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–+ servings
3 layer italian cake on plate

Best Tiramisu Cake Recipe (with Mascarpone Frosting) + Video

Donna Elick
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1/2 cup brewed espresso, or strong coffee
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum, I use Meyer’s
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three (3) 8-inch round cake pans, then dust with flour. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk eggs for 1 minute until frothy. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a high powered electric hand mixer at the highest speed.
  • Add granulated sugar and whisk on high for 10 minutes - the egg mixture will become thick and noticeably light in color. Set aside.
  • In another mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and oil until well combined and smooth. Add in vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until combined.
  • Working with the mixer on low speed, add milk to the butter mixture, a little at a time. Continue beating until smooth and fluffy.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add one half of the flour mixture to the thick and fluffy egg mixture. Incorporate with a wooden spoon, stirring until barely combined.
    Add one half of the butter/milk mixture and stir briefly to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and then the remaining butter mixture and stir until the batter is combined - do not overstir.
  • Divide the cake batter between the 3 prepared pans.
    Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the cakes pull away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  • Remove pans from the oven and cool cakes in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
  • Lightly beat the mascarpone until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar just until combined.
  • In a separate bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer), whisk 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until combined into a fluffy frosting. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together espresso syrup, rum, and sugar.
  • Trim the cooled cakes to level the tops.
  • Brush all three cake tops liberally with the espresso syrup mixture until it is gone.
  • Place the first cake layer on a serving platter or cake plate. Mound some of the frosting on top of the cake and spread to the sides to form a thick layer of filling.
  • Stack the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer. I like to flip the cake so it is top side down, so that the top is nice and flat for the next layer of frosting.
  • Continue layering frosting and cake layers to assemble the three layer cake.
  • Press the top down to seal the layers together and spread any filling spilling out the sides smooth with an offset spatula.
  • Mound the remaining frosting on top of the cake and spread it out and down the sides to completely frost the cake.
  • In bowl of mixer, whip remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fit with your favorite open piping tip and pipe a decorative border around the top.
  • Dust the cake with cocoa powder. Accent with espresso beans if desired, slice and serve.

Video

Donna's Notes

  1. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
  2. Adding cornstarch to the all-purpose flour in the cake batter recipe simulates cake flour and makes a lighter crumb cake. If using cake flour, omit the cornstarch.
  3. Whipping the eggs/sugar makes a light, fluffy sponge cake. The mixture will thicken substantially and is noticeably lighter in color. This takes 10-12 minutes to achieve using a standing mixer. If you do not have a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar as fluffy as you can get them. The cake will still turn out even if you cannot beat them to the full extent.
  4. I used both vanilla extract and almond extract in the cake batter to incorporate more of the flavors in a traditional tiramisu.
  5. Sift cocoa powder through a sieve so that you get a nice even fine coating on top of the tiramisu.
  6. When whipping the cup of heavy cream for decorating the top, you can add a tablespoon of powdered sugar to sweeten it if you like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1088cal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 242mg | Sodium: 388mg | Sugar: 70g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 2mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe's nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.