Tiramisu layer cake
This cake consists of vanilla cake, an espresso soak, chocolate chunks, cocoa powder and a mascarpone frosting.
Ingredients
for the cake
Eggs, 2
Sugar, 150 g
Vanilla, 2 tsp
Lemon zest, 0,5 tsp (VERY optional, see notes)
Oil, 75 g
Milk, 75 g
Vinegar, 1 tsp
Flour, 125 g
Baking soda, 1 tsp
for the frosting
Heavy cream, 400 g
Mascarpone, 200 g
Sugar, 50 g
Vanilla, 2 tsp
additional ingredients you’ll need:
3 shots of espresso
Chocolate, 50 g (can be either milk or dark)
Cocoa powder, about 1 tbsp
This cake is made in two 6-inch baking tins, but if you don’t have those, you can bake the entire cake in a larger tin and turn it into a two layered cake.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 160 C (320 F).
Butter and parchment line two 6-inch (15 cm) baking tins.
Whisk eggs with sugar, vanilla and lemon zest for 2-3 minutes. I like to use a mixer for this stage, but you could use a regular whisk. Just make sure the mixture becomes pale in color and fluffy.
Add the oil and whisk until combined, then the milk and whisk again.
Add the vinegar and whisk.
Add the flour and sprinkle the baking soda on top, whisk until combined. I use a regular whisk for this and not a mixer.
Divide batter between the two 6-inch (15 cm) tins and bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting. I like to make the layers the day before and wrap them in cling film while still quite hot and let them cool on the counter.
Make 3 shots of espresso (i also add about 1 tsp vanilla to my espresso) and chill in the fridge while the cakes cool. If you don’t have an espresso maker, you can make it with instant coffee.
Chop up the chocolate into small chunks.
Slice each cake in two (so 4 layers total) and set aside.
To make the frosting, whisk the cold mascarpone for about 30 seconds with a mixer, add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until just combined, then add the heavy cream and whisk on low until soft peaks. Now using a spatula, fold the mixture until medium peaks. Do this gently and make sure not to fold for too long, it takes a couple of folds to reach medium peaks. See notes.
Now, assemble the cake by adding the espresso soak first and then the frosting. Make sure there is a frosting ‘border’ along the edges of the cake, so the cocoa powder and chocolate chunks wont be visible from the sides. Now add chocolate chunks and cocoa powder. Repeat with all layers and frost the sides and top as well.
Chill the cake in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
Notes
The lemon zest is very optional, but I like to add a tiny bit of lemon zest to most cakes i make, as i find it removes the egg taste that cakes sometimes can have.
I like to fold my mascarpone whipped cream only to medium peaks (not stiff peaks) as it will reach stiff peaks while frosting the cake.
This cake is made with a heavy cream and mascarpone frosting, so it won’t look as smooth as a regular american buttercream or a meringue buttercream cake, but it is much less sweet and overall more feathery and light.
