For starters, you need to prepare 2 sponge cake: light and dark. I cook according to the recipe of Genoese sponge cake - link to recipe given at the end. For a light cake use 3 eggs 95g of sugar, 40g of butter and 65g flour. In a dark part of the cake flour substituted for cocoa. Accordingly, take 3 eggs, 95g sugar, 40g butter, 50g flour and 15g cocoa. Biscuits it is desirable to prepare in advance so they are "ripe". For example, you can bake biscuits in the evening and in the morning to collect the cake. If this is not possible, then just let the biscuits cool down well and you can begin to prepare.

The cooled biscuit to impregnate brandy syrup. To prepare brandy syrup pour into a small bowl of water and sugar, heat over low heat, until boiling and sugar is dissolved. In this boil is not necessary. Then allow the syrup to cool to room temperature and add the cognac (if desired). If you are cooking for children, or just don't like alcohol, can not add and soak the biscuits are just sugar syrup. For making this cake I was making biscuits in a small form with a diameter of 20cm, so carefully cut each cake into 2. I got 2 light and 2 dark biscuit. If you use the form to biscuits larger diameter, the cake turn out rather thin and cut not will need. So, a tablespoon to slowly pour our biscuits with the syrup and leave for a while to absorb.

While soaked biscuits, do some cooking cream. To do this, take the butter at room temperature (not melted, just softened) and beat with a mixer.

In beaten add oil gradually, a tablespoon condensed milk, continuing to whisk mass. Sometimes it happens that due to the temperature difference between oil and milk oil starts to be clipped and the mass looks homogeneous. In this case, do not worry, just a little warm mass in a water bath or in the microwave and whisk further.

After the mass is whipped add in the brandy and/or vanilla extract (again, this is not necessary and this can not be done). I added the brandy, as in the original cake add it, but it all depends on your taste.

A portion of the cream we must be dark (for decoration). For this purpose, about a third of the cream put into a separate bowl and add cocoa powder (required sifted to avoid lumps) and stir the mixture thoroughly.

And here is our cakes soaked cream is ready, it's time to assemble the cake! Put on a plate first dark Korzh, lubricated with cream (without cocoa), put a light cake. Sides of cake grease light cream, top with a confectionery syringe, draw a net of dark cream moulded skirting and pattern. Sides of cake sprinkle biscuit crumbs. Well, or decorate the way you want :)

The finished cake cooled in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

Now enjoy a slice with a Cup of tea or coffee :) Bon appetit!!!

With a Cup of coffee :)