So I tweeted a picture of this last week and had a nice reaction to people wanting the recipe! So without further delay, I give you the tiramisu cheesecake:

The occasion? My mum's boss came to dinner, I owed him a cheesecake, and this one looked the most impressive in off of my books. The only problem was, we needed marsala which mum kindly took care of at the local bottle-o.

I not a big coffee person. I can drink a mocha (half chocolate, half coffee), but I've never really enjoyed a cappuccino. But this cake was just heaven! I was even chomping on the chocolate coffee coated beans just for the hell of it... sure the chocolate helped! I couldn't really taste the marsala, but my mum's boss picked up there was alcohol in it. Everyone really enjoyed this cheesecake, so light and creamy.

I was a bit worried it would collapse when it unmoulded, but luckily everything stayed in place. Going to be whipping out this one at the next dinner gathering I think!

Tiramisu Cheesecake

1/4 cup medium ground expresso coffee
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/3 cup marsala
250g savoiardi sponge finger biscuits
150g chocolate-coated cofee beans, coarsley chopped

Filling:
2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons water
125g cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup icing sugar
250g mascarpone
2 tablespoons marsala
300ml thickened cream, whipped

1. Grease a 24cm round springform tin.

2. Combine coffee and the water in a coffee plunger; stand for 4 minutes before plunging. Combine coffee, sugar and marsala in medium heatproof bowl; cool 10 minutes.

3. Place 1/3 cup (80ml) cofee mixture in small saucepan; simmer, uncovered, until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Cool.

4. Cut each biscuit into 7cm lengths; reserve end pieces (don't eat them!). Dip flat side of biscuit lengths one at a time in remaining coffee mixture; arrange biscuits, round side out; around the side of the tin. Dip reserved biscuit ends in coffee mixture and place of the base of the tin to form the base.

5. Make filling by sprinkling gelatine over the water in a small heatproof bowl. Heat in microwave until dissolved. Mine took about 20 seconds on high. Cool.

6. Beat cheese and sifted sugar in a medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Add mascarpone and marsala; beat until combined. Stir in gelatine mixture; fold in whipped cream.

7. Spread filling into tin. Drizzle reduced coffee mixture over cheesecake, pull skewer backwards and forwards several times for a marbled effect. Refridgerate overnight.

8. Serve topped with chocolate coated coffee beans.

Serves 12.