Tiramisu

5 from 1 vote

Tiramisu is a dessert I first tasted in Little Italy in New York City, when I was a kid in the 1970s. At the time, I felt as if I was getting away with something a little scandalous because of the coffee-and-booze-soaked cake; it all seemed so grown-up and sophisticated.

The cake still leaves me feeling as though something special is taking place. The trick is to balance the delicately soaked cake with rich mascarpone and custard and then lighten the whole thing with soft whipped cream. I put the layers together in a soufflé dish, but an 8-inch / 20cm glass trifle bowl would work nicely, too, so you can see the layers.

The espresso cake is a light and airy sponge that’s kicked up with a dose of espresso. Whipping the egg whites and egg yolks separately and then marrying them back together once they’re at their heavenly best creates the ultimate foam. Since egg whites can reach their full potential without the fat of the yolks, they get even loftier than a foam created from a whole egg. This cake is perfect for any occasion.

This recipe comes from my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes. Be sure to try my mini tiramisu recipe for an individual dessert option!

Tiramisu

I suggest you read through the recipe before starting, which will help with the timing. You'll need a half batch of pastry cream for the filling.

5 from 1 vote

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Author: Zoë François

Ingredients

• 1/2 recipe Pastry Cream* prepare for mascarpone filling below

Espresso Sponge Cake

• 1/2 cup (55g) cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp espresso powder
• 4 eggs separated, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (65g) superfine sugar
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Coffee Soaking Syrup

• 1/3 cup (80ml) hot coffee
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) cognac, brandy, or Amaretto

Mascarpone Filling

• 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup (240g) mascarpone cheese

Toppings

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder divided, plus more for dusting
• Milk chocolate for shaving

Instructions

Espresso Sponge Cake

• Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Line the bottom of an 8 by 3-inch / 20 by 8cm round cake pan with ungreased parchment and leave the sides of the pan untouched. The cake needs to cling to the ungreased pan to rise properly.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and espresso powder and then sift back into the bowl. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks on high speed. Once the yolks are well combined, turn the speed to medium-low and slowly sprinkle in half the sugar. Turn the speed to high and let it whip for about 5 minutes; it should be light in color and texture and about doubled in volume. When you lift the whisk out of the mixture, the batter should form a ribbon that sits on top of the egg foam for several seconds.
• In a clean mixer bowl with a clean whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and salt and beat on low-medium speed until foamy. Slowly sprinkle in the remaining sugar to create a French meringue and, once it is all added, turn the speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Fold the meringue into the egg yolk foam and then gently stir in the vanilla. 
Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the egg foam and gently fold it in. Repeat with the next one-third flour and then the final one-third flour.
• Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top with a small offset spatula.
• Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Run a knife around the edge before turning out.

Coffee Soaking Syrup

• In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the coffee and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the cognac. Set aside.

Mascarpone Filling

• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar,
and mascarpone and beat on medium speed until medium-soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
• In a large bowl, combine 1 ⁄ 2 cup / 60ml of the soaking syrup with the prepared and chilled pastry cream and whisk until smooth. Stir one-third of the whipped mascarpone into the pastry cream, then gently fold in another one-third mascarpone. Set aside the last one-third mascarpone for decorating the top of the tiramisu.

Assemble the Tiramisu

• Cut the cake into two equal layers (See my YouTube Video on splitting cakes). Place one of the layers in the bottom of an 8-inch / 20cm soufflé dish, and brush with half of the remaining soaking syrup. Dust the soaked cake with 1 1 ⁄ 2 tsp of the cocoa powder and use a fine-rasp grater to top with 1 oz / 30g of chocolate shavings. Layer with half the mascarpone cream. Repeat with a second layer of cake, soak, cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, and mascarpone cream.
• Decorate the top as desired by piping with the remaining one-third mascarpone. (I used a Wilton tip #125.) Chill for several hours or up to overnight.
• Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder just before serving.

Notes

Baker’s note: 

The pastry cream can be made the day before and kept covered and chilled until ready to use. It will be quite thick, so use a rubber spatula to stir it smooth before using in the recipe above. 

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!