Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert that is beloved all over the world. As with all great foods, there are tons of varying opinions about how to make the perfect version. Some folks can’t get enough ladyfingers, while others swear by homemade sponge cake layers. And then there’s the question of what syrup should go into it – coffee syrup to give it that depth of flavor, or something with a little bit of a boozy kick to it? But whatever ingredients a recipe might call for, at the end of the day all that matters is that it tastes delicious. So we went above and beyond the call of duty and came up with something that’s really going to shake things up! This 4-layer tiramisu cake has all the hallmarks of a classic tiramisu, but comes to you in the form of a cake with a thick layer of rich chocolate coffee ganache on top. Yummy!
Tiramisu Layer Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Chocolate Coffee Ganache
Equipment
- Round cake pans (9-inch)
- Turntable
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup milk room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 1/3 cups mascarpone room temperature
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 11 oz white chocolate chips melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease both cake pans with butter and dust them with a little bit of flour. In a bowl, whisk the butter and sugar until frothy, mixing the eggs in gradually. Then add the vanilla extract, milk, salt, baking powder, and flour, stirring constantly.
- Divide the batter equally between both cake pans and bake them in the oven for about 40 minutes. Once they're done, let them cool down completely.
- Cut the two cakes horizontally so you have 4 layers of the same thickness.
- In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium to high heat. Let it boil for about 1 minute then remove the saucepan from the heat and add the instant coffee. Let the syrup cool completely.
- For the mascarpone cream, beat the mascarpone and butter together with a hand mixer for about 1 minute until smooth. Add the melted white chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt and beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Finally, mix in the powdered sugar. Put the first of the 4 cake layers in front of you with the cut surface facing upward and brush the top with the coffee syrup you made earlier.
- Spread a ½-inch thick layer of mascarpone cream over the coffee syrup. Place the next cake layer on top, brush it with coffee syrup, and add a layer of mascarpone cream on top. Repeat the same process with the other two cake layers. Then cover the entire cake with the rest of the cream and refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours.
- Now prepare the chocolate coffee ganache. Add the dark chocolate chips and salt to a heat-resistant bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream, instant coffee, and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring frequently. Pour the mixture over the chocolate chips, let sit for 1 minute, and then whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool for at least 30 minutes and then spread it over the top of the cake. Use a turntable and an offset spatula to draw a spiral into the ganache and then refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
VIDEO
Notes
Wow, what an exciting way to have that classic tiramisu flavor we all know and love. Making this recipe is a piece of cake! And if you like your tiramisu a little boozy, just add a few splashes of Cointreau to the coffee syrup. Enjoy!
Get the recipe for the Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake featured in the bonus video.