A timeless Italian classic dessert that’s delicious and easy

Preparation time: 25 minutes (plus 3-4 hours chilling in the fridge)

What you need:

3 eggs

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar)

16 oz (about 500g) Mascarpone (Italian soft cheese made of cream)

40 ladyfingers

1/2 cup (120ml) strong coffee, cold or lukewarm

1 tablespoon rum (optional)

dark chocolate powder

How to do it:

Mix eggs with sugar and vanilla so it turns a bit frothy

Add Mascarpone and mix it so everything turns into a thick paste. Set aside.

Mix the coffee with the rum and dip the ladyfingers in the liquid (they soak up a lot of liquid within a second, so make it a very quick dunk).

Line dipped ladyfingers in the bottom of a glass/ceramic baking dish. Make one solid layer. If needed, cut some ladyfingers to fill in any empty spaces.

Layer half of the Mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers. Best to use a spatula to even it out.

Dip and layer remaining ladyfingers.

Top with remaining Mascarpone mixture and top with dark chocolate powder (best done through a sieve)

Chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Note: You can prepare the dish a day ahead of serving