Tiramisu Cake

June is a month of many birthdays in my circle, but most recently, it was my dear friend Steve’s birthday. Steve is a simple man with simple tastes, he’d prefer the local red sauce joint to an upscale NYC restaurant where the plates are pretty, but the portions are small. So when he came to stay with us for the weekend, I knew we’d be dining in a cozy Italian restaurant to celebrate. To accompany our dinner, I decided to make him a Tiramisu cake.

This cake recipe makes a Frankenstein’d 4-layer cake. I much prefer using a sheet pan to make the layers for this cake instead of traditional cake pans, and here’s why:

1. The cake layers will be soaked with coffee and filled with a fluffy mascarpone frosting. Everything will get glued together, and you won’t notice how “clean” the layers are.

2. I’m somewhat impatient, so the idea of creating additional work of moving around 4 layers in the oven for equal heat distribution is simply, not it.

3. Cleaning up after a day of baking is my least favorite task, so I would much prefer fewer pans.

4. When you use a sheet pan, you don’t have to worry about making sure the height of each layer is even. Also, this method requires a skill learned in preschool, tracing, but now you’re an adult so you get to use a knife instead of a crayon.

Recipe

For the cake

• 2 ½ cups (280g) all-purpose flour

• 2 ¼ tsp baking powder

• ¾ tsp kosher salt

• 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar

• ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup (8 oz) buttermilk OR 1 cup milk + 2 tsp white vinegar¹

For the frosting

• 1 lb (2 - 8 oz containers) mascarpone cheese²

• 1-½ cup heavy cream³

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

For assembly

• 1 cup (8 oz) strongly brewed coffee or espresso

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

Bake the cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and make sure your highest placed rack is in the middle to ensure even baking.

2. Prepare your sheet pan. Line a 9x13 sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the side for an easy release.

3. If using the buttermilk alternative, mix vinegar with milk in a glass and set aside.
   

   

   After 2 minutes you should see the milk start to curdle

4. In a medium bowl roughly mix together AP flour, baking powder, and salt.

5. Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for at least 3-5 minutes, or until the texture is light and fluffy.

   

6. Add in vanilla and egg. Whisk on medium speed until the mixture is homogenous, scraping down the sides as needed. Turn the speed up to high and whisk for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture is airy and light in color.

   

7. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix on a low speed until almost no traces of flour appear and add 1/3 of the buttermilk (or alternative) until mixed in. Continue alternative the flour and buttermilk, scraping the edges of the bowl as needed.

8. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared sheet pan and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to gently even out the batter.

   

9. Bake for 30 minutes. The sides of the cake should have pulled away from the edges of the pan and be slightly golden. A toothpick or knife poked in the center of the cake should come out with no crumbs.

   

10. Let the cake cool completely for at least 2 hours.

Make the frosting

1. Use a hand mixer or a whisk (if you would like an arm workout) to beat the heavy cream until you reach stiff peaks (can you turn the bowl upside down without the cream moving? no? keep whipping!)

2. Using the same whisk or hand mixer, whip the mascarpone, vanilla, and sugar together until fully combined. There may be some lumps of mascarpone, don’t worry too much about that, it won’t impact the final texture.

3. Gently fold in the heavy cream until the frosting is thoroughly combined.

   

4. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly

1. Using an 8-inch bow or a template, start cutting out your layers.
   

   

   Using an 8-inch bowl I can usually get 2 full layers, 2 semi circles and the use the scraps to make a remaining layer

2. Start with placing a layer on whatever plate or turntable you’ll be working on.

3. Soak the cake with coffee using a pastry brush or spoon, and be generous so the coffee can really seep through.

   

4. Put a heavy dollop of frosting on the cake and spread it with an offset spatula or butter knife to create an even layer. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the process until the top layer is covered with frosting.

   

5. Using the remaining frosting cover the sides of the cake. This frosting does an excellent job of hiding any imperfections.

6. Sift cocoa powder on the top of the cake to finish.

   

7. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the cake absorb the coffee. Take out 30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to soften.

1. I almost never have buttermilk on hand, but I always have white vinegar. So, I always make the alternative and I can’t tell the difference in texture or taste.

2. Take out your mascarpone 20 minutes before starting the frosting for an easier time whisking it up. Mascarpone curdles very easily based on temperature so if you're whisking and it starts to separate, heat it up for 15 seconds in the microwave and it should be like nothing happened!

3. Heavy cream is always best whipped straight out of the fridge so take it out just before use.