Preparation / Directions:
FILLING:
1. Whisk egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar together. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the cream, the rest of the sugar, and the vanilla until almost stiff - NO PEAKS
3. Fold the mascarpone cheese mixture into the whipped cream and continue to whip, until stiff. Set aside.
4. Make a fully-dissolved syrup with 1/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp water, espresso and rum.
5. Brush a layer of the sponge cake with espresso mixture. With a spatula, smooth about half-inch thick layer of the mascarpone cheese mixture on top. Brush the second cake layer with espresso, and place it espresso side down on the first layer. Brush the top with espresso. Spread on another half-inch of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat the procedure with the third layer of cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of mascarpone filling.
6. With a sieve and a spoon, sprinkle the top of the cake with cocoa powder. Cover the sides of the cake with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate at least three hours. This cake does not hold up well when exposed to any heat, so keep it cool Serves eight.
From La Cucina di Andrea's - by Chef Andrea Apuzzo 89-63780
Chef Andrea says, "This is a relatively new Italian dessert that is all the rage in Italy and New York. The original version was made with lady fingers, and was scooped out in the manner of an English trifle. We took a fresh approach to it by substituting sponge cake for the lady fingers. It is so light that you don't eat it -- you inhale it
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