tiramisu shortcake
Once in a blue moon, it's worth the time to make an extra special cake. This year, my birthday fell on the same day as a true blue moon. I celebrated by baking my version of an amazing tiramisu cake, with all the flavors from your favorite Italian dessert in a lighter, familiar birthday form. It's not too sweet, but it has just enough chocolate, liqueur, and coffee flavor. Happy birthday to me!
I assembled this cake like a shortcake, trimming the golden edges off the sides of the cake rounds and stacking the rounds with mascarpone filling and chocolate shavings on top and in between.
I would say it's because I don't like as much frosting as the average cake-lover, but it wouldn't be true, because I used every last bit of the filling this recipe produces (and secretly wished for more). Honestly, I wouldn't have had enough leftover to cover the sides generously with frosting. Whatever the reason, my shortcake approach made for the perfect balance of frosting and cake and, I think, paid homage to its nonna: the many-layered pick-me-up tiramisu.
A little more hurried and rustic, maybe. Because this cake has to refrigerate before you serve it and, well, time's a-wastin. The recipe follows.
Tiramisu Shortcake
Adapted from smitten kitchen, of course
Cake:
2c cake flour
2t baking powder
1/8t baking soda
1/4t salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1c sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2t pure vanilla extract
3/4c buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (Note: If you can't find cake flour in your supermarket, you can make your own by mixing 2c all purpose flour with 4T cornstarch.)
Working with a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Batter will be thick.
Bake for 25-28 minutes, rotating the pans at the halfway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden, spring back when touched, and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean.
Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Cool to room temperature right-side up.
Syrup:
2T brandy
2T instant espresso + 2T hot water (I have substituted 2T very strong brewed coffee, which makes for a weaker coffee flavor)
1/2c water
1/3c extra fine (or regular granulated sugar)
Heat water just to a boil, then add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in coffee and brandy. Set aside.
Filling:
1 8oz container mascarpone cheese
1/2c powdered sugar
1 1/2t vanilla
1T brandy
1c cold whipping cream
In a chilled medium size bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer (or whip in the bowl of a stand mixer) until it reaches stiff peaks. In another bowl, whisk together cheese, sugar, vanilla, and brandy. (You can also add more espresso extract or strong coffee here if you wish.) Gently fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Add the rest, folding gently, until combined.
Chocolate shavings:
4oz bittersweet chocolate (one bar Ghiradelli from my supermarket baking aisle)
Using a large knife with a rocking motion, finely chop chocolate into thin shavings. (Note: Do not photograph yourself while chopping chocolate. Husband took the picture over my shoulder.)
Assembly:
Cut off the edges of each cake round, if desired. Using a pastry brush or small spoon, brush the first layer with syrup. Flip onto serving platter or cake stand protected with strips of waxed paper or parchment paper along the edges. Brush the other side of the cake with syrup until more than half of the syrup is used. (The plan is to brush both sides of each cake layer until all the syrup it used.)
When the first layer is completely cool, top the cake round with half of the frosting. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the chocolate shavings, pressing down gently with clean hands if needed to form a base for the second layer.
Remove the second cake round from the pan and peel off the layer of parchment paper. Brush the cake round with syrup, then carefully flip onto the prepared cake to form the second layer. Brush top with remaining syrup.
Spread the remaining frosting gently over the top with a spatula. Decorate the top with the remaining chocolate shavings.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Gently remove the strips of paper from underneath the edges of the cake before serving.
I assembled this cake like a shortcake, trimming the golden edges off the sides of the cake rounds and stacking the rounds with mascarpone filling and chocolate shavings on top and in between.
I would say it's because I don't like as much frosting as the average cake-lover, but it wouldn't be true, because I used every last bit of the filling this recipe produces (and secretly wished for more). Honestly, I wouldn't have had enough leftover to cover the sides generously with frosting. Whatever the reason, my shortcake approach made for the perfect balance of frosting and cake and, I think, paid homage to its nonna: the many-layered pick-me-up tiramisu.
A little more hurried and rustic, maybe. Because this cake has to refrigerate before you serve it and, well, time's a-wastin. The recipe follows.
Tiramisu Shortcake
Adapted from smitten kitchen, of course
Cake:
2c cake flour
2t baking powder
1/8t baking soda
1/4t salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1c sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2t pure vanilla extract
3/4c buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper.
 |
| Preparing parchment to line the cake pans by tracing the footprint of the pan |
Working with a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Batter will be thick.
Bake for 25-28 minutes, rotating the pans at the halfway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden, spring back when touched, and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean.
Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Cool to room temperature right-side up.
 |
| Golden cake |
2T brandy
2T instant espresso + 2T hot water (I have substituted 2T very strong brewed coffee, which makes for a weaker coffee flavor)
1/2c water
1/3c extra fine (or regular granulated sugar)
Heat water just to a boil, then add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in coffee and brandy. Set aside.
Filling:
1 8oz container mascarpone cheese
1/2c powdered sugar
1 1/2t vanilla
1T brandy
1c cold whipping cream
In a chilled medium size bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer (or whip in the bowl of a stand mixer) until it reaches stiff peaks. In another bowl, whisk together cheese, sugar, vanilla, and brandy. (You can also add more espresso extract or strong coffee here if you wish.) Gently fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Add the rest, folding gently, until combined.
 |
| Better and lighter than any frosting you've ever made with butter, I promise. |
Chocolate shavings:
4oz bittersweet chocolate (one bar Ghiradelli from my supermarket baking aisle)
Using a large knife with a rocking motion, finely chop chocolate into thin shavings. (Note: Do not photograph yourself while chopping chocolate. Husband took the picture over my shoulder.)
Assembly:
Cut off the edges of each cake round, if desired. Using a pastry brush or small spoon, brush the first layer with syrup. Flip onto serving platter or cake stand protected with strips of waxed paper or parchment paper along the edges. Brush the other side of the cake with syrup until more than half of the syrup is used. (The plan is to brush both sides of each cake layer until all the syrup it used.)
When the first layer is completely cool, top the cake round with half of the frosting. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the chocolate shavings, pressing down gently with clean hands if needed to form a base for the second layer.
Remove the second cake round from the pan and peel off the layer of parchment paper. Brush the cake round with syrup, then carefully flip onto the prepared cake to form the second layer. Brush top with remaining syrup.
Spread the remaining frosting gently over the top with a spatula. Decorate the top with the remaining chocolate shavings.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Gently remove the strips of paper from underneath the edges of the cake before serving.
 |
| Almost ready to serve |
 |
| Very focused on my cake layers |
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