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Tiramisu Cake

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A classic tiramisu is one of life’s great treats when prepared properly, but what if you wanted… more? This recipe for tiramisu cake takes a classic tiramisu and levels it up a bit, turning it into a full and complete dessert fit to be a meal in its own right!

Don’t forget to learn How To Make A Perfect Whipped Cream for your tiramisu cake! Why not also make an Espresso Martini to pair with your tiramisu?

Table of Contents
  1. Tiramisu Cake
  2. Why It Is Important To Measure Your Sugar Sifted And Not Packed
  3. How To Easily Separate The Egg Whites From The Yolks
  4. Tip For Brewing The Perfect Espresso
  5. What Chocolate Should You Use For The Garnish?
  6. Pin This Recipe To Your Cakes & Desserts Recipes Board and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
  7. Tiramisu Cake Recipe
tiramisu cake on a white pedestal with a slice cut out

Tiramisu Cake

The original tiramisu is a confection of ladyfingers dipped in coffee and layered with mascarpone cheese, cocoa powder, and sugar.

This original recipe is tried and tested, but it is also a little bit… thin. Most tiramisus never really have any height or serious density, leaving them to be nothing more than a couple of good mouthfuls at best.

This recipe combines the classic tiramisu recipe with a lifted-up and coffee-enriched cake base to give you something that you could probably eat as a meal all on its own.                

tiramisu cake ingredients in small white and clear bowls

Why It Is Important To Measure Your Sugar Sifted And Not Packed

One step that a lot of people might not quite understand in this recipe is the requirement to measure your confectioners’ sugar after you have sifted it, and not its packed weight.

This means that instead of just scooping the confectioners’ sugar out of the box and weighing it there, you should instead sift it first into a bowl and weigh it that way to get a more precise amount.

This is because confectioners’ sugar is really good at holding onto moisture and air, which can actually seriously affect its total weight if you try to weigh it straight from the box.

By sifting it first, you get a more precise measurement and can then just put back any leftover sugar you didn’t need into the container.

tiramisu cake with cream spread on top of cake

How To Easily Separate The Egg Whites From The Yolks

Separating egg whites from egg yolks is typically considered one of those incredibly hard challenges in home cooking, so much so that a lot of people tend to avoid even trying recipes that require it.

However, it really couldn’t be easier once you know what you are doing.

While there are a lot of fancy tools you can buy that do it instantly, the simplest thing to do is just to crack the egg in a clean break, separate the two shell halves and keep the yolk inside one of them.

From there, just pour the egg yolk back and forth between the two shell halves, letting the leftover egg white drip from in between, gradually separating them perfectly!

Remember: it doesn’t matter if you get a little bit of egg white in your egg yolk, but make sure never to let even a single bit of egg yolk fall into your egg whites!

tiramisu cake overhead view with slice cut out

Tip For Brewing The Perfect Espresso

The art of making a great cup of espresso is something that people spend years perfecting with all sorts of expensive machines and careful processes.

While you could certainly just get some instant espresso powder and make it that way, the best thing to do would be to invest into an espresso machine setup, get some good beans and a grinder, and really get into the art of espresso making.

Or… you could just go to a local coffee place and get some espresso to go – your call.

tiramisu cake slice on a white late

What Chocolate Should You Use For The Garnish?

The chocolate topping of this tiramisu cake might not seem like the most important part, but it is actually a vital addition to give it its necessary amount of chocolatey-ness. Make sure to use whatever chocolate you best enjoy so that the cake tastes the best for you!

  • Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is always a good idea when it comes to sweet recipes like these because the bitter, darker flavors of the chocolate will pair really nicely with all of the sweet fillings.

Don’t go overboard, though! Too much dark chocolate might cause it to become overly bitter.

  • Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is the classic choice for chocolate additions in any circumstance, and used as a topping in this recipe; it produces the perfect balance of sweetness and creaminess.

  • White Chocolate

For those that just want plenty of creaminess and richness but without any significant bitterness or complexity, going for some white chocolate is the best chocolate to use – it might not be particularly complex, but it is definitely creamy!

  • A Mix Of Different Chocolates

While picking a single chocolate will give a more consistent flavor, mixing together all sorts of different types of chocolate will give you a really interesting and varied flavor.

Try mixing all three types, or use whatever blend you prefer, so long as you coat the whole cake liberally.

Looking for more delicious Dessert recipes? Try these out:

Banana Split Cake

Homemade Pistachio Pudding Cake

Chocolate Delight Recipe

Happy Cooking

Love,

Karlynn

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This recipe for tiramisu cake takes a classic tiramisu and levels it up, turning it into a full and complete dessert fit for royalty!
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Tiramisu Cake

This recipe for tiramisu cake takes a classic tiramisu and levels it up, turning it into a full and complete dessert fit for royalty!
5 from 1 votes
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
10
Calories
971
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 1 package moist white cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 large egg whites
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Coffee For Brushing

  • ½ cup Espresso Coffee (or strong brewed coffee)

Filling

  • cups mascarpone cheese (full fat)
  • cups confectioners’ sugar (measured sifted not packed)
  • ½ cup espresso coffee (or strong brewed coffee)
  • cups whipping cream

Garnish

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted for top of cake)
  • whipped cream on top.
  • 2 Tablespoons shaved chocolate curls (on top)

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 ° Grease and flour three 9-inch round pans.
  • In a mixing bowl beat your cake mix, water, egg whites, and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Divide 2/3 of the batter between 2 prepared pans.
  • Stir 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder into one tablespoon of water dissolving the granules and add it to the last 1/3 remaining batter and mix until combined, pour that into the last remaining prepared pan.
  • Bake cakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean, 23 to 28 minutes.
  • Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling and Frosting

  • Make sure mascarpone cheese, coffee and cream are very cold.
  • Beat mascarpone on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it is creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, and espresso coffee and continue to beat on medium until combined and creamy. Stir in the whipping cream and mix it on medium speed for another 2-3 minutes until creamy. Place covered in the refrigerator to keep cool if the cakes are not ready yet.

Assembling the cake

  • On a cake plate or cake stand place one layer of the white cake. Brush the cake with the espresso coffee using about 1/3 of the coffee.
  • Then spread 1/3 of the mascarpone cream on top of that cake layer. Repeat this with one more layer using the dark cake. So the dark cake is in the middle layer of the cake.
  • Place the last layer of white cake on top, using the last of the coffee brush the cake. Using the last 1/3 of mascarpone cream, lightly frost the outside and the sides of the cake.
  • Chill cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving to let the flavors incorporate well.
  • Garnish your cake right before serving: Pipe whipped cream on top if desired. Place cocoa powder in a sieve and lightly dust the top of cake. Run a vegetable peeler down the edge of chocolate square to form curls. Scatter chocolate shavings over cake.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 971kcal, Carbohydrates: 77g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 69g, Saturated Fat: 40g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 460mg, Potassium: 128mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 53g, Vitamin A: 1942IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 281mg, Iron: 2mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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  1. Martina Murphy says

    This cake is the best Tiramisu I’ve ever eaten!! My new favorite!!❤️❤️❤️

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