Christmas ice-cream cake

For the sponges:

1 Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease three 20cm cake tins and place a disc of parchment paper at the bottom of each.

2 Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and soft. Add the eggs one by one, allowing each one to incorporate fully before adding the next.

3 Add the orange zest and vanilla, mixing well to combine, followed by the flour, folding gently until fully incorporated.

4 Divide the batter between the three cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each comes out clean.

5 Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack and cooling completely.

6 When they are cool, trim the top of the sponges to ensure each sponge is flat. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the ice-cream filling and topping:

1 Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk for about five minutes with an electric beater or by hand until light, pale and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and cream and continue to whisk until smooth and the cream reaches soft peaks.

2 Add the fortified wine and continue to whip until fully combined.

3 Fold in 100g of the chocolate, 50g of the pistachios and 50g of the candied orange, reserving the remainder of each for the topping.

To assemble:

1 Line a large 24cm springform cake tin with clingfilm, leaving some hanging over the edges. Place one of the sponges in the centre and spoon over some of the filling. Repeat with the remaining sponges and pour the remaining filling over the top of the cake and down the sides, pressing down using a palette knife or spoon to remove as many air bubbles as possible, ensuring the entire cake tin is filled with the ice-cream filling.

2 Smooth the top of the cake and place in the freezer overnight.

3 When ready to serve, remove the frozen cake from the cake tin, remove the clingfilm and place on a serving plate.

4 Garnish the top of the cake with the pomegranate seeds and the remaining chopped chocolate, pistachios and orange, and serve.