Step 1

Have a 1.5-litre serving dish ready. Put the cherries in a large, shallow bowl with the coffee and Marsala; set aside. Put the egg yolks and mascarpone in a large bowl. Put the egg whites in another large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and the cream in another.

Step 2

Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks with either an electric hand mixer or the stand mixer, then add 2 tbsp sugar and whisk to stiff peaks. Using the same beaters, whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar to the yolk mixture and whisk for 2-3 minutes.

Step 3

Use a spatula to fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, then gently fold in the egg whites; set aside.

Step 4

Dip 3-4 sponge fingers at a time into the Marsala mixture, submerging them for 6-8 seconds until saturated, then arrange in a single layer in the base of the serving dish. Scoop out half of the cherries and arrange on top. Drizzle a little extra liquid over, if liked.

Step 5

Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture over the top, levelling it out with the back of a spoon. Scatter over half of the chocolate. Add another layer of sponge fingers, soaking them in the Marsala mixture before arranging on top. Spoon over the remaining cherries and liquid. Cover with the remaining mascarpone and scatter with the remaining chocolate. Chill for 2-24 hours before serving.