Sensational and delicious - a wonderful dessert to enjoy with friends this summer.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup strong black coffee
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 tablespoon gelatin
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 egg whites
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 500 grams mascarpone
• 4 egg yolks
• grated rind 1 orange
• 50 grams dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 200 gram packet sponge finger biscuits
• 2 teaspoons cocoa

Method

1. Line the base and sides of an 8-cup capacity loaf tin with tin foil.
2. Mix the coffee and the cardamom pods together. Cool and strain.
3. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and leave to swell. Heat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave and stir to dissolve. Or heat over a bowl of warm water.
4. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy and stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar until you make a soft meringue-like mixture.
5. Gently heat half the mascarpone until warm and gently stir into the gelatin mixture. Beat the egg yolks, orange rind and the remainder of the mascarpone together and stir into warmed mascarpone. Fold the meringue into the mascarpone and divide the mixture in half.
6. Stir the melted chocolate into one half and add the orange blossom water to the other half.
7. Quickly dip the sponge finger bicuits into the coffee and dust lightly with cocoa. Use one-third of the biscuits to line the base of the prepared loaf tin.
8. Pour the chocolate mixture over. Place another third of the fingers over the chocolate mascarpone and pour over the orange blossom flavoured mascarpone. Place the remaining sponge fingers on the top of the orange mascarpone and cover. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight. Turn out onto a serving platter and serve in thick slices.