Maria biscuits cake

Another typical Portuguese dessert with a childhood favourite: Maria biscuits.

Delicious mix of plenty of biscuits and butter with a hint of coffee. What else?

Serves: 12 persons.

Ingredients:

• 250g butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 400g Maria biscuits
• 210ml coffee 
• coffee beans (optional)

Method:

1. Whisk the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
   
2. Add the egg yolks and vanilla paste and whisk.
   
   
   
3. Soak each biscuit in coffee and plate it. One biscuit in the centre and 6 biscuits around. Be careful not to soak them too much as they will turn into mush.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Spread the butter mixture on top evenly with a palette knife.
   
   
   
5. Keep adding layers of biscuits and butter mixture. I made 9 layers and had 8 biscuits left for decoration but it was too much. I would recommend making 10 layers (70 biscuits) and leave 1 biscuit left for decoration.
   
   
   
6. When the layers are done, spread the remaining butter mixture on top and around the cake.
   
   
   
7. Grind the remaining biscuit and add the powder on the top as decoration. Coffee beans can be added for decoration on top if wanted. I left 8 biscuits for this as I was hoping to decorate the sides as well. However, I discovered that a thin powder is nearly impossible to add to the sides without messing up the butter mixture so I ended up just putting it on top. If needed, use 2 biscuits.