Ingredients

• 1 x 20cm/8in sponge cake, home-made or ready-made
• 6 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 350g/12oz ricotta cheese
• pinch ground cinnamon
• 225g/8oz crystallized fruit
• 50g/2oz dark bitter chocolate, slivers
•   icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a serving dish and sprinkle with four tablespoons of the orange juice. In a pan, stir two tablespoons of water with the caster sugar, bring to the boil, stirring until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly, then beat into the ricotta with the cinnamon; mix until smooth.
2. Roughly chop the crystallized fruit, leaving one or two of the cherries whole. Mix 175g/6oz of the fruit into the ricotta with half of the chocolate. Spread the filling over the bottom half of the cake, then sprinkle with the remaining orange juice. Place the top half of the cake on top. Press down gently to make sure it's firm, but taking care not to squeeze out the filling.
3. Decorate the top of the cake with the reserved fruit and chocolate and chill for 2 hours before serving. Transfer to a large platter or cake stand, dust with icing sugar just before serving. Cut into wedges and serve.

Notes