Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- Sponge cake layers: 2 cups (240 g) cake flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 4 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar, 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, 2 tsp vanilla.
- Espresso soak: 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) strong brewed espresso or coffee, 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, 1/4 cup (60 ml) coffee liqueur (optional), 1 tsp vanilla.
- Mascarpone espresso cream: 16 oz (450 g) mascarpone, 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp (10 g) cocoa powder, 2 tsp instant espresso powder, 1 Tbsp hot water, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch salt.
- Finishing: 2–3 Tbsp cocoa powder for dusting, dark chocolate curls or shavings for garnish, optional fresh berries or candles.
Do This
- 1) Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch round pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- 2) Beat eggs, yolks, and sugar until pale and tripled in volume. Gently fold in dry ingredients, then fold in warm melted butter, milk, and vanilla.
- 3) Divide batter between pans and bake 20–25 minutes until golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.
- 4) Stir espresso, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur until sugar dissolves. Cool.
- 5) Dissolve espresso powder in hot water. Beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and espresso mixture until smooth. Stream in cold cream and whip to medium-stiff peaks.
- 6) Level cakes if needed. Place first layer on stand, brush generously with espresso, spread cream. Repeat with remaining layers and cover sides with cream.
- 7) Dust top heavily with cocoa, add chocolate curls. Chill at least 6 hours (or overnight) before slicing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It turns classic tiramisu into a show-stopping layered birthday cake with candles and all.
- Light sponge cake soaks up espresso without getting soggy, staying sliceable and tall.
- The mascarpone espresso cream is ultra-smooth, lightly sweet, and stable enough to frost beautifully.
- Can be made fully a day ahead, so party day is relaxed and stress-free.
Grocery List
- Produce: Optional fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries) or fresh mint for garnish.
- Dairy: Mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, whole milk, unsalted butter, large eggs.
- Pantry: Cake flour (or all-purpose flour), baking powder, fine salt, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, vanilla extract, strong coffee or espresso, optional coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa or Marsala), dark chocolate bar for curls.
Full Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge Cake Layers (3 x 8-inch rounds)
- 2 cups (240 g) cake flour (or 2 cups / 260 g all-purpose flour sifted, then remove 2 Tbsp and replace with 2 Tbsp cornstarch)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Espresso Soak
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) strong brewed espresso or very strong coffee, cooled
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa or Marsala wine (optional; replace with more coffee for alcohol-free)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Mascarpone Espresso Cream
- 16 oz (450 g) mascarpone cheese, cold but softened slightly so it is stirrable
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, very cold
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 Tbsp (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) hot water (to dissolve the espresso powder)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1–2 Tbsp (15–30 ml) coffee liqueur (optional)
- Pinch of fine salt
For Assembly & Garnish
- 2–3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting the top
- 1 dark chocolate bar (about 3–4 oz / 85–115 g), for chocolate curls or shavings
- Optional fresh berries or mint sprigs, for serving
- Birthday candles, if desired
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the pans and preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Grease three 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with butter or nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment as well. Lightly dust the pans with flour and tap out any excess. This helps the delicate sponge release cleanly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside; having the dry ingredients ready will make the batter easier to fold together without deflating.
Step 2: Whip the eggs and sugar until thick and airy
In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), add the 4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 6–8 minutes, until the mixture is very pale, thick, and has tripled in volume. When you lift the whisk, the batter should fall in a ribbon that sits on the surface for a few seconds before slowly dissolving.
This aeration is what makes the sponge light and allows it to soak in espresso later without collapsing, so do not rush this step.
Step 3: Fold in the dry ingredients and bake the sponge layers
In a small bowl or measuring jug, whisk together the melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Make sure this mixture is warm but not hot.
Using a large spatula, sift or gently sprinkle one-third of the flour mixture over the whipped eggs. Fold carefully with broad, gentle strokes, turning the bowl as you go, until just combined. Repeat with the next third and then the final third of the flour, folding only until you no longer see dry streaks.
Take about 1 cup of the batter and stir it into the warm butter-milk mixture to lighten it. Then drizzle this enriched mixture back into the main batter, folding gently until fully incorporated. Try not to deflate the batter.
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups per pan). Smooth the tops. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cakes are lightly golden, spring back when gently pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in their pans on wire racks for 10–15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges and turn out onto the racks. Peel off the parchment and let the layers cool completely to room temperature.
Step 4: Make the espresso soak
While the cakes bake or cool, prepare the espresso soak. In a bowl or large measuring jug, combine the cooled espresso or strong coffee, 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, coffee liqueur (if using), and vanilla extract. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Taste and adjust: it should be pleasantly sweet, strongly coffee-flavored, and slightly warm with vanilla. If you are skipping alcohol, simply replace the liqueur with the same amount of coffee or a mix of coffee and water. Set aside to cool completely; you do not want hot liquid on the cake layers.
Step 5: Whip the mascarpone espresso cream
In a small bowl, stir together the instant espresso powder and 1 Tbsp hot water until completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
In a large chilled bowl, add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, cooled espresso concentrate, and optional coffee liqueur. Beat on low speed just until smooth and combined; do not overmix or the mascarpone can become grainy.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the very cold heavy cream. Once incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and whip until the cream thickens to medium-stiff peaks: it should be thick enough to spread and hold swirls, but still silky and not grainy or curdled. This usually takes 2–4 minutes, depending on your mixer.
If it looks like it is thickening too quickly, stop and check often. Overwhipped mascarpone cream cannot be fully rescued, so err on the side of slightly softer rather than overly stiff.
Step 6: Level the cakes and soak them with espresso
If any of your cake layers are very domed, use a long serrated knife to gently level the tops so they stack neatly. Brush away loose crumbs.
Place the first layer, cut side up, on a cake board or serving plate. Slide small strips of parchment under the edges to keep the plate clean during frosting, if you like.
Using a pastry brush or a spoon, slowly drizzle or brush about 1/3 of the espresso soak over the first layer. You want the sponge nicely saturated but not flooded; it should look moist and darkened but not collapsing. Repeat this process for the second and third layers, letting the coffee soak in for a minute or two before stacking.
Step 7: Fill, stack, and frost the cake
Place a generous scoop (about 1 1/2 cups) of mascarpone espresso cream on the first soaked layer. Spread it evenly to the edges with an offset spatula, creating a layer about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick.
Set the second soaked layer on top, aligning the edges. Add another layer of cream and spread evenly. Place the final soaked layer on top, cut side down for the smoothest finish.
Use more cream to cover the top and sides of the cake. For a rustic, semi-naked look, scrape most of the cream from the sides so the sponge peeks through; for a fully frosted cake, apply a thicker coat and smooth the sides and top as desired. If you like decorative swirls or piped rosettes on top, reserve 1–2 cups of cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Step 8: Finish, chill, and serve
Right before chilling, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the top of the cake with an even layer of unsweetened cocoa powder. Use a vegetable peeler to shave curls from the edge of a dark chocolate bar directly over the cake, letting them fall on top. Add any piped swirls of cream around the edge and sprinkle more chocolate curls on top of them.
Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and chill, uncovered, for at least 6 hours or overnight. This time allows the espresso to fully soak into the sponge and the flavors to develop, just like classic tiramisu.
Before serving, you can add fresh berries or mint sprigs and insert birthday candles if using. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for the cleanest layers. Serve chilled or slightly cool. Keep any leftovers refrigerated.
Pro Tips
- Whip the eggs fully: The volume of the eggs and sugar is what keeps the sponge light. Beat until very thick and ribbon-like; under-whipped eggs make dense cake.
- Do not over-soak: Add espresso soak gradually. The layers should be deeply moist but still hold their shape when sliced.
- Keep everything cold for the cream: Chill the bowl and beaters, and keep the mascarpone and cream cold to help the frosting whip up smooth and stable.
- Chill before slicing: For neat slices with defined layers, chill the fully assembled cake at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Alcohol-free option: Simply omit the liqueur in both the soak and the cream and replace it with extra coffee or a bit of milk.
Variations
- Chocolate tiramisu birthday cake: Replace 1/3 cup (40 g) of the cake flour with unsweetened cocoa powder, and add a layer of finely chopped dark chocolate between each cream layer.
- Mocha hazelnut twist: Sprinkle each cream layer with 1–2 Tbsp toasted chopped hazelnuts and add 1/2 tsp hazelnut extract to the mascarpone cream.
- Berry tiramisu cake: After spreading the mascarpone cream, scatter a thin layer of sliced strawberries or raspberries between layers. Keep the top classic with cocoa and chocolate curls.
Storage & Make-Ahead
This cake is ideal for making ahead. Assemble the entire cake, including cocoa dusting and chocolate curls, then cover loosely with a cake dome or inverted bowl and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving. The flavors deepen over time, so it may even taste better the next day.
Leftovers keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3–4 days. The sponge will continue to soften slightly but should remain sliceable. For longer storage, you can freeze individual slices, well wrapped, for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Do not leave the cake at room temperature for more than 2 hours at a time, as the mascarpone and cream are perishable.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate values for 1 of 12 servings: 560–620 calories; 36 g fat; 22 g saturated fat; 55–60 g carbohydrates; 38–42 g sugar; 8–9 g protein; 1–2 g fiber; 260–320 mg sodium. Values will vary based on exact ingredients, brands, and portion sizes, and whether you use liqueur or extra sugar.
