Italian Ice Cream Cake

Method

1 Put the cherries and amaretto in a bowl, stir, cover with clingfilm and leave while you assemble the other ingredients.

2 Pour the crème de cacao into a shallow dish and take out a large chopping board. Quickly dip a sponge finger into the liqueur - on one side only, so it doesn't go soggy and fall apart - then put on to the board and cut in half lengthways to separate the sugary side from the base. Repeat with each biscuit.

3 Take a 24x4cm round tin (91⁄2x11⁄2in) and double line it with clingfilm. Arrange the sugar-coated sponge finger halves, sugar side down, on the base of the tin. Drizzle with any remaining crème de cacao.

4 Put the yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until pale, light and fluffy. Fold in the cream, vanilla extract, pistachios or hazelnuts, chocolate and cherries, plus any remaining amaretto. Spoon the mixture on top of the sponge fingers in the tin.

5 Cover ice cream filling with the remaining sponge finger halves, cut side down. Cover with clingfilm and freeze for at least 5hr.

6 To serve, upturn the cake on to a serving plate. Ease away the clingfilm and discard. Sift cocoa and icing sugar over the top of the cake and cut into wedges. Before serving, leave at room temperature for 20min, if the weather is warm, 40min at cool room temperature, or 1hr in the fridge to allow the cherries to defrost and the ice cream to become ‘semi-freddo' - half-frozen yet moussey.