CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU CAKE RECIPE
Somehow I managed to dodge all the Christmas cooking this year thanks to my sister hosting. But I needed to organise the cheese board and a dessert. After a fair bit of WhatsApp something chocolate or Tiramisu were suggested. I almost cheated with a shop bought dessert but with my bad organisation and worrying about getting something with a good date I decided to make something.
Because I have 2 little ones, the thought of giving them a hit of caffeine scared me, so I searched good old Pinterest for a Tiramisu based cake. Wanting something with chocolate too I decided make a hybrid using chocolate cake with a Tiramisu inspired filling.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
The best chocolate cake I have ever made is the recipe my Auntie uses, from the one and only Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. It does have some coffee in it, but it is essential to bring out the chocolate flavour and makes the cake rich dark brown. This cake can be made 1-2 days in advance. This was ideal for me as I made them on Christmas Eve and kept them in a cake tin for Boxing Day when I added the filling.
My Peony plate I designed back in 2006.
Dry Ingredients
224 g self raising flour
256 g caster sugar
96 g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
236 ml buttermilk
120 ml vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 measuring cup of coffee
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Line cake tins with baking parchment. With the recipe I used two 8” round tins and two 6.5” round tins.
Make 1 measuring cup of your preferred coffee and leave to cool.
Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In a large measuring jug mix whisk all the wet ingredients except the coffee.
Slowly whisk the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Once all incorporated add the cooled coffee.
Pour into the mixture into the tins, the mixture is very runny.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tins, I always use Nigella Lawson’s trick and leave a clean tea towel over the cakes while they cool.
Photos were clearly an after thought on Boxing Day.
THE FILLING
For the Tiramisu filling, I took the measurements from Also The Crumbs Please recipe for their Tiramisu Cake. I only had a 250g tub of mascarpone so I adjusted the measurements based on that and it was more than enough to fill and top 2 cakes. At the last minute we remembered we had a festive Colin the Caterpillar for the kids so brushed the cakes with some Kahlúa before adding the filling.
250 g mascarpone
50 g icing sugar, or to preferred sweetness
150 ml whipping cream
40 ml coffee, cooled
Kahlúa
Cocoa power for dusting
Whisk the whipping cream into soft peaks, I did this by hand to offset some Christmas eating and because I get scared of over whipping.
Sift the icing sugar then add this with the mascarpone to the cream. Add the mascarpone in stages and not like me all at once as it will clog up your whisk.
Once the filling is smooth slowly add the cold coffee.
Before adding the filling to the cake brush the top of the cake with some Kahlúa.
Generously spread the filling over the base layer of cake, then add the next layer of cake and repeat with Kahlúa and filling.
Dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder.
Forgot my lovely glass cake stand.
I have to say the cake was delicious! If I made it again I would definitely add a good slug of Kahlúa to the filling. You could also make chocolate buttercream icing to cover the whole cake. Let me know if you give it a try!
