Tiramisu Layer Cake
A simplified tiramisu cake with soft sponge layers, creamy mascarpone filling, and espresso soaking. Assembled cold in 20 minutes—no baking required.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 7g
Ingredients
- 24 pieces ladyfinger cookies (savoiardi)
- 1 cup espresso or strong brewed coffee, cooled
- 1 lb mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 ounce dark chocolate bar (optional), for shaving
Instructions
- 1
Pour the cooled espresso into a shallow bowl or plate and set it next to your work area—you will dip the ladyfingers into it.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, add the mascarpone cheese and sugar, then use an electric mixer or hand whisk to beat them together on medium speed until smooth and light, about 2 minutes.
- 3
In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg yolks by hand until pale yellow, about 30 seconds.
- 4
Pour the whisked egg yolks into the mascarpone mixture and fold gently using a rubber spatula—lift batter from the bottom up and over the yolks, rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat until no streaks remain, about 1 minute.
- 5
Pick up one ladyfinger, quickly dip the bottom (narrow edge) into the espresso for 1 second on each side so it absorbs liquid but doesn't become mushy, then lay it flat in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch dish.
- 6
Continue dipping and laying ladyfingers in a single layer to cover the bottom of the dish, arranging them side by side.
- 7
Spread half of the mascarpone cream evenly over the ladyfinger layer using a spatula, covering the entire surface.
- 8
Dip the remaining 12 ladyfingers one at a time into the espresso for 1 second per side, then arrange them in a layer on top of the cream.
- 9
Spread the remaining mascarpone cream evenly over the second ladyfinger layer.
- 10
Sift the cocoa powder evenly over the top using a fine-mesh sieve or cocoa shaker, holding it 6 inches above the cake and tapping gently to release an even coat.
- 11
If using chocolate shavings, use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to scrape thin curls from the dark chocolate bar and scatter them over the cocoa powder.
- 12
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight so the flavors meld and the texture sets—do not skip this chilling step.
Tools you’ll need
- 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- shallow bowl or plate
- large mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- electric mixer or hand whisk
- rubber spatula
- fine-mesh sieve or cocoa shaker
- vegetable peeler (optional)
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