over the simmering water and whisk until it thickens. Remove from the heat and whisk until it has cooled. Fold in the mascarpone, vanilla seeds and brandy, then chill in the fridge overnight.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and pour onto greaseproof paper. Spread out to a thin layer, mark outlines for triangles to the desired size and allow to cool. Once cool, peel the paper off.

Cut the cake to match the chocolate triangles. Place a piece of chocolate on a serving plate and top with a slice of cake. Spread with the cream, top with a slice of cake and finish with a piece of chocolate