It’s hard not to love a creamy, light slice of tiramisu, and when it is turned into a cake, it’s irresistible. While the classic version has captivated our taste buds for decades, the spin-off version of Tiramisu takes it to new heights. This luscious Italian delicacy combines a delicate sponge soaked in coffee, velvety mascarpone frosting, and a dusting of cocoa powder to create a symphony of flavors that touches your heart. It is a match made in heaven for coffee lovers.

The classic Italian Tiramisu uses ladyfingers as a cake base, but this cake version is so much better. You will definitely love the way the sponges absorb coffee.

If you are unfamiliar, Tiramisu is an Italian dessert, where lady fingers cookies dipped in espresso and layered with mascarpone cheese frosting and dusted with cocoa powder on top. Preparing a Tiramisu cake requires precision and care, and through this recipe, you will achieve all these.

Why You Will Love This Recipe?

• Taste: this cake combines the flavor of espresso, mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder, which gives the cake a rich flavor. Combining these flavors makes the creamy, sweet, and slightly bitter taste that compliments the overall taste profile.

• Texture: this cake has a beautiful soft texture that adds to its appeal. The layer of soft sponge soaked in espresso or coffee spread with sweet and creamy mascarpone cheese frosting. Combining these textures creates a delightful contrast between the soft, airy sponge and the rich, velvety frosting.

• Coffee-infused goodness: Tiramisu Cake is a dream come true if you are a coffee lover. This cake is typically infused with coffee or espresso that imparts deep and aromatic coffee flavor throughout each bite. And that makes the cake perfect for those who love the coffee’s deep and distinct flavor.

• Classic dessert: it is an Italian classic dessert that is loved by many. Its enduring taste speaks for itself, making it a dessert loved by people of all ages.

• Great to make ahead dessert: Tiramisu cake is a type of cake that gets better with time. The flavor melds together, and the texture gets even more luscious after some time in the refrigerator. This makes the cake perfect for parties or gatherings, as you can make it ahead and let the flavors develop.  

Important Ingredients Used In The Recipe

• Mascarpone cheese: this smooth and creamy cheese is one of the star ingredients of making Tiramisu cake. It is combined with other ingredients to create a rich, luscious, and velvety frosting used as a filling.

• Coffee or espresso: coffee is the other star ingredient of the recipe. The vanilla sponges are soaked to give the cake a bold flavor. It is a dream come true dessert for those who love coffee.

• Cocoa powder: cocoa powder is traditionally used to dust on top of the tiramisu dessert. For dusting, I have used natural cocoa powder. It adds a bittersweet flavor to the cake and enhances the visual appeal.

• Sugar: sugar is the essential ingredient in making a sponge as it is beaten with eggs to make the eggs fluffy.

• Eggs: Eggs are used in the making of the vanilla sponges. In this recipe, I have beaten the eggs with an electric hand beater then the dry ingredients are folded into them. This way, we get an airy and soft textured sponge. 

• Cornflour: I have used cornflour to make the sponge tender and soft. It is a gluten-free ingredient that makes the cake more tender.

How To Make Tiramisu Cake

For complete instructions and the quantity of the ingredients, see the recipe box.

For Sponge Batter

Preparation: preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F (OTG mode: upper rod + lower rod + fan). Prepare two 6-inch round baking tins by brushing a tiny amount of oil and placing butter paper at the bottom. This step ensures that the sponge doesn’t stick to the tin.

Sift Dry Ingredients: in a bowl, sift all-purpose flour, cornflour, and baking powder together and keep it aside. Sifting the dry ingredients prevents the formation of lumps.

Beat Eggs and Sugar: in a big bowl, beat eggs until they become foamy, then add in sugar and beat again until you get a soft and fluffy meringue-like texture. This is crucial in making the sponge soft and airy, so you must beat it properly.

Add Dry Ingredients: now, fold the dry ingredient gently into the egg mixture using the cut-and-fold method. If you vigorously mix the dry ingredients, it may flatten the fluffy egg mixture. So, make sure that you gently fold the ingredients. Ensure that there are no lumps in the batter.

Bake: transfer 1/3rd of the batter into a tin, then the rest to the other tin. Bake them at 180°C or 350°F (OTG mode: lower rod only) for 30 minutes. You can check whether the sponge is baked by touching it on the top. It should be firm enough and not jiggly.

Cool: After baking, let them cool down completely before unmoulding them.

For the Coffee Reduction

Brew Coffee: in a saucepan, brew water and crushed coffee beans for 3-5 minutes.

Strain The Reduction: strain the freshly brewed coffee reduction and keep it aside. Using coffee beans rather than instant coffee makes it give a bolder flavor.

For Mascarpone Cheese Frosting

Soften The Mascarpone: soften the mascarpone cheese in a bowl, then keep it aside. Do not use an electric hand beater to soften it, as it may curdle the cheese.

Make Coffee Syrup: mix coffee with warm water, and let it cool down completely before adding it to the frosting, or it may melt the frosting a bit.

Beat Whipping Cream: in a different bowl, whip whipping cream with an electric hand beater until a stiff peak is achieved. A stiff peak is mandatory because when we fold in the mascarpone cheese, it will come to soft peaks, making it easier to frost the cake.

Fold the Mascarpone Cheese: With the help of a silicon spatula, fold in the softened mascarpone cheese along with the coffee essence.  

Add Coffee Syrup: Lastly, mix the coffee with the frosting and beat again for a few seconds.

Assembly of the Cake

Make Sponge Layers: de-mould the cake carefully. And divide the sponge that is taller into two halves.

Assemble First Layer: Place a cake base over a turn table and spread a small amount of frosting on top so that our cake sticks to one place. Place one layer of the sponge, then soak it with coffee reduction using a pastry brush; make sure not to oversoak it. Layer it with the mascarpone frosting.

Assemble the rest of the Layers: Place another sponge on top. Then again, soak the sponge with coffee reduction and repeat the same process as before until we get three layers of sponges. Be sure to do soaking the top layer as well.

Crumb Coat: crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Remove the excess with a scrapper. Crumb coating is essential as it keeps the stray crumbs in place and helps in the final coating of the cake.

Freeze: After crumb coating, keep it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Final Coating: after 15 minutes, give the cake its final coating, pipe thick layers of frosting. And using a palette knife or scrapper, smooth it out.

Decoration: now, for decorating the cake, pipe dollops of the frosting on top using a round nozzle. Dust cocoa powder on top of the dollops at last.

Chef’s Tip For The Recipe

Tip For Mascarpone

Mascarpone cheese should use cold and right after taking it out of the fridge. Make sure to soften the mascarpone cheese with a spatula, not an electric beater, as it tends to curdle fast. Use high-quality mascarpone cheese to make the frosting.

Tip For Sponge Batter

To make the sponge, beat the eggs properly until a fluffy texture is achieved. Do not over-mix the batter while mixing dry ingredients into the eggs, as it can deflate the air present in the eggs resulting in a tight sponge. Do not tap the tin after pouring the batter, as the air present in the batter can collapse.

How To Store Tiramisu Cake

For Frosted Cake

After frosting, keep it in the freezer for about 4-5 hours, then cover it with plastic wrap twice. This way, it can be stored for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator and pipe dollops of the frosting on top, then dust with cocoa powder before serving. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you keep it for more than two days, the sponge will start soaking moisture from the frosting, and the frosting will dry up.

For the Sponges

After baking, let them cool down completely. Remove the butter paper from the bottom, then wrap it in food-grade plastic wrap. You can store it in the freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before frosting them.

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