Simple and Classic Tiramisu Cake with Mascarpone Cream

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This homemade Tiramisu Cake brings together coffee, chocolate, cream, and mascarpone cheese like no other dessert. Wow your taste buds with a fluffy, moist, and full of flavor cake!

Sliced tiramisu cake showing inside layers.

Coffee lovers rejoice! Today is all about this Tiramisu Cake. This dessert is timeless, elegant, and over-the-top delicious. This Italian treat is worth all the hype.

A traditional tiramisu recipe truly is a coffee-lover’s dessert. Those airy layers of coffee-infused cake. That perfectly sweetened cream. A rich mascarpone cream. The subtle taste of chocolate from the garnishing.

I’ve had plenty of delicious tiramisu samples before. Then, I tried making it at home and never ever looked back.

Tiramisu cake on a white plate ready to eat.

Table of Contents

The key? Use quality ingredients. It makes all the difference.

The coffee. If you don’t have a barista set up at home, you can pick up an espresso from your local coffee shop. Personally, I like combining espresso with coffee liqueur.

Mascarpone cheese. Don’t use a mock mascarpone cheese here. Authentic mascarpone cheese has a mildly nutty flavor with a buttery consistency.

Cake. Traditionally, bakers create tiramisu with lady fingers. But this is a recipe for tiramisu cake. The cake batter incorporates regular flour and potato flour, 5 eggs (separated), sugar, and vanilla.

You’ll never believe this cake came out of your own kitchen. This recipe truly is that good. This tiramisu cake is romantic, beautiful, and so satisfying. You can serve it right away or chill overnight for an even more flavorful cake.

Key Ingredients

Tiramisu cake ingredients with labels - powdered sugar, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, coffee, coffee liqueur, flour, chocolate, heavy cream, and mascarpone cheese.

Flour creates the structural foundation to the sponge cake layers.

Eggs bind together the ingredients, adding moisture as well.

Coffee liqueur adds depth and a rich coffee flavor to this amazing cake. Be sure to use a high quality liqueur!

Lemon juice stabilizes the egg whites and enhances flavors.

Potato flour makes this light and fluffy cake moist.

Vanilla extract infuses a sweet and aromatic flavor into this cake.

Espresso adds a rich coffee base.

Confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar) sweetens this amazing cake and contributes to a light texture.

Ingredients for the mascarpone cream:

Heavy whipping cream, mascarpone cheese, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and dark chocolate make the mascarpone cream light and fluffy. It turns out perfectly sweet!

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make Tiramisu Cake with Mascarpone Cream

Steps 1 & 2: Prepare

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease your cake pan (I used an 8″ spring form)

For the Cake:

Step 1: Combine the flours

In a small bowl, mix flour and potato flour.

Two flours combining in a purple bowl with a spoon.

Step 2: Mix eggs & sugar

In a medium bowl, beat together 5 egg yolks with 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar, until pale and thick.

Egg yolks and sugar mixed in a silver mixer bowl.

Step 3: Beat the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice

In a separate bowl, beat together egg whites. Meanwhile, gradually add in the remaining confectioners sugar and vanilla extract. Add in the lemon juice.

Beaten egg whites in a glass bowl with mixers.

Step 4: Fold whites into yolks

Carefully fold 1 quarter of the egg whites into the yolk mixture using a spatula.

Step 5: Fold in the flour

Gently fold in the flour into the yolk mix until well incorporated.

Step 6: Combine

Add in the rest of the egg white mixture.

Tiramisu cake batter in a silver mixing bowl.

Step 7: Bake

Spoon batter into the greased cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.

For the cream:

Step 1: Mix cream and sugar

Beat heavy cream and confectioners sugar.

Mixed cream and powdered sugar in a silver mixing bowl with mixers.

Step 2: Add vanilla

Add in vanilla extract.

Step 3: Add mascarpone

Add in mascarpone cheese and continue beating.

Mascarpone mixed into cream for tiramisu cake.

Step 4: Mix espresso & liqueur

In a separate bowl, combine espresso with coffee liqueur.

Coffee mixing with coffee liqueur in a white bowl with a spoon.

Putting the cake together:

Step 1: Slice into layers

Slice the baked cake layers into thirds horizontally.

Step 2: Brush with coffee

Brush bottom layer with coffee mix. Be careful not to overdo it so you have a moist but not soggy cake.

Brushing a cake layer with a coffee mixture atop a wooden board.

Step 3: Layer the cream, coffee, and cake

Spread one third of the cream and cover with the middle slice of cake. Brush with the coffee mix and top with more cream. Repeat with the top layer of cake.

Step 4: Frost and decorate

Spread the cream over the entire cake, decorate with dark chocolate shavings, and it is ready to slice and eat!

Cake decorated with frosting and chocolate shavings.

Expert Tips

Allow the mascarpone cream to chill before layering to improve its consistency and stability.
Shave the chocolate just before serving to maintain freshness and an appealing texture.
Allow the cake layers to absorb the coffee mixture patiently for enhanced flavor.
Use a light sprinkle of instant coffee over the top of the cake along with the chocolate for extra coffee flavor!
This tiramisu cake is a great one to decorate in the naked cake style. It can be fancy as a birthday cake and Italian dessert all in one!

Recipe FAQs

Can I substitute mascarpone cheese?

While not traditional, cream cheese can be a substitute for a similar texture. This tiramisu cake recipe calls for an authentic mascarpone frosting.

How do I store leftover Tiramisu Cake?

Refrigerate in an airtight container; it’s best consumed within 2-3 days.

A slice of cake on a plate with chocoalte shavings on top for decor.

I love making desserts for many occasions. Enjoy these recipes:

You can make this Creamy Chocolate Tart ahead of time for special occasions, and it is silky and tasty.
These GF Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are super easy to make and perfect after lunch or dinner!

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If you tried this Tiramisu Cake with Mascarpone Cream or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!