Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

Chocolate Coffee Cake, Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting & Espresso Mascarpone filling

By now, you may know that I love making special cakes for all of my family and close friends’ birthdays. My mom’s birthday recently passed, and I had the chance to riff off her favorite flavor of chocolate and give it a Tiramisu twist. The resulting cake was truly one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever made, with high praises not just from the B-day girl but also from the 20+ other family and friends who tasted it as well — some touting that this was my best cake yet!!

So, what makes up the cake?

First, we begin by making two ultra-tender chocolate cake layers. The addition of hot americano coffee & sour cream strengthen the flavor of the chocolate and give it a moist and tender crumb.

Next, TWO frostings:

1st chocolate frosting~ with a twist of course. I LOVE a classic cream cheese frosting because of the tangy contrast it gives to almost any cake. But recently I discovered CHOCOLATE cream cheese frosting and I think my life is forever changed. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, rich and tangy that compliments nearly ANYTHING …. I could eat it simply with a spoon, and that’s saying a lot for this savory over sweet girl.

2nd espresso mascarpone frosting - for a light flavorful contrast! This frosting is ultra-light, having a whipped cream base, yet super flavorful with hints of espresso and mascarpone cheese. It truly brings the “Tiramisu” aspect to this cake.

Finally, raspberries. At first I added them mostly as a decoration, but after tasting the cake they added SO much to it that the next time around I want to add even more!!! It’s the perfect fresh, tangy compliment to the cake!

Without further to do, let’s get into the cake recipe. You can grab the full PDF attached at the bottom :)

Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot brewed coffee

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder

• 2 large eggs

• 2 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 1/2 cups (300 g.) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp kosher salt 

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1-2 pints of fresh raspberries for garnish

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

• 1 8oz cream cheese softened brick-style, room temp

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp salt

• 2.5 - 3 cups powdered sugar

• ½ cup cocoa powder

Espresso Mascarpone Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold

• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1 shot espresso (chilled)

Steps:

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease 2 (8") round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment rounds. In a medium bowl, whisk hot coffee and cocoa powder. Let sit 10 minutes. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, butter, and vanilla until combined. Stir in the coffee mixture. 

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add to coffee mixture and mix until just combined. Add sour cream and stir until just combined. Divide batter between prepared pans.

4. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Make the cream cheese frosting

5. Combine the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer or a stand mixer until creamy and well combined.

6. Add the vanilla extract and salt and stir well to combine. In a separate small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and stir to remove clumps.

7. With the mixer on low, gradually add sugar & cocoa mix until completely combined — be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that all ingredients are well-combined.

Make the espresso mascarpone frosting

8. Make the espresso and cool it completely in the fridge.

9. Combine the cold mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat the mixture until it becomes thick, fluffy, and well-whipped.

10. Add the cold espresso to the mixture and beat until the coffee is just combined and incorporated.

Assemble the Cake

11. Add a small amount of the chocolate cream cheese frosting to the base of your cake serving plate. Place the first chocolate cake down.

12. Place the chocolate cream cheese frosting in a piping bag or zip lock with a small round tip. Pipe a thick circle tracing the top of the cake, creating a 1/2-inch barrier from the center (make two rounds if necessary). Fill the center of the barrier with a generous amount of espresso mascarpone frosting, making sure it is flat and even with the border frosting. Place the second layer of cake on top.

13. Coat the entire exterior of the cake with the remainder of the chocolate cream cheese frosting (leaving just enough frosting to create one more round border on the top of the cake). Use an offset spatula to help smooth the sides and top as much as possible.

14. Fill the center of the top of the cake with more espresso mascarpone frosting. Place raspberries along the chocolate cream cheese border of the cake.

15. Right before serving, sift cocoa powder over the espresso frosting.

The PDF printout:

Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

54.7KB ∙ PDF file

Download

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As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! And if you recreate this beauty, please take pictures and share them with me!!! I LOVE to see your recreations ❤️