Tiramisu Cake

This Tiramisu Cake features all of the same flavors of classic tiramisu in the form of a three layer cake! The spongy cake layers are sandwiched together with a creamy mascarpone filling. The cake is then frosted with a fluffy homemade whipped cream frosting and topped with a dusting of cocoa powder for the finishing touch.

What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a popular Italian dessert that’s made with ladyfingers soaked in coffee, layered with mascarpone cheese, whipped cream and topped with cocoa powder. The coffee is sometimes spiked with liquor, marsala wine or brandy, and in this recipe I give you two options for enhancing the coffee including one option for those who don’t want to consume alcohol. This cake hits all of the same flavor points of classic Italian tiramisu in the form of a decadent layer cake.

Ingredients to Make a Tiramisu Cake Recipe

This cake is so, so tasty! The cake layers are incredibly moist and light with pops of coffee flavor throughout every layer. The filling is incredible!! It’s smooth, easy to work with and has a lovely sweet tang that really complements the coffee flavor. The frosting on the outside is light and airy with a sweetness bite. This gorgeous recipe surprisingly takes about the same amount of time to make as a traditional Tiramisu. Ingredients to make a layered Tiramisu Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Cake Layers: All purpose flour sifted with baking powder and salt to give lift to the batter.
• Coffee: One teaspoon instant coffee or instant espresso powder.
• Flavoring: Two teaspoons of vanilla extract to add balance to the flavor.
• Whole Eggs: Large eggs with the yolks and egg whites separated.
• Butter: One cup salted or unsalted butter.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Liquid: Buttermilk creates a creamy cake batter.
• Coffee Soak: Strong brewed coffee or espresso, granulated sugar and coffee syrup or coffee liquor. I used Kahlua Coffee Liqueur.
• Mascarpone Filling and Mascarpone Frosting: Cold mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream.
• Garnishes: Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting the cake layers and top and chocolate shavings for garnishing.

How to Make the BEST Tiramisu Cake Recipe

• Heat Oven and Prepare Pans – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans or spray with nonstick baking spray.
• Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt
• Creamed Ingredients – Cream together butter, granulated sugar, egg yolks and vanilla extract beating on medium speed until combined.
• Combine – Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
• Whip Egg Whites – Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form then fold into the cake batter by hand.
• Transfer to Prepared Pans – Pour batter into pans after mixing coffee granules into one third of the batter.
• Oven – Bake per the cooking time in the recipe until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
• Cool Layers then Make the Coffee Soak – Cool in the pans and prepare the coffee soak.
• Make Mascarpone Filling – Whip together the mascarpone cheese, confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract.
• Make Frosting: In a large bowl whip remaining heavy cream with powdered sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Stir part of the mascarpone filling into the frosting to help stabilize it.
• Assemble the Cake – Place 1 plain cake layer on a cake stand. Use a skewer to poke holes all over the surface of the cake. Brush with 1/3 of the coffee soak. Spread with 1/2 mascarpone filling. Dust with cocoa powder. Repeat Layers then frost the top of the cake and sides with the whipped cream mixture. Dust with cocoa powder.
• Refrigerate – Chill to set, then slice and serve.

Tips for Making Tiramisu Layer Cake

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: A stand mixer with the paddle attachment and the whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer, large mixing bowl, medium bowl, small bowl, whisk, 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, measuring cups, measuring spoons, cake pedestal or platter, offset spatula, piping bag and tips and small sieve or powdered sugar duster.
• Keep the Mascarpone Cheese Cold: Mascarpone cheese has a much softer texture than classic Philadelphia cream cheese. It can be combined with the ingredients without softening to room temperature.
• Leave a Border Around the Edge When Poking the Holes: Avoid making holes too close to the edge of the cake. Leave at least a 1/2-inch space around the edge of the layers. 
• Trim the Cake Layers: The cake layers should come out fairly even but you can always use a serrated knife to trim the layers, if needed to make them completely even.  
• Add more Confectioners’ Sugar to the Icing: If you have an issue with the stability of the whipped cream frosting, you can add more powdered sugar or mascarpone cheese to stabilize it for piping, decorating and storage.
• When to Serve Tiramisu Cake: This is a special cake worthy of any special occasion. Serve it for birthday cakes, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, Easter and entertaining. Due to the whipped cream frosting, it needs to be kept in a cool environment, so it’s not suited for picnics and cookouts.

Recipe Variations

• Coffee Liqueur: To keep this cake family friendly, you can use coffee syrup in place of coffee liqueur depending on the age of your guests. You could also use dark rum. Both ways are delicious!
• Espresso or Coffee: You can use instant espresso or instant coffee for the coffee soak depending on the depth of flavor that suits your taste.
• Cream Cheese: Mascarpone cheese is like an Italian cream cheese and it has a softer texture than regular cream cheese. It’s in keeping with a classic tiramisu recipe. You can replace the mascarpone cheese with classic cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
• Meringue Powder: To stabilize the whipped cream frosting further, you can add one tablespoon of meringue powder to the heavy whipping cream.
• Coffee Granules: If you forget to mix the coffee granules into part of the cake batter, you can sprinkle it on top and use the tip of a knife to swirl it through.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: You can store this Tiramisu Cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: You lose a bit of the stability of the outside frosting when freezing. If you’d like to make this in advance to save time, don’t bother with the whipped frosting until after you thaw the cake. I would recommend only decorating the outside of the cake a day before serving.

More Cake Recipes to Make

• You’ll love my recipe for Easy Strawberry Cake during berry season.
• A Southern classic Red Velvet Layer Cake with toasted pecans and cream cheese frosting.
• German Chocolate Cake frosted with a homemade Coconut Pecan Icing.
• Patriotic Red White and Blue Ice Cream Cake.
• Banana Pudding Cake is a stunner!
• Pig Pickin’ Cake is filled with mandarin orange flavor.
• Grapefruit Cake from King Arthur Baking.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Stand Mixer
• Cooling Racks
• Measuring Set
• 8-inch Cake Pans

Print

Tiramisu Cake

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian Inspired, Southern

Keyword tiramisu-cake-recipe, tiramisu-layer-cake

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 5 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 635kcal

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules or espresso powder
• 6 large eggs room temperature, separated
• 1 cup salted or unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Coffee Soak:
• 2/3 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp coffee syrup or coffee liquor
• Mascarpone Filling and Frosting:
• 24 ounces mascarpone cheese (three 8 ounce containers)
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar divided use
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream divided use
• unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting layers and top plus chocolate shavings for garnishing

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans or spray with baking spray.
• Cake: In a medium-size bowl use a whisk to sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together butter, granulated sugar, egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until fully combined.
• Lower the speed of the mixer adding the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl periodically.
• In a separate clean bowl whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter by hand. .
• Divide the batter into thirds. Pour 1/3 of the batter (into each) of two cake pans. Stir the coffee granules into the remaining 1/3 batter. Pour into the third pan.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
• Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then flip from the pans and cool completely.
• Coffee Soak: In a small bowl mix together coffee, granulated sugar and coffee syrup. Cool completely.
• Filling: In a large bowl use an electric mixer to whip together the mascarpone cheese, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream and vanilla extract. Whip until smooth. Keep chilled until using.
• Frosting: In a large bowl whip remaining 2 1/2 cups heavy cream with 1 cup powdered sugar on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form. (Don't overbeat.) Mix 1/3 of the mascarpone filling into the frosting.
• Assemble the Layers: Place 1 plain cake layer on a cake stand. Use a skewer to poke holes all over the surface of the cake. Brush with 1/3 (about 3 tablespoons) of the coffee soak. Spread the cake with 1/2 mascarpone filling. Dust with cocoa powder.
• Repeat with second layer. This should be the layer with the coffee mixed in. Use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake and brush with 1/4 cup coffee soak. Spread with remaining 1/2 mascarpone filling. Dust with cocoa powder.
• Repeat with the third layer, poking holes on the surface and brushing with remaining coffee soak.
• Frost the top and sides with the whipped cream mixture. Decorate as desired dusted with cocoa powder and shaved chocolate. Chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before slicing and serving.
• Store in an airtight container well chilled for up to 3 days.

Notes

• • Coffee Liqueur: To keep this cake family friendly, you can use coffee syrup in place of coffee liqueur depending on the age of your guests. Both ways are delicious! You could also use dark rum.

• • Espresso or Coffee: You can use instant espresso or instant coffee for the coffee soak depending on the depth of flavor that suits your taste.

• • Cream Cheese: Mascarpone cheese has a softer texture and is a classic ingredient in tiramisu. You can replace the mascarpone cheese with classic cream cheese.

• • Meringue Powder: To stabilize the whipped cream frosting further, you can add one tablespoon of meringue powder to the heavy whipping cream.

• • Coffee Granules: If you forget to mix the coffee granules into 1/3 of the cake batter, you can sprinkle it on top and use the tip of a knife to swirl it through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 635kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 1677IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 1mg

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