Tiramisu Cake

Here is a dessert for you to take to your next holiday party that will be sure to totally impress your host! Tiramisu is my favorite dessert but I wanted to figure out how to make it so it looked as good as it tastes.  Usually, it looks like a big glob and bringing a 13 by 9-inch rectangle pan with glob to a party isn't very impressive.  We were invited to an Italian dinner at a friend's house a few months ago and I offered to bring dessert so I decided to try a Tiramisu cake. It turned out fabulous and was a beauty to look at, too.  So, if you're going to a holiday party this season and want to make an impressive dessert, this just might be the one!  You must make it a day ahead to give it time to set and let the flavors blend.

You will need a 9" springfoam pan and plastic wrap

Serves 10-12

2-1/2 cups strong black coffee, room temperature
1-1/2 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
5 Tbsp. dark rum
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 pound mascarpone cheese
48 ladyfingers (42-60 depending on size)
3-1/2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, grated


1.  Stir coffee, espresso, and rum in wide bowl or baking dish until espresso dissolves; set aside.  I use Myers's rum but you can use brandy or even whiskey.

2.  Disassemble the springfoam pan and place plastic wrap on the base disk.  Fold the edges of the plastic sheet to the center.

2.  Place the base disc back inside the pan and lock it, leaving the plastic inside the pan.

3.  Unfold the plastic wrap and wrap around the sides of the pan so they are completely covered.

4.  In a bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined.  

5.  Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1-2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice.  

6.  Add mascarpone and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30-45 seconds, scraping down bowl once or twice.  Set aside.

7.  Trim the ladyfinger cookies to the length necessary to just cover the sides of the pan.  

8.  Place the cookies all around the side of the pan.

9.  Dip the cookies in the coffee and form a layer in the bottom of the pan.  Proper dipping is critical so the cookie doesn't totally dissolve.  Drop into the coffee mixture, roll cookie and remove within 2-3 seconds - do not submerge.  You do not want the coffee mixture to completely saturate the cookie or penetrate all the way to the center of the cookie.

10.  Brush the cookies around the sides with coffee.

11.  Cover the cookies with half of the mascarpone cream.

12.  Make one more layer of cookies dipped in coffee.

13.  Cover the cookies with a final layer of mascarpone cream.

14.  Decorate the surface of the cake with more dipped ladyfingers.

15.  Refrigerate overnight.

16.  Before serving, un-mold and sprinkle with cocoa powder until it is fully covered.  You can decorate with chocolate shavings

or berries

or more cookies dipped in chocolate.  Be creative and let this dessert help you celebrate the holiday season!

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