Fluffy vanilla bean cake layers soaked in cinnamon espresso, filled with a whipped espresso chocolate ganache and topped with vanilla buttercream and dusted cocoa powder.
Tiramisu is great but have you had a tiramisu CAKE? If you enjoy the flavor combination of tiramisu, you're going to love this layered cake.
It's composed of my classic vanilla bean cake layers that are soaked with a shot of espresso mixed with fragrant ground cinnamon. It's then filled with a decadent dark chocolate mocha whipped chocolate ganache and frosted with my super easy vanilla buttercream and classic cocoa powder dust on top. This cake is perfect for sharing during dinner parties, birthdays or even a beautiful brunch with a latte or mimosa on the side.
This recipe can also most definitely be transformed into cupcakes if preferred! (notes underneath the recipe)
BAKING TIP: PUTTING A SOAK ON YOUR CAKE LAYERS WILL GIVE THEM EXTRA MOISTURE ALONG WITH MORE FLAVOR
tips before starting/TROUBLESHOOTING:
Tip #1:
I don't have issues with a dome-like shape when making my vanilla bean cake layers, but if you have a rounded top on your cakes, it helps to level the tops with a sharp knife or a cake leveler. I recommend doing this after you've chilled your cake layers for ease and to also avoid excessive amounts of crumbs!
TIP #2:
Decorating your layer cakes when they're frozen or cold makes this process a lot easier- it also gives ample time to prepare your elements before the day it needs to be assembled.
TIRAMISU CAKE
Prep time: Cook time: Yield:
90 Minutes 40 Minutes 12-14 Servings
ingredients
~For the Vanilla Bean Cake~
(295 ml.)- 1 1/4 cup Oatmilk
1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Vanilla Bean (or 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract/Vanilla Paste)
(113 g.)- 1/2 cup Plant-Based Butter (softened to room temperature)
(118 ml.)- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
(225 g.)- 1 1/4 cups Raw Cane Sugar
(80 ml.)- 1/3 cup Aquafaba*
(360 g.)- 3 cups Cake Flour**
(8 g.)- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
(3 g.)- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
(2.6 g.)- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 shot of espresso or about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of hot coffee
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
Cocoa Powder for dusting
1 batch of my Espresso Dark Chocolate Ganache (softened to room temp)
1/2 batch of my Vanilla Buttercream (If decorating only the top. Entire cake to be covered will take 2x batch)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line the bottoms of 3, 6 inch (or 2, 8 inch) cake pans with parchment paper.
In a small mixing bowl combine oatmilk, apple cider vinegar and the seeds from 1 vanilla bean. This will be our "buttermilk"- set aside to curdle.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, oil and sugar together with a paddle attachment on medium-high for 1 minute.
In another small mixing bowl, whip the aquafaba with a hand mixer for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. You should achieve medium/stiff peaks.
Scrape the sides of the stand mixer containing the butter mixture, and add the whipped aquafaba. Beat for 2 mins on medium-high speed.
While the stand mixer is going, combine your dry ingredients together (cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a separate bowl.
Scrape the bowl of the stand mixer and alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients into the bowl; (1/3 dry, 1/2 wet, 1/3 dry, 1/2 wet, 1/3 dry) ensuring everything is just combined between each addition. DO NOT OVERMIX.
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans (for cupcakes see notes***). Bake for - or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Let the cake layers cool in pans for at least 10-20 minutes before carefully turning out.
Cool completely before icing, or wrap in cling wrap (I like to use a compostable cling wrap similar to this one) and seal in an airtight container/ reusable gallon zip lock bag. The layers will last in the freezer for a couple months, and thaw wonderfully at room temperature after only about an hour. They can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a couple days; however, I don't recommend this since it can dry out your cake layers.
~To assemble~: Unwrap frozen or chilled cake layers and stick one layer to a cake board or plate with a small drop of chocolate ganache. Combine hot espresso or coffee with ground cinnamon in a small cup and use a pastry brush or spoon to evenly soak the top of the cake layer (only using 1/3 of your mixture). Wait a minute or 2 for the liquid to absorb before proceeding to the next step.
Add half of the chocolate ganache to the top of the first cake layer and carefully spread with an icing spatula.
Top with second cake layer and repeat espresso soak and the remaining chocolate ganache.
Add final cake layer FACING DOWN so that the flat bottom of the cake will be at the very top and soak with the remainder of the espresso mixture. Smooth out any chocolate ganache from the crevices of your cake using an icing spatula.
Spread a small amount of buttercream evenly on the very top (and sides if entire cake is to be covered) and smooth the edges to create a sharp corner. Fill an icing bag with vanilla buttercream and decorate with desired decorating tip. (I cut the very tip of my bag on an angle to resemble a leaf tip and created a chevron design by alternating small lines on a diagonal.)
Dust with cocoa powder and serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until waiting to serve. I recommend assembling the morning of or night before serving. Serve at room temperature and preferably in a cool/air conditioned environment AWAY FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT. Direct sunlight will risk creating a melted mess, even in cold environments!
NOTES
*Aquafaba is the liquid leftover from cooking garbanzo beans. For a full recipe, reference my "How to Make Aquafaba" post. The liquid in a can of garbanzo beans can also be used; I recommend using sodium-free.
**Using cake flour will result in a tender crumb. I haven't used All-Purpose for this recipe so I cannot guarantee the same results.
*** For cupcakes: this recipe yields 22 standard size cupcakes. Measure out 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared liner and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
~ TO DECORATE CUPCAKES~
Soak each cupcake with espresso/coffee cinnamon mixture and use a cupcake corer (or I prefer using an apple corer like this one) to remove center and add chocolate ganache. Top with Vanilla buttercream and dust with cocoa powder. 2x Vanilla Buttercream will be necessary for cupcakes.
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