Tiramisu Cake

This is simply a neater, cleaner, elevated tiramisu. It is made with vanilla cake layers soaked with espresso syrup, luscious tiramisu filling between the layers, and frosted with an Italian meringue mascarpone buttercream frosting.

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You will need the vanilla cake as a base. You can make it ahead of time the day before.
These are recipes you will need for use in other recipes to make this tiramisu cake.
The espresso syrup is used on the cake and in the pate a bombe.
The pate a bombe is used in the tiramisu filling.
The Italian meringue is used in the Italian meringue mascarpone buttercream frosting.
The mascarpone mixture is used in the tiramisu filling and the Italian meringue mascarpone buttercream frosting.
The Italian meringue mascarpone buttercream frosting is used to make the stiffer version of itself for the dams and piped decorations.

Planning

  • Prep Time:

    90 minutes

  • Bake/Cook Time:

    60 min + 10 min + 10 min

  • Chill/Set Time:

    0

  • Servings:

    One 9” cake serves 8, 12, or 16 slices depending on the size of the slice.

Preparation

  • Materials

    9” springform cake pan
    Round Silicone Mat or Parchment Round.
    Stand Mixer with whisk
    Handheld electric mixer
    Hand Whisk
    Mixing Bowls
    Large Silicone Pastry Brush
    Large Flexible Spatula
    Offset Spatula
    Sifter/Sieve/Mesh Duster
    Piping Bag with star tip

  • Prep

    Eggs, Butter, Mascarpone, and Buttermilk at cool room temp (65F)

    Separate eggs for meringue and drain the egg whites. Set the yolks aside for the pate a bombe.

    Prepare the cake pan
    Preheat the oven

    Set up 3 melting pots on the stove with boiling water and ingredients for 1) meringue 2) pate a bombe 3) sugar syrup.

  • Oven/Stove

    Preheat to 350F.
    The bake will be 45-60 minutes.
    Stove for espresso syrup and hot sugar syrup

  • Shopping List

    Eggs
    Butter
    Mascarpone
    Granulated Sugar
    Confectioner’s Sugar
    Espresso Powder
    Cocoa Powder
    Cake Flour
    Cornstarch
    Sea Salt
    Baking Powder
    Cream of Tartar
    Buttermilk
    Vanilla Extract
    Liqueur: Grand Marnier or Rum
    Lemon

Ingredients

  • Vanilla Cake

    2½ cups all-purpose flour (280g)
    2¼ tsp baking powder
    ¾ tsp salt
    1⅔ cups granulated sugar (333g)
    Butter(170g) ¾ cup
    Whole Eggs - 3 large
    Vanilla (15 ml) 1 tbsp
    Buttermilk (240 ml)1 cup

    Prep
    Prepare baking sheet with mat or parchment (for baking).
    Preheat oven to 350F

  • Espresso Syrup

    Granulated Sugar 500g
    Boiling Water 500ml
    Espresso Powder 100g
    Kahlua 30 ml
    Dark Rum 60 ml

    Prep
    Boil water in a melting pot.
    Add sugar and stir until fully dissolved

  • Mascarpone Mixture

    Mascarpone Cheese - 24 oz (3 packs)
    Powdered Sugar 100g ( 1 C)
    Vanilla Extract 3 tbsp
    Grand Marnier, Cognac,or Rum 90ml (3 oz)

    Prep
    Cut cold mascarpone into cubes and set aside in a bowl on the counter to bring to room temp (65F).

  • Pate a Bomb

    Egg Yolks 180g (6 large)
    Corn Starch - 2 tbsp
    Granulated Sugar 150g (3/4C)+50g (¼ C)
    Lemon Juice 50ml
    Lemon Zest 1 tbsp
    Dark or Spiced Rum - 3 tbsp
    Grand Marnier 3 tbsp
    Vanilla 1 tbsp
    Espresso Syrup- 4 tbsp

    Prep
    Set up the hot water and sugar mixture on the stove and the eggs & bain marie and its ingredients on the stove with a hand whisk or hand blender with whisk attachment.

  • Italian Meringue

    Egg Whites
    Egg Whites (6 large)
    Cream of Tartar -5g (1.5 tsp)
    Confectioner’s Sugar - 3 tbsp

    Hot Sugar Syrup
    Granulated Sugar 250g
    Boiling Water 80g
    Vanilla 30g (2 tbsp)

    Prep
    Prepare the sugar syrup and at 140F set aside.

  • Italian Meringue Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting

    Italian Meringue 8oz
    Mascarpone Mixture 8oz
    Butter 8 tbsp (1 stick/4oz)
    Powdered Sugar ¼ C

    Prep
    Dice the cold butter.
    Loosen the mascarpone
    Make sure the Italian meringue, diced butter, and mascarpone cheese are all the same room temp (65F).

Steps

  • Vanilla Cake

    Method
    Sift dry ingredients together
    Cream butter & sugar
    Drizzle in whisked eggs and vanilla
    Alternately mix in dry ingredients and milk.
    Pour into pan and bake at 350F until light golden and tester comes out clean in the middle.
    Cool to room temp gradually.
    Cut into 4 layers.

  • Espresso Syrup

    Heat at a simmer to 140F
    Remove from heat and stir in espresso until dissolved
    Stir in liqueurs
    Let cool to room temp(65F-75F)

    Note:
    You are going to brush liberally on both sides of each layer of cake. You will also add a little to flavor the pate a bombe

  • Mascarpone Mixture

    Work the room temp mascarpone with a firm silicone spatula to loosen it up then work in the liqueurs. Finally, sift in and mix the powdered sugar little by little until you get a firm, but workable consistency.

    Divide the mascarpone mixture into thirds, 8 oz each to be used for 1) the tiramisu filling, 2) for the Italian meringue mascarpone buttercream frosting, and 3) for the frosting dams on the layers.

  • Pate a Bomb

    STEP 1: Make syrup by boiling down 150g sugar in 50g water.

    Simultaneously whip the egg yolks in bain marie over a pot while whisking. Whisk in
    corn starch and sugar little by little, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, liqueur.

    STEP 2: As the syrup reaches 140F drizzle it slowly into the egg mixture while continuing to whisk.

    STEP 3: Remove the mixture from heat and pour through a sieve into a clean bowl. Set the bowl in an ice bath while whisking until the bowl is cool to room temp ad the mixture is pale in color, light, fluffy and double or triple in volume (2-3 min). (Room temp cool at 60-65 F. About 15 minutes)

    You can then leave the bowl in the ice bath while you tend to your next recipe in this procedure.

  • Italian Meringue

    STEP 1: Whip the egg whites with cream of tartar and confectioner’s sugar

    STEP 2: Drizzle in the syrup little by little on medium speed.

    STEP 3: Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the butter bits little by little, dissolving and incorporating each portion before adding more.

    STEP 4: Switch to the whisk attachment and whip to smooth and fluffy.

    STEP 5: Add in 1 tbsp Rum and 1 tbsp Grand Marnier and some of the mascarpone mixture little by little on medium speed until combined.

  • Italian Meringue Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting

    STEP 1: Switch to the paddle attachment. On medium low add the bits of butter and mascarpone mixture-alternating-into the Italian meringue a little at a time. Wait until each bit is incorporated before adding another.

    STEP 2: Mix in powdered sugar just a little at a time to the consistency you want. You can sub some cornstarch for some of the sugar.

    STEP 3: Taste test and if you like add a little more vanilla extract, rum, Grand Marnier, Cognac, or even a little espresso.

Notes

TIRAMISU FILLING
Italian Mascarpone Meringue Buttercream Frosting- 1 cup
Pate a Bombe- 1 cup (only as much as needed - you don’t need to use it all- you don’t want it to be too loose)

Prep
Make sure the pate a bombe and the frosting are both at 60-65F.

Method
STEP 1: Fold some pate a bombe into the mascarpone frosting little by little until combined.Don’t overwork it.

Use only as much as you need to achieve the consistency you want. Thick is good. You don’t want it too loose.

NOTE: You will use this between cake layers.

STIFF BUTTERCREAM FROSTING FOR THE LAYER DAMS
Mascarpone Mixture 4oz
Butter 4oz (1 stick)
Powdered Sugar 16 oz
Salt-a pinch

Method
STEP 1: Cream the butter in the stand mixer on medium with the paddle attachment
STEP 2: Add the salt
Mix in the powdered sugar adding it little by little making sure each addition is fully incorporated.
STEP 3: Whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer on low-medium or by hand until it is creamy and workable.
STEP 4: Add the whipped cream cheese to the creamed butter bit by bit until it is all incorporated.
STEP 5: Continue whipping on medium speed in the stand mixer until it is light and fluffy. Only 1-2 minutes. Do not over-whip.
STEP 6: Add flavor and color.
STEP 7: Put the buttercream into a piping bag.
NOTE: You’ll use this to pipe a dam around the perimeter of each layer including a decorative ring around the top edge and the bottom edge.

DECORATION
Cocoa Powder (approx ½ C)
Piped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting
Semisweet Baker’s Chocolate Curls

ASSEMBLY
STEP 1: Level the top of the vanilla cake and slice the vanilla cake into 4 layers.
STEP 2: Place the bottom layer on your cake stand and brush with espresso syrup.
STEP 3: Sprinkle a mixture of cocoa powder and powdered sugar on the cake layer.
STEP 4: Pipe a ring of the stiff buttercream around the edge to make a dam.
STEP 5: Pipe tiramisu filling on the layer inside the dam and smooth it with an offset spatula.
STEP 6: Repeat with the other layers until the top layer.
STEP 7: Frost the top layer and sides with Italian mascarpone buttercream frosting.
STEP 8: Use leftover dam frosting to pipe decorative stars or rosettes along the top and bottom edges.
STEP 9: Decorate the top with semi-sweet chocolate curls and a light sprinkling of cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

TIPS
You should use cake dowels to keep your cake from slipping. You
Serve any leftover filling in custard glasses.
Here are some helpful pictures on how to fill and stack cake layers that have soft filling.
https://cakebycourtney.com/tip-tuesday-how-to-properly-stack-a-cake-with-a-soft-filling/

VARIATIONS
Use vanilla mascarpone whipped cream instead of Italian meringue. The resulting filling will be much looser and lighter and will not hold firm, but equally delicious. This will be all the more important to have those buttercream dams.

You can also frost the cake with vanilla mascarpone whipped cream.

You can make this cake square using a 9x9 tall cake pan and cut into layers.
Make a rectangular cake using half or quarter sheet pans - which, of course, you will not cut into layers.






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