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Tuesdays with Dorie: Tiramisu Cake

A tiramisu cake I refer to as a cappuccino cake, adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • CAKE INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 cups butter unsalted at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • ESPRESSO EXTRACT
  • 2 T instant espresso powder
  • 2 T boiling water
  • ESPRESSO SYRUP INGREDIENTS
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Kahlúa or brandy
  • FILLING & FROSTING INGREDIENTS
  • 1 8 oz mascarpone
  • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar sifted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoons Kahlúa or brandy
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate divided.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Sift cake flour, baking powder, salt in bowl. Set aside.
  • Beat butter until creamy with a paddle attachment with mixer or electric mixer for three minutes.
  • Cream sugar and butter for three minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time and beat for a minute each. Add vanilla
  • On low speed add in buttermilk and dry ingredients in three additions. Begin and end with flour mixture.
  • Bake for 28 to 30 minutes at 350.
  • ESPRESSO EXTRACT INSTRUCTIONS (See Note)
  • Mix together until blended. Set Aside.
  • ESPRESSO SYRUP INSTRUCTIONS (See Note)
  • Bring sugar and water together just until boiling. Add above espresso extract and liqueur or brandy. Set aside.
  • FILLING AND FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
  • Blend mascarpone, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and Kahlúa or brandy and whisk just until smooth.
  • Whip heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula stir in 1/4 of whipped cream into the mascarpone.
  • Gently fold in remaining whipped cream.
  • ASSEMBLE CAKE
  • FOR A FOUR LAYER CAKE
  • Bake cakes in two 9 inch pans. Divide into 4 equal parts.
  • Using pastry brush, brush some espresso syrup over bottom layer, saving 1 tablespoon of the syrup for the final frosting.
  • Shave chocolate. You will use this for each layer, sparingly.
  • Save some of this for the final decorating step.
  • Spread some mascarpone cream over and gently press some of the chopped chocolate into the filling.
  • Use 1 cup or so only for this step, saving the frosting for the final layer.
  • Repeat with each of first three layers.
  • FINAL FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
  • Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon of espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Apply frosting on sides and top.
  • Decorate with espresso beans or my personal choice, some shaved chocolate.
  • Refrigerate, but serve a little less chilled. Take out 30 minutes prior to serving.

Notes

This is the original recipe for the espresso syrup. I suggest doubling this and then using only what you need, which might be all of it. You will need to double the espresso extract also.
• Make cupcakes and fill each with some of the cream and again on top, layer the chocolate between two layers of cream frosting.
• Make one layer in a rectangular pan and double the syrup ingredients.