Chilled Cherry Cassata Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 medium eggs
30 g caster sugar
25 g plain flour
25 g cornflour
1 None lemon, grated zest only
10 leaves/sheets gelatine
400 g full fat cream cheese
50 g icing sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cherry liqueur
750-800 g whipping cream
50 g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
50 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
70 g pink meringues
300 g sweet cherries, stoned

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. To make the cake base, whisk the eggs and sugar for about 10 minutes until thick and creamy. Fold in the flour, cornstarch and baking powder along with the lemon zest. Spoon into a 8 inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper, and spread it smooth. Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then take out and cool on a rack.
Soak the gelatine in cold water. Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the liqueur and dissolved gelatine and stir well. Chill. When it starts to set, whip the whipping cream until fairly stiff and fold it into the cheese mixture.
Add the nuts, chocolate, 2oz of halved meringues and 7oz of the cherries and mix in gently. Spoon into a large bowl. Smooth the top and press the cake base down on top. Cover and chill overnight.
To serve, dip the bowl in hot water to loosen the cassata then turn it out onto a plate. Crumble the rest of the meringue over and decorate with the rest of the cherries.