Ingredients for the dough:
185 grams (6.5 oz) flour
40 grams (1.40 oz) powder sugar
1/2 tea spoon salt
90 grams (3 oz) butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons (15 ml.) cold water or milk
Ingredients for the fruit filling:
3 peaches + 5 small apricots (total of 500 grams)
120 grams (4 oz) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for the mascarpone cream:
200 ml. (7 fl. oz) sweetened heavy whipping cream
200 grams (7 oz) mascarpone
50 grams (2 oz) powder sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for the caramelized coconut:
50 grams (2 oz) brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey/maple syrup
A hanful of coconut chips

To make the dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soften butter (chopped into small pieces) and start mixing with your fingers (or pulse briefly in a food processor if you prefer) until coarse crumbs form (butter pieces should be about the size of a pea). Add the egg yolk and quickly knead until the dough comes together. If dough is too dry and doesn’t come together add one or two tablespoons of water or milk, one by one, until dough is wet enough to form a ball, but not too sticky. Do NOT overwork the dough, just pulse a few times and then shape it using your hands. Shape dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to firm up, about 30 minutes.
To make the peach and apricot jam:
Chop up the fruits into small pieces and place in a medium casserole. Add sugar and vanilla extract and start cooking over high heat. Fruits will release their juices and sugar will dissolve. Continue to cook until fruit juices evaporate and the mixture is thick. Stir once in a while in the beginning and constantly towards the end, so not to burn the mixture. Remove from the heat and put in the fridge to cool off quicker.
In the meantime, grease a 35х11см (14x4inch) tart tin with removable bottom  (use a 20 cm./8inch circle tart tin, if you prefer).
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Remove pastry from the fridge and set over a floured wooden board or your counter top. Roll the dough into a large rectangular or a circle, depending on the tart dish you are using. Transfer rolled dough to the tart dish and press down to the sides and bottom to fit tightly. Remove excess dough, prick the bottom all over, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and gently cover the bottom and sides of the dough with parchment paper or aluminium foil, then fill in with dry beans or pasta. This will help the tart keep its shape and won’t rise during baking.
Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven, carefully remove dry beans and the foil/paper, and return to the oven for about another 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let it cool completely before filling it up.
White the tart base is chilling, beat the cream in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl stir together mascarpone, powder sugar and vanilla extract.
Gently fold in whipped cream.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip with the mascarpone cream.
To assemble the tart:
Fill in the tart base with the fruit jam, then pipe over the mascarpone cream.
Sprinkle some caramelized coconut chips.
To make the chips:
In a small casserole heat up brown sugar and maple syrup. Let brown sugar melt then add coconut chips, stir to coat and pour over a piece of parchment paper. Set aside to cool completely, then shop uproughly using your fingers and sprinkle over the tart.

Ingredients for the pastry cream:
400 ml.(13.5 fl. oz)  + 200 ml. (7 fl. oz) heavy cream
100 grams (3.5 oz) granulated sugar
6 large yolks
60 grams (2 oz) cornstarch
40 grams (1.5 oz) or 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Ingredients for the meringue:
6 medium egg whites (180 grams/6 oz)
350 grams (12 oz) sugar
A pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Ingredients for the strawberry sauce:
200 grams (7 oz) strawberries
75 grams (2.5 oz) sugar
a pinch of salt
Extra strawberries for decoration

To make the pastry cream, place the cream in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk to combine.
Once the cream has come to a simmer remove from the stove and start pouring it slowly to the egg yolk mixture as you whisk continuously to temper the yolks. Add a little bit of the cream then add the cornstarch and whisk to dissolve, then add the rest of the cream. Once it’s all combined transfer the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture has thickened. ***Make sure to whisk the mixture all the time to avoid curdling the eggs.
Remove from heat, whisk for another minute to cool slightly, then add the butter and whisk until combined.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Let it cool off a bit then place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours or overnight. Once it has cooled, whip up the rest of the cream to stiff peaks and gently fold into the pastry cream. Cover in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed.
While pastry cream is chilling in the fridge prepare the meringue.
Preheat your oven to 100-110C (230F), fan-forced.
Place egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer or in a regular bowl if using hand-held mixer.
Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while mixer is running until it’s​ all incorporated. Add cream of tartar and vanilla extract. Beat until meringue is smooth, thick and glossy. ***Sugar should be completely dissolved. This may take about 10 to 15 minutes.
Add cornstarch and beat for another minute, not more, just to combine.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a round plate/ring and draw three circles on the paper, using a pencil (16cm/6 inch each).
Distribute meringue among the circles and even the tops out as much as possible.**No need to be very precise here.
Bake 75 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door of the oven. Leave meringue to cool to room temperature in the oven.
In the meantime prepare the strawberry sauce:
In a small saucepan add strawberries and puree finely or chop up into very small pieces. Add sugar and a pinch of salt and heat over medium high heat. Strawberries will release their juices from the heat and sugar will dissolve. Cook stiring almost constantly until sauce is thickened and most of the juices evaporate. Keep in mind that sauce will thicken additionally when chilled.
Let is cool to room temperature.
To assemble the cake:
Place one meringue layer on a platter, spread one layer of the pastry cream and sprinkle some of the strawberry sauce on top. Repeat steps with all three layers.
Top with fresh strawberries.

Ingredients for the crust:
180 grams (6.5 oz) biscuits, finely processed in a food processor
50 grams (1.8 oz) almond flour
110 grams (4 oz) butter, melted
1 tablespoon powder sugar (more or less, to taste)
Ingredients for the filling:
400 grams (14 oz) dulce de leche
200 grams (7 oz) dark chocolate (60% cocoa)
100 ml. (3.5 fl. oz) heavy whipping cream

Grease a non-stick 20 cm (8 inch) cake springform with removable sides.
Mix biscuits (could be chocolate or any other kind you prefer) with almond flour, butter and powder sugar in a small bowl – the mixture should look like moist sand/crumbs. Transfer to the prepared springform and spread evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan. Use a flat-bottomed glass to press the biscuit mixture over the base of the tin. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
In the meantime prepare the filling:
Melt chocolate with cream in a large bowl. Add dulce de leche and stir until nice and smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over the chilled biscuit base and place back in the fridge for about 2 hours or overnight.
Optional: decorate with freshly whipped cream.
Serve cold, out of the fridge.

Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
120 grams (4 oz)  granulated white sugar
2 table spoons gold rum or Marsala wine (for the yolk mixture)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
500 grams (12 oz) mascarpone cheese
160 grams (3.5 oz) heavy whipping cream
100 grams powder sugar (more or less, to taste)
500 grams (3.5 oz) ladyfingers (Savoiardi biscuits)
100-150 ml. fresh espresso coffee
2 table spoons gold rum or Marsala wine (for the coffee mixture)
2 table spoons powder sugar

First, brew the coffee. It is better to use espresso coffee, but if you don’t have an espresso machine, just use whatever coffee you have on your hands – make sure it is fresh and strong.
Pour the coffee in a wide bowl, add powder sugar and two table spoons rum/marsala wine. Stir and set aside to cool completely.
In a medium saucepan (use heavy bottomed or non-stick if possible) whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Add 2 table spoons rum or Marsala wine and vanilla, and start whisking the mixture over medium / medium-low heat (depending on how strong your stove is, temperature should  be rather low, than high, in order to temper the yolks without curdling them). Whisk almost constantly until all sugar dissolves and the egg yolk mixture is hot to the touch. Once sugar is dissolved, continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until mixture slightly thickens. ***Make sure to whisk constantly to avoid curdling the eggs.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a clean bowl. Set aside to cool completely as you stir the mixture once in a while. Once the mixture is cold to the touch (or at room temperature) whisk again by hand or with a mixer a minute or so.
In a large bowl beat mascarpone for a minute. Add 1/3rd of the egg yolk mixture and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Add the rest of the yolk mixture in parts, stirring after each addition.
In another bowl beat cream and powder sugar until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in the cream to the mascarpone mixture and stir with a rubber spatula. Transfer mascarpone mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Set aside.

To assemble the cake:
To assemble the cake you will need a cake springform (24cm) or a baking/cake ring. If using a springform, you may assemble the cake in it, or you can remove the bottom of the springform and place the ring over a ceramic serving plate, so when the cake is chilled and you remove the ring, the cake will be served in the ceramic plate.
Place dessert ring (or springform ring) in the center of your serving plate.
Now, measure the width of the ladyfingers. You will have to leave room for the ladyfingers to be fitted around the tiramisu cake. Start by dipping ladyfingers into the espresso mixture for about 2-3 seconds (don’t soak the ladyfingers too much in the coffee, because they will fall apart). Arrange one layer of soaked ladyfingers over the bottom of your serving plate as you leave enough room alongside the ring to arrange ladyfingers all around the cake.
***Make sure the first layer of soaked ladyfingers to be fitted tightly, as you can break the ladyfingers into smaller ,manageable peaces in order to fit the round shape of the cake.
Now, before you add the first layer of mascarpone, you can arrange the ladyfingers, straight up all around the cake (don’t dip in coffee ladyfingers that are placed around the cake). Then, pipe one layer of the mascarpone over the first layer of soaked ladyfingers. Then, arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers, then another layer of mascarpone. Repeat these steps until your springform is full as you finish with a layer of mascarpone.
Place cake in the fridge overnight.
Remove from fridge, remove ring and sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Makes 4 mini mousse cakes, diameter 8 cm. or 1 large cake x16cm
Ingredients for the biscuit base:
150 grams biscuits, finely processed
75 grams butter, melted
1 tablespoon powder sugar (optional)
Ingredients for the chestnut mousse:
160 grams (3,5 oz) dark eating chocolate
40 ml.sweetened heavy whipping cream
6 large egg yolks
80 grams (0,7 oz) sugar
1/2 tea spoon vanilla extract
250 grams chestnut puree
1 tablespoon rum
Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:
100 grams dark chocolate
30 ml. heavy whipping cream
**Sweetened heavy whipping cream for decoration

You have a few options for serving here:
1) you can make mini cakes if you own cooking rings – either grease 4 rings generously with butter or line with acetate paper. Place all rings on a large serving plate lined with parchment paper.
2) serve this dessert in a glass/jar – no preparation needed
3) make one larger cake, using a cake springform with removable sides – grease 6 inch (15-16 cm) springform generously with butter and line with parchment paper

To make the crust:
Combine biscuits and butter in a large bowl. Add powder sugar if biscuits are not sweet enough. Stir to combine then distribute evenly between your chosen serving dish (glasses, rings or springform). Use a flat-bottomed glass or a spoon to press the biscuit mixture and even it out. Place in the fridge to firm up.
To make the chestnut mousse:
In a medium bowl combine the chocolate and 60 ml. of heavy whipping cream. Heat in а microwave oven until cream is so hot that chocolate starts melting. Stir with a small spoon until chocolate melts and the mixture is glossy and smooth. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Add vanilla extract and start cooking on medium / medium-low heat (depending on how strong your stove is). Whisk almost constantly until sugar dissolves and the egg yolk mixture is hot to the touch. Cook egg yolks on medium low heat until you temper them, then you can turn the heat up a bit and continue cooking until the mixture thickens. Make sure to whisk often to avoid curdling the eggs.
*** This is a pretty quick process, so once sugar is dissolved watch those egg yolks closely, cause they will cook really fast.
Once sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and add to the chocolate-cream mixture. Stir until all combines and the mixture is smooth. Add chestnut puree and rum and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a medium-size bowl whip 80 ml. of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Don’t over-beat the cream, you need it with soft peaks in order to get a smoother mousse.
Add 1/3rd of whipped cream to the chocolate/chestnut mixture and gently stir with rubber spatula until combined. Then fold in the rest of the whipped cream part by part until smooth and nice.
Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared dishes/glasses and place in the fridge.
In the meantime combine chocolate and cream in a small bowl and heat in a microwave or over a water bath until chocolate melts. Stir to combine completely then let cool off a bit. Distribute chocolate evenly between your serving dishes. Decorate with whipped cream.

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Oh, pie!! Sweet and flavorful salted caramel peach pie.
Summer is officially over, now that markets are full of pumpkins, chestnuts and apples, but there are still plenty of peaches to take home and bake a pie. And I have to tell you… this recipe is a keeper. Combination of peaches and salted caramel is just amazing.
I guess this is going to be my last summer recipe for this year. I am excited for the Fall and my favorite holiday of the year that follows this beautiful season. Fall flavors & colors + Christmas in just 3 months – that equals a couple of great months for cooking and more time to spend at home with my family. I am so excited about all flavors that Fall has to offer. I can’t wait to bake my first apple pie for the season. I plan to re-make an old recipe that combines cheesecake and apple pie in one piece of deliciousness… and don’t get me started on the chestnuts. I have to admit – I am totally addicted to chestnuts. Every year I cook a big batch and put in the freezer to have throughout the year, so I plan to cook a lot of chestnut this month.
I realize I’ve been writing more about Fall here, than this recipe, but as much I want to tell you more about it – I just can’t find the right words at the moment. This pie is a great classic with a little twist and is simply amazing – all you need to know.
I usually make my own salted caramel, but you can go for a jar of commercial one in case you don’t feel like preparing your own salted caramel, but I have to tell you – it only takes a few minutes and you won’t need a candy thermometer if you follow my recipe. I use only half a batch of my salted caramel recipe here, but you can use the rest for serving. Just sprinkle a few teaspoons of hot caramel over a piece of pie
Hurry up, cause peach season is almost over.

Ingredients for the sweet pastry (makes 1x24cm round pie):
270 grams (9.5 oz) flour
60 grams (2 oz) powder sugar
1/2 tea spoon salt
130 grams (4,5 oz) butter, at room temperature
2 medium egg yolks
4 table spoons (25 ml.) cold water or milk
For the filling:
4 large peaches, chopped into pieces
1 teaspoon cardamon
A pinch of cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Half a batch of my homemade salted caramel (about 100-150 grams)If you are making your own salted caramel, start by doing that and leave to cool to room temperature. You can make that ahead of time. Check out my recipe for homemade salted caramel!
To make the dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soften butter (chopped into small pieces) and start mixing with your fingers (or pulse briefly in a food processor if you prefer) until coarse crumbs form (butter pieces should be about the size of a pea). Add egg yolks and quickly knead until the dough comes together. If dough is too dry and doesn’t come together add one or two tablespoons of water or milk, one by one, until dough is wet enough to form a ball, but not too sticky. Do NOT overwork the dough, just pulse a few times and then shape it using your hands. Divide pastry into two parts – 1/3rd (to use to cover the pie) and 2/3rd (to use for the bottom of the pie), shape into disks and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove 2/3rd part pastry from the fridge and set over a floured wooden board or your counter top. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll pastry into a large circle, enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie baking dish. Gently press pastry down to the sides and bottom, don’t cut the excess pastry around the edges. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for another 30 minutes. In the meantime remove the other part of pastry from the fridge and let it rest for 10 minute.
While pastry is resting, prepare the filling:
In a large bowl combine peaches, cardamom, cloves, ginger and cornstarch. Stir very well, so that all peach slices are coated with the spices and starch. Add salted caramel and stir to combine.
Remove pie baking dish from the fridge and pour the filling in.
Roll the 1/3rd part of pastry, that had rested, into a large circle to cover tightly the whole pie or roll into a rectangular and cut into strips in order to make a lattice. Decoration is up to you.
Once you have covered the pie, put in the freezer for about 10 minutes then brush with a lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar (optional).
Preheat your oven to 180C (350F).
Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.
Let pie cool to room temperature completely before slicing it.*****

And as for the chestnuts. I have a few awesome recipes you can try this year. Check them out here /for more info click on the pictures/:

Learn how to cook chestnuts

Chestnut chocolate mousse cake

Homemade chestnut puree

Profiteroles with chestnut white chocolate mousse

Chocolate chestnut cake (gluten free)

Chestnut cream soup

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Who doesn’t love pie, right? Strawberries and peaches is probably one of my favorite fruit combinations. When you wrap these juicy fruits in buttery sweet pastry you get this amazing pie, that no one could resist. Although strawberry season is long gone, there is no need to wait for next year to bake a pie. You can make this pie right away, using frozen strawberries. And if you are like me and stock up your freezer on delicious seasonal fruits, you will be able to make pie all year long, whenever you feel like it.

I always use my classic sweet pastry recipe when preparing pie, but in case you don’t feel like making the pie pastry yourself, just use a package of commercial pie pastry.

Don’t give this recipe a lot of thought, it’s amazing and I am sure you will love it!

Ingredients for the sweet pastry dough (makes 1x26cm round pie, top and bottom):
280 grams (10 oz) flour
60 grams (2 oz) powder sugar
1/3 tea spoon salt
130 grams (4,5 oz) butter, at room temperature
2 medium egg yolks
4 table spoons (20 ml.) cold water or milk

Ingredients for the filling:
400 grams (14 oz) fresh strawberries, washed & halved
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 peaches, chopped
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 egg for brushing the top of the pie

To make the dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soften butter (chopped into small pieces) and start mixing with your fingers (or pulse briefly in a food processor) until coarse crumbs form (butter pieces should be about the size of a pea). Add the egg yolk and quickly knead until the dough comes together. If dough is too dry and doesn’t come together add one or two table spoons of water or milk, one by one, until dough is wet enough to form a ball, but not too sticky. Do NOT overwork the dough, just pulse a few times and then shape it using your hands. Shape dough into a ball, divide it into two parts and shape both parts into disks – 1/3rd (to use to cover the pie) and 2/3rd (to use for the bottom of the pie) and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

**If you want to use the strawberry juices to make a sauce, just combine juices with a tablespoon cornstarch (add sugar if necessary) and cook over medium heat until it thickens, stirring constantly.

Ingredients for the crust:
220 grams (8 oz) biscuits, finely processed in a food processor
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon powder sugar
110 grams (4 oz) butter, melted
Ingredients for the filling:
6 tablespoons water
1 sachet powdered gelatin (10 grams)
600 grams (20 oz) cream cheese
120 grams (4 oz) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest from 1 orange
120 ml. (4 fl. oz.) heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
Ingredients for strawberry layer:
500 grams (18 oz) strawberries, cleaned and chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
100 grams (3,5 oz) sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 sachet gelatine (10 grams)
6 tablespoons water
Ingredients for the chocolate drizzle:
About 30 grams (1 oz) white chocolate, melted

Prepare the base:
Grease a non-stick 20 cm (8 inch) cake springform with removable sides (or other springform of your choice).
Mix biscuits (could be chocolate or any other kind you prefer) with butter, powder sugar and cocoa in a small bowl – the mixture should look like moist sand/crumbs. Transfer to the prepared springform and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Use a flat-bottomed glass to press the biscuit mixture over the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
To make the cream cheese filling:
Place 10 grams (1 sachet) of gelatine in a small heatproof bowl with 6 tablespoons water and let it sit for a few minutes. Place bowl of gelatine over a small saucepan with simmering water. Let gelatine heats until liquid smooth, crystal clear like water, only little yellowish. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
In the meantime, beat cream cheese, powder sugar, vanilla and orange zest in a large bowl, until smooth.
Add whipped cream and gently stir to combine.
Add gelatine and beat for a minute to fully incorporate.
Pour cream cheese mixture over the biscuit base and even the top with a spatula.
Place in the fridge.
To make the strawberry coulis:
Place strawberries, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until soft.
Place cornstarch in a small bowl. Spoon out a little bit of the strawberry juices from the saucepan and add to the cornstarch.Stir until thin paste forms.
Reduce heat to medium and pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan. Stir constantly for about 3-5 minutes or until strawberry mixture thickens. Remove from heat and puree finely.
Strain through a fine mesh and set aside to cool off a bit.
In the meantime, place 10 grams (1 sachet) of gelatine in a small heatproof bowl with the water and let it sit for a few minutes. Place the bowl of gelatine over a small saucepan with simmering water. Let the gelatine heats until liquid smooth, crystal clear like water, only little yellowish.
Add gelatine to the strawberry sauce and stir to completely incorporate.
Make sure strawberry sauce is not too hot when you add the gelatine, or it will loose it’s qualities.
Pour strawberry mixture over the cheesecake and place back in the fridge to cool completely for about 4-6 hours.
Before serving, drizzle some white chocolate on top.

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Ingredients for the cake:
190 grams (6,7 oz) butter
150 grams (5,3 oz) chocolate
20 grams (0,70 oz) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
300 grams (10,5 oz) sugar
200 ml. (7 fl oz) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons baileys
200 grams (7 oz) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Chocolate buttercream:
80 grams (3 oz) dark chocolate (60%), melted and cooled to room temperature
2 tablespoons baileys
125 grams (4,5 oz) butter, at room temperature
85 grams (3 oz) powdered sugar

To make the cake:
Preheat your oven to 170C (340F). Grease an 8-inch springform and line with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan add butter, chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, sugar, milk, baileys and vanilla extract. Cook over medium temperature until chocolate, butter and sugar melt and you have a nice smooth mixture. Set aside to cool off a bit.
In the meantime combine flour and baking powder in another bowl and stir to distribute the baking powder evenly.
Add flour to the chocolate mixture and stir gently with a rubber spatula to combine. Add eggs, one by one, stirring after each egg.
Pour mixture into prepared springform and bake for about 60 minutes. If you see that top of the cake is cracking soon after you put in the oven, just lower the temperature to 160C (320F) and continue baking.
Check if cake is ready by inserting a toothpick in the center. It should come out clean but without crumbs. This cake should be moist on the inside with a nice crust on the outside.
Let cake cool to room temperature.
In the meantime prepare the chocolate buttercream:
Melt chocolate and let cool to room temperature as you stir it occasionally.
In the meantime beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add a pinch of salt, cooled chocolate and baileys, and beat for a minute or so to combine.

Assembling the cake:
Even the top of the cake layer by cutting out the dome. Place the cake on a large platter and spread the buttercream on top. Cover the sides if you like.