Tiramisu Cake
Servings 12
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake (Makes 3 9” rounds)
- 3 ¾ cups cake flour 445 grams
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar 500 g
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 7 ml
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Kosher salt 15 ml (1/2 tablespoon if other brands of salt)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 30 ml
- ½ teaspoon almond extract 3 ml
- 1 ½ cup buttermilk 360 ml
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cup avocado oil 360 ml
- 1/2 cup melted salted butter 113 g
- ¼ cup hot water 60 ml
Espresso Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 ounces dark chocolate 70% cocoa
- 6 tablespoons butter 85 g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla 10 ml
- 1 ¼ cup sugar 250 g
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream 300 ml
- 2 tablespoons DeLallo instant espresso powder 30 ml
- Pinch of salt
Espresso Soak:
- ½ cup hot water 120 ml
- 2 tablespoons DeLallo instant espresso powder 30 ml
- 2 tablespoons grand marnier 30 ml
Mascarpone Cream:
- 8 ounces mascarpone room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream 300 ml
- 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 ml
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste 15 ml
Dusting:
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened for dusting 15 g
Instructions
Vanilla Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, buttermilk, eggs, and avocado oil to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Stir in the melted butter, then add the hot water, mixing until the batter is smooth and well-combined. The batter will be thin.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Espresso Chocolate Ganache:
- Cut the butter into 6 pieces. The butter should be cold and each piece should be about 1 tablespoon. Set into a medium bowl
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add into the bowl with the butter along with the salt and vanilla. Set aside
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cream and sugar until hot but just before boiling
- Once the cream is heated, mix in the espresso powder
- Pour the heated cream mixture over the chocolate, butter, salt, and vanilla. Let sit for 1 minute then mix until incorporated
- Set in the fridge, stirring every 15-20 minutes until cooled but not hard. The icing should be a spreadable consistency
Mascarpone Cream:
- In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add the sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.
- Refrigerate the mascarpone cream until ready to assemble the cake.
Espresso Soak:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the hot water and instant espresso powder until dissolved.
- Stir in the Grand Marnier. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Assembly:
- Prepare the Layers: Level the tops of the cooled cakes with a serrated knife to create even layers.
- Soak the Cake: Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Use a pastry brush to generously dab half of the espresso soak over the cake.
- Add Ganache and Cream: Spread a thin layer of the espresso chocolate ganache over the soaked cake. Top with a generous layer of the mascarpone cream.
- Dust with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.
- Repeat Layers: Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the soaking, ganache, mascarpone cream, and cocoa dusting. Top with the third cake layer.
- Finish the Cake: Spread the remaining espresso chocolate ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the top with the reserved mascarpone cream, if desired, using a piping bag or a ziploc bag with a small hole cut in the corner.
- Dust and Serve: Finish with a dusting of the remaining cocoa powder on top.