The present invention relates to a method of recording marks representing data in an information layer of a record carrier by irradiating the information layer by means of a pulsed radiation beam, each mark being written by a sequence of pulses, the recorded marks being erasable by irradiating the information layer with an erase radiation beam. In order to achieve a reduction of the temperature of a transparent heat sink of a dual-layer optical recording medium without compromising the direct overwrite of old data, it is proposed according to the present invention that said erase radiation beam has a first erase power level (e1) for a first erase period (t1), a second erase power level (e2) higher than or equal to said first erase power level (e1) for a second erase period (t2), and a third erase power level (e3) lower than said second erase power level (e2) for a third erase period (t3).