Chocolate and Cherry Tiramisu with Pink Beet Cream

Preheat oven 160 degrees C (320°F)

Make and bake sponge

• Sieve the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda and cocoa into a large bowl and mix well together.
• In a separate bowl mix together the coffee, vanilla essence, oil and yoghurt and fold the batter together until well combined do not over mix.
• Line a baking tray approx 23 x 35cm x 5 cm with baking parchment and add the batter and level it out.
• Bake for 20-25 mins until it starts to dry out and look baked and when you insert a wooden skewer it comes out dry. If using gluten free bake for approx 14 mins until you insert a wooden skewer and it comes out dry.
• Set aside and leave to cool.

Whip cream

• Add the plant based cream to a large bowl along with the icing sugar and scrap out the inside of the vanilla pod and add it to the cream.
• Using an electric whisk whip the cream until you reach stiff peaks, this should take 3-4 mins.
• Add in the vegan cream cheese and whip again until it's all well combined and super smooth with stiff peaks.
• Sieve in the beetroot powder and fold it in until the cream turns a lovely bright pink colour. You want to ensure it's thick enough so that it will hold its shape.

Make Coffee soak

• Sieve in the 2 tbsp of icing sugar to the coffee, add in the kirsch or cherry liquor and mix well.

Plate up & decorate

• Get the plate you want to serve the tiramisu from and cut the sponge in half. Put a sheet of baking parchment on top of the sponge and flip it over and remove the bottom baking paper. This will be easier to transfer.
• Carefully transfer half of the sponge to the plate with the bottom of the sponge now facing up (the coffee will soak in better). Use a fork to gently pierce the top of the sponge so the coffee soak will soak in better.
• Gently pour over half the coffee mixture onto the sponge and use a pastry brush to brush with the coffee mixture until you have covered the sponge evenly.
• Add half the cream on top of the sponge and spread it out so that the sponge is well covered.
• Drain the tin of cherries and leave them to drain dry. Add a few of the cherries on top of the cream (approx 15 cherries). Sieve over some cocoa powder on top or grate on some chocolate.
• Next carefully add on the remaining half of the sponge again bottom side up and try to line it up so it's exactly on top of the base layer. Pierce lightly with a fork.
• Pour over the remaining coffee mixture and spread it around with a pastry brush so it's well covered.
• Add the remaining cream layer, a few cherries on top, and finish with a coating of cacao powder and finely sliced chocolate.

This cuts into 6-8 generous slices and is so wonderful!

Serve & enjoy!