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finished tiramisu cake topped with a cocoa dusting
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Tiramisu Cake Recipe

4.55 from 101 votes
prep 45 minutes
cook 20 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
total 5 hours 5 minutes
Serves 16 servings
Four layers of vanilla sponge cakes soaked in spiked coffee, frosted with a light and fluffy mascarpone cream and topped with a generous dusting of cocoa powder. 
Author: Bernice Baran
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

  • 12 large eggs, 55-60 grams each, separated
  • 300 grams granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 240 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder , read blog post

Coffee Soak**

  • 480 mL strong coffee , (I used 4 shots espresso and water to make 2 cups)
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 45 mL Amaretto Liqueur , *optional

Mascarpone Cream

  • 678 grams mascarpone cheese, cold , (I recommend Belgioioso)***
  • 300 grams powdered sugar
  • 480 mL heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • tiny pinch of fine sea salt
  • Cocoa powder for dusting, I used dutch

Method

Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) convection (325F/163C conventional) and grease and line four 9-inch* pans with baking spray and parchment paper.
  2. Place the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, at full speed, beat until they're frothy.
    12 large eggs 55-60 grams each, separated
  3. With the mixer on medium speed, stream in the sugar. Turn the mixer up to full speed and beat just until the meringue reaches stiff peaks.
    300 grams granulated sugar
  4. Pour in the egg yolks and vanilla and turn the mixer to medium-high speed, mixing, a few seconds, just until they're fully combined.
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  5. Sift in the flour and salt (and baking powder if using) and turn the mixer up to medium-low speed, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
    240 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 tsp baking powder read blog post
  6. Scrape the edge of the bowl well and distribute the batter evenly among the four pans, about 10.5 ounces each, and bake for about 15-18ish minutes, until the cake is golden and separates itself from the edge of the pan. It will also spring back when you press on it gently.
  7. Flip the cakes over onto a tea towel and allow them to cool completely (I don't recommend flipping onto a wire rack, mine got suck on there before).

Coffee Soak

  1. Pour the coffee into a large measuring cup so it's easy to see how much you use per layer. Add the sugar and mix until it's dissolved.
    480 mL strong coffee (I used 4 shots espresso and water to make 2 cups), 50 grams granulated sugar
  2. Once the coffee has cooled, add the amaretto.
    45 mL Amaretto Liqueur *optional

Mascarpone Cream

  1. Place the cold mascarpone into the bowl of a stand mixer (or just a large bowl with a hand mixer) with the powdered sugar and salt.
    678 grams mascarpone cheese, cold (I recommend Belgioioso)***, 300 grams powdered sugar, tiny pinch of fine sea salt
  2. Beat at low-medium speed until they're combined and then increase the speed to medium-high for 1-2 minutes, scraping the edge of the bowl halfway through.
  3. Add the vanilla and the cold heavy whipping cream in 3-4 increments, mixing well between each addition.
    480 mL heavy whipping cream, cold, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  4. After adding all the heavy whipping cream, the cream may look soft, turn the mixer up to full speed for 1-2 more minutes and it should stiffen up (like whipped cream does).

Assemble

  1. With the cakes still flipped upside down on the tea towel, use a fork to stab the cake throughout, making holes for the coffee to soak into. (similar to a poke cake but smaller holes that are closer together; see photos in blog post)
  2. Place the first layer of cake upside down (so bottoms up) on to a flat surface and use a spoon or pastry brush to soak it with 1/2 cup of the coffee soak. (My family preferred the cake more 'wet' than I did so if you like a more soggy tiramisu feel free to use 3/4 cup of coffee per cake layer [you'll need three cups of coffee instead of 2 then] - I liked it with the 1/2 cup).
  3. Frost with a generous layer of mascarpone cream, try not to go passed the edge if you want a naked cake. Place the next layer of cake on top, upside down as well. If the cake feels unstable at any point, feel free to refrigerate it for 30-60 minutes before proceeding (store the mascarpone cream in the fridge when not in use).
  4. Repeat until the cake is assembled. Then swirl some mascarpone cream on top of the cake and dust with a generous amount of unsweetened cocoa powder.
    Cocoa powder for dusting I used dutch
  5. Refrigerate the cake for 4-6 hours to set, before serving.

Notes

* This is cake is very tall if you bake it in 8 inch pans. I recommend doing 9 inch pans but the photos of my cake are baked in the 8 inch pans. Here are some options if making the full batch (see blog post if you want to make a half batch):
  • Four layer 8 inch cake; about 10-11 oz each and bake for about 18-20 minutes. This is what I did but it makes a really tall (not super sturdy) cake.
  • Three layer 9 inch cake; about 14 oz each and bake for about 18-20 minutes (do about ⅔ cup coffee soak for layer instead of ½ cup). This is the size I recommend if making the full recipe.
  • Four layer 9 inch cake; about 10-11 oz each and bake for about 15-17 minutes
  • Two layer 10 inch cake; about 21 oz each and bake for about 25-30 minutes.
  • Two 9x13 inch pans (can bake one at a time); about 21 oz each and bake for 25-30 minutes.
***I found the Belgioioso brand to taste the best and be most consistent in texture from all the brands in the grocery store. If you use another brand, make sure it tastes good before using it (I had a bad one) and make sure the texture is smooth and creamy and not at all curdled or wet. If it's just a little wet on the bottom, just avoid adding that liquid when making the cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 9gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 168mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 1190IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 1mg
Course: Layer Cakes
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 8 inch cake, apple coffee cake, chocolate coffee cake, mascarpone, tiramisu