• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Teak & Thyme
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Bars
    • Breads
    • Cakes
    • Choux Pastries
    • Confectionery
    • Cookies
    • Crisps & Cobblers
    • Donuts
    • Drinks
    • Frozen Desserts
    • Macarons
    • Pies & Tarts
    • Puddings
    • Sauces & Fillings
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • SHOP
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • ABOUT
    • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Tiramisu Layer Cake

    Published: May 13, 2021 | Last Modified: August 8, 2022 by Gail Ng | 18 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE

    This tiramisu layer cake has soft genoise sponge cake layers soaked in espresso with a creamy mascarpone frosting.

    This cake with tiramisu-inspired flavours of espresso-soaked sponge cake and creamy frosting is so dreamy. I've always admired the effortlessly undone nature of tiramisu with the soft crumb of the sponge cake that almost falls apart before it reaches your mouth, the burst of coffee flavour as you sink your teeth in, and the generously thick layers of cream that give way to your spoon.

    Lifting a slice of tiramisu layer cake with serving knife

    Mascarpone cream without eggs

    The mascarpone cream in tiramisu is traditionally made by mixing raw eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese or in modern recipes, using a double boiler to heat the eggs to a safe temperature.

    In this recipe, I've opted to eliminate the eggs in the mascarpone cream frosting completely and make it by whipping the mascarpone cheese with only whipping cream and sugar. While this won't give you the exact same texture and taste as the real deal, it is a lot less technical and much easier.

    This eggless mascarpone frosting is stiffer and holds its structure better which makes frosting a layer cake a breeze without the need to set the tiramisu in the fridge for hours or risk the cake layers slipping around.

    Cream cheese as a mascarpone substitute

    Mascarpone cheese is a main component of tiramisu but it may be harder to find depending on where you live or you might not have it on hand if you don't use it in other recipes. In my area, really great mascarpone cheese can often only be found at specialty Italian grocers.

    Mascarpone can be substituted with cream cheese if you're in a pinch. In this recipe, you can substitute cream cheese directly for the mascarpone cheese. In most other recipes that call for mascarpone as a standalone ingredient, you can mix 8oz cream cheese with 1 cup heavy whipping cream as a substitute for mascarpone cheese.

    Tiramisu cake layers on small plates

    How to make a tiramisu layer cake

    For the genoise sponge cake

    Prep oven and pans: Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottoms of three 6” cake pans with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.

    Whip air into the egg mixture: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat eggs on medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the sugar while mixing. Once all the sugar has been added, beat for at least 10 minutes until the mixture has at least doubled in volume and become a pale yellow colour.

    Mixing eggs for cake batter

    Fold in flour mixture: In a small bowl, stir together the cake flour and baking powder. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift these dry ingredients into the egg mixture ⅓ at a time. Use a silicone spatula to fold the flour in to combine. Don’t overmix otherwise you will deflate too much air from the batter.

    Bake cakes: Divide the cake batter evenly into your cake pans (I portioned out approximately 200g into each of my 6” cake pans). Bake cakes for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the cake to release from the pan and turn the cake out upside down onto a cooling rack, peel off the parchment paper, and let cool completely before frosting.

    Folding flour into sponge cake batter

    For the espresso

    In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder, hot water, and coffee liqueur and set aside for when you’re ready to assemble the cake.

    For the mascarpone frosting

    In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the mascarpone cheese until creamy. Mix in the whipping cream and then the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

    Mixing cream cheese frosting in a bowl

    Assemble the tiramisu layer cake

    Soak cakes in espresso: Place your first cake layer down on a turntable. Drizzle 4-5 spoonfuls of espresso mixture across the surface of the cake until the top is saturated. 

    Frost: Add a generous amount of mascarpone frosting on top of the cake layer and use an offset spatula to smooth evenly. Repeat with your remaining cake layers, espresso mixture, and frosting. 

    Soaking cake layers in espresso and spreading frosting

    For a “naked” style cake, spread a thin layer of frosting on the sides of the cake and use a bench scraper to smooth and remove excess frosting until the cake can be seen through the frosting.

    Decorate: Transfer the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip of your choice and piping a design on the top of your cake. Dust the top generously with cocoa powder.

    Frosting cake with cream cheese frosting

    Commonly asked questions

    How to store tiramisu cake?

    Tiramisu cakes should be stored wrapped or covered in the fridge. The mascarpone frosting is food safe at room temperature for about 4 hours but it's best to refrigerate the leftovers immediately.

    How long can you store tiramisu cake in the fridge?

    You can store this cake in the fridge for 3-4 days but it tastes the freshest if eaten within 1-2 days.

    Can you freeze tiramisu?

    Yes! Wrap your tiramisu cake slices with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before eating.

    Can you use coffee instead of espresso powder in tiramisu?

    Espresso or espresso powder tastes stronger than coffee. In a pinch, you could use a very strongly brewed coffee but keep in mind that coffee will be more watery than espresso and the taste may be more bitter.

    How do you make a sponge cake soft and fluffy?

    To make a fluffy sponge cake, whip the egg mixture for at least 10 whole minutes. The eggs should be very pale in colour and tripled in volume. You want to incorporate lots of air into the batter so that your cakes will be fluffy once baked. Gently fold the flour into the eggs and don't open the oven door while the cake is baking until it is ready to come out to prevent it from deflating.

    Dusting the top of tiramisu cake with cocoa powder

    Other cake recipes to try

    • Earl Grey Lemon Cake
    • Neapolitan Bundt Cake
    • Flourless Chocolate Cake
    • Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
    A slice of tiramisu cake lifted from the cake

    Tiramisu Layer Cake

    Author: Gail Ng
    Soft layers of espresso-soaked genoise sponge cake in between layers of whipped mascarpone cream frosting
    5 from 23 votes
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time 1 hr 25 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 50 mins
    Yield 1 3-layer 6” cake
    Category Desserts
    Cuisine Italian

    Ingredients
      

    Genoise Sponge Cake

    • 6 large eggs, room temperature
    • 200 g granulated sugar
    • 130 g cake flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 teaspoon espresso powder
    • 150 ml hot water
    • 30 ml coffee liqueur, e.g. Kahlua

    Mascarpone Frosting

    • 500 g mascarpone cheese, softened
    • 250 g whipping cream
    • 150 g powdered sugar
    • cocoa powder, for dusting

    Instructions
     

    Genoise Sponge Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottoms of three 6” cake pans with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat eggs on medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the sugar while mixing. Once all the sugar has been added, beat for at least 10 minutes until the mixture has tripled in volume and become a pale yellow colour.
    • In a small bowl, stir together the cake flour and baking powder. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift these dry ingredients into the egg mixture ⅓ at a time. Use a silicone spatula to fold the flour in to combine. Don’t overmix otherwise you will deflate too much air from the batter.
    • Divide the cake batter evenly into your cake pans (I portioned out approximately 200g into each of my 6” cake pans). Bake cakes for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
    • Let cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the cake to release from the pan and turn the cake out upside down onto a cooling rack, peel off the parchment paper, and let cool completely before frosting.
    • In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder, hot water, and coffee liqueur and set aside for when you’re ready to assemble the cake.

    Mascarpone Frosting

    • In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the mascarpone cheese until creamy. Mix in the whipping cream and then the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

    To assemble the cake

    • Place your first cake layer down on a turntable. Drizzle 4-5 spoonfuls of espresso mixture across the surface of the cake until the top is saturated. 
    • Add a generous amount of mascarpone frosting on top of the cake layer and use an offset spatula to smooth evenly. 
    • Repeat with your remaining cake layers, espresso mixture, and frosting. 
    • For a “naked” style cake, spread a thin layer of frosting on the sides of the cake and use a bench scraper to smooth and remove excess frosting until the cake can be seen through the frosting.
    • Transfer the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip of your choice and piping a design on the top of your cake. Dust the top generously with cocoa powder.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 5428kcal | Carbohydrates: 479g | Protein: 89g | Fat: 345g | Saturated Fat: 206g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1825mg | Sodium: 975mg | Potassium: 760mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 362g | Vitamin A: 12103IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 1158mg | Iron: 6mg
    Keywords tiramisu cake, tiramisu layer cake
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment & rating to let us know how it was and tag your Instagram posts with @teakandthyme!

    More Cakes

    • Matcha Tiramisu
    • Matcha Madeleines
    • Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
    • Pumpkin Madeleines

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment or review Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Jazzijennybee

      October 07, 2021 at 6:36 pm

      5 stars
      I have been on the search for a minimal ingredient, light and fluffy sponge cake for years and I've finally found the one. Thank you so much for this divine cake recipe. I just make it for the first time a few minutes ago. My place smells like a bake shop with the vanilla extract I added to the batter. Very much looking forward to the assembly and taking a bite tomorrow evening. This will be an impressive cake to make for a birthday celebration.

      Can you remove some of the sugar and still get the same results?

      Reply
      • Mélanie

        October 28, 2021 at 11:09 am

        J'adore ! Combien de part peut on faire ?

        Reply
      • Ahila

        December 20, 2022 at 4:07 pm

        5 stars
        So delicious. I didn’t have 6” pans only had 9”, still turned out great. Thank you

        Reply
    2. Alyssar

      December 14, 2021 at 9:58 pm

      Helloo, i really want to make this cake but I have a simple question, i realized that you didn’t add any oil to the cake batter. Wouldn’t be too dry without oil or butter?

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        December 15, 2021 at 6:49 pm

        Nope! This cake is a genoise sponge cake which doesn't typically have oil or butter in it. When whipped properly, the eggs incorporate a lot of air which keeps the cake from being dense or dry. Plus, you'll be soaking the cakes in espresso so they're actually very moist in the end!

        Reply
        • Pamela

          July 27, 2022 at 1:29 pm

          Hi. If I wanted to bake this cake using three (3) 8" round pans, should I double the recipe? I have no idea how to calculate this. Thank you.

          Reply
    3. Cindy

      December 18, 2021 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is amazing! I have made it 5 times in the past 2 months. So easy, tastes fabulous and looks stunning. It blows my guests away every time. I frost it “naked” style, ie: wrap circumference of bottom layer with parchment paper and build the layers from there. It is easy to keep in the fridge or transport that way, and when unwrapped, looks “bakery” quality.

      Reply
      • Silviya

        April 19, 2022 at 1:49 am

        Hi. Lovely recipe, can't wait to try it out. I have one question though. Do you think that the mascarpone filling would be okay if I cover the cake with fondant. I have a friend who asked me to make a Tiramisu cake foe her, but she wants it covered with fondant. I know that buttercream is best when using fondant but I am trying to find something that best resembles the classic tiramisu.

        Reply
        • Gail Ng

          April 25, 2022 at 9:21 pm

          I don’t work with fondant so I can’t tell you for sure but after some research I think it might be a little risky. This frosting is a bit softer and less stable than buttercream and it also has more moisture and doesn’t really crust which might react with the fondant and cause it to soften. If you’re going to do it, I would suggest only using the mascarpone frosting in between the layers and as a very thin crumb coat and be sure to chill it before applying the fondant.

          Reply
    4. Carike

      December 19, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, will definitely make again!

      Reply
    5. Lynn

      January 05, 2022 at 5:33 pm

      Love this!! Do you know if it will work as cupcakes? Thanks

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        January 06, 2022 at 10:33 am

        Sure, it should work but I wouldn’t use parchment cupcake liners! I’d suggest only lining the cupcake pan with a circle of parchment at the bottom and don’t grease the sides. Bake directly in the pan. Since this sponge cake doesn’t use any leavening agents, it needs to “stick” to the bare walls of the pan in order to “climb up”. Parchment liners are slippery and the cupcakes might not rise as much. Also bake for a little less time since they’re smaller.

        Reply
    6. Alexys Calhoun

      January 06, 2022 at 10:14 pm

      Hello! I have made this cake twice so far and it has fallen both times in the middle. I own a cake bakery so this is very confusing to me. Any tips on how to properly whip the eggs? I used a paddle attachment the first time and a whisk arrangement the second. Both times it fell. And the second time I barely beat in the flour so it shouldn’t have fallen so much.

      Reply
    7. Christina

      May 28, 2022 at 9:30 am

      Hello!
      I am wondering if I can make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them, then thaw them out when I am ready to decorate them?

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        May 30, 2022 at 8:27 pm

        Yes! I do this all the time and it works well. Just thaw them in the fridge overnight before the day you’re using them.

        Reply
    8. Kim

      June 13, 2022 at 4:25 pm

      If I have 8 inch cake pans what would the cooking time be? Thanks! Looks delicious!!

      Reply
    9. Christine

      November 12, 2022 at 7:07 am

      Hi, any substitute for mascarapone cheese?

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        November 12, 2022 at 11:51 am

        You can use cream cheese! Same amounts 🙂

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    girl standing in front of kitchen

    Hi, I'm Gail! I'm just a Canadian girl with a major sweet tooth making desserts on the internet. Let me show you how you can make bakery-worthy desserts at home that will have you wondering why you haven't opened your own café yet.

    Learn more about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Strawberry Matcha Latte
    • Matcha Strawberry Cake
    • Tiramisu Layer Cake
    • Strawberry Soju Cocktail

    Recent Posts

    • Mango Matcha Latte
    • Baked Tapioca Pudding
    • Meringue Christmas Trees
    • Butter Cookie Box (10 cookies from 1 dough)

    Gail's Picks

    • Chocolate Orange Cake
    • Earl Grey Bubble Tea
    • Passionfruit Cheesecake
    • Mango Chiffon Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    About

    Contact

    Work With Me

    Privacy Policy

    Contact

    [email protected]

    Follow

    Instagram

    Tiktok

    Facebook

    Pinterest

    Copyright © 2021 Teak & Thyme. All rights reserved.

    12940 shares