Tiramisu Cake

Updated: Jun 12, 2025 by christina.marsigliese · 29 Comments

This delicious Tiramisu Cake features coffee soaked vanilla cake marbled with espresso cake, topped with homemade mascarpone cream and a heavy dusting of cocoa powder. It's a simple one layer cake that is easy to assemble yet very impressive and perfect for hosting a few people. The cake is made with whole eggs and has a very tender crumb to mimic the taste and texture of traditional Savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits. If you love tiramisu-flavored desserts, you must try my Tiramisu Blondies and Tiramisu Cheesecake which is dangerously good!

tiramisu cake sliced on parchment showing cross section

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Tender vanilla cake - the recipe starts with a tender whole egg vanilla cake that serves as the base to make the coffee batter.
Coffee cake swirl - the addition of espresso to the vanilla batter creates the coffee cake swirl.
Soft and tender cake - this cake has a very tender crumb thanks to a bit of corn starch which keeps the texture short so that it mimics the texture of ladyfinger biscuits.
Rich coffee flavor - you make a simple espresso soak which is essentially a coffee syrup that you brush right onto the cake so it soaks in just like the traditional tiramisu dessert.
Homemade mascarpone cream - you can't have tiramisu without the creamy component and the top layer of this cake is my easy homemade "mascarpone" from just cream and sour cream with a heavy dusting of cocoa powder.

slice of tiramisu cake on parchment with fork

WHAT IS TIRAMISU?

Tiramisu is a traditional no-bake Italian dessert that is flavored mostly with coffee. It translates to "pick me up" which is a reference to the caffeine in the coffee. To make tiramisu, there's a Marsala-infused egg yolk custard blended with mascarpone and either whipped egg whites or whipped cream to give it lightness. Then, you dip Savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits in strong coffee or espresso and layer them with the cream like a trifle. To finish, it is classically topped with a generous dusting of cocoa powder or finely grated chocolate.

INGREDIENTS FOR TIRAMISU CAKE

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Unsalted butter - butter forms the foundation of this classic cake that uses the creaming method.
All purpose flour - regular all purpose flour works great to make this tender cake.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the coffee flavor and it complements the rich buttery notes. I like this Madagascar vanilla extract.
Granulated sugar - simple white sugar keeps the cake tender, moist and sweet and lets the coffee flavor shine.

Egg - 2 whole eggs will provide majority of the structure in this cake.
Coffee or espresso - brew up some strong coffee, make fresh espresso or make instant espresso using this espresso powder for the coffee soak. I use espresso powder since it is required to make the coffee cake batter and it is so convenient!
Whipping cream - this forms the basis of the top layer and you need cream with minimum 35% milk fat content.
Sour cream - the acidity from sour cream helps to stabilize the whipped cream and makes a type of homemade mascarpone. Mascarpone is actually cultured cream and not cheese, and since it is quite expensive I like to make my own at home.

tiramisu cake sliced on parchment with cup of espresso

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
STEP 2). Cream butter and sugar. Combine soft butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer. or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
STEP 3). Mix in eggs. Add one egg and mix well until evenly incorporated, then mix in the other egg so the batter is smooth. Add one third of the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Mix in sour cream.
STEP 4). Add dry ingredients. Add half of the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until just blended before mixing in the oil and milk. Finally fold in the last of the dry ingredients being sure to scrape to the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
STEP 5). Make the coffee batter. Take about half of the batter and transfer it to another bowl and sprinkle over the instant espresso powder. Gently fold it together with a spatula until evenly incorporated.
STEP 6). Alternate batter in pan. Use a 1 ½-oz cookie scoop or a large spoon to alternate adding dollops of vanilla batter and coffee batter into the prepared pan and use the blunt side if a knife to swirl the two batters together. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
STEP 7). Prepare the coffee soak. Combine hot water with instant espresso powder (or use ½ cup of strong hot coffee) and sugar in a small bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let it cool until it is no longer hot. Use a serrated knife to trim the dome off the cake to level it and then brush the coffee syrup all over the cooled cake.
STEP 8). Make the cream topping. Combine cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and whip to almost stiff peaks - somewhere between soft and stiff peaks. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix it in. Dollop the cream over the coffee-soaked cake and spread it out evenly.
STEP 9). Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

top view of tiramisu cake finished with dusting of cocoa powder

side view of tiramisu cake finished with dusting of cocoa powder

slice of tiramisu cake on parchment with bite

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR TIRAMISU CAKE

Use very soft butter. This will ensure the eggs will emulsify and blend evenly into the creamed butter and sugar to create a smooth batter.
Do not over-bake. Be sure to not over-bake this butter cake or it will be dry and crumbly instead of soft and tender.
Do not over-mix the batter. Fold the dry ingredients in by hand so that you don't risk over-mixing which can cause tunneling in the baked cake and also lead to a coarse texture.
Dust with cocoa just before serving. The cocoa will absorb into the cream topping, so if you plan to serve this a few hours after you make it, add the cocoa just before you serve it.

RECIPE FAQ

What is a substitute for espresso?

If you don't know how to make coffee or you don't own an espresso machine, no worries! I always have this instant espresso powder in the pantry and I use it in so many recipes. You just add this to hot water to make the coffee components of this recipe.

Why are there holes in my cake?

If you see holes in the cake after you trim the top, this is called "tunneling" and it is common in butter cakes. Here is my article on what causes tunneling in cake and how to prevent it.

How do I store Tiramisu Cake?

This cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and served at room temperature.

If you love bars and brownies, check out these recipes!

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Baking with coffee...

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Video

Tiramisu Cake

Christina Marsigliese

Tender vanilla and coffee cake marbled together, soaked in coffee syrup and topped with a quick homemade version of mascarpone cream, then dusted heavily with cocoa powder. This cake tastes exactly like tiramisu!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 23

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

Vanilla & Coffee Cake Batter:

6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (3g) cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup (80ml) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (15m)l vegetable oil
¼ cup (60ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (4g) instant espresso powder

Coffee Soak:

⅓ cup (80ml) boiling hot water
2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar

Cream Topping:

1 cup (237ml) cold 35% heavy whipping cream
¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
¼ cup (60ml) full fat sour cream
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
2 tablespoon (12g) cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang along each side.
Sift flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
Combine soft butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer. or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add one egg and mix well until evenly incorporated, then mix in the other egg so the batter is smooth. Add one third of the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Mix in sour cream.
Add half of the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until just blended before mixing in the oil and milk. Finally fold in the last of the dry ingredients being sure to scrape to the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
Take about half of the batter and transfer it to another bowl and sprinkle over the instant espresso powder. Gently fold it together with a spatula until evenly incorporated.
Use a 1 ½-oz cookie scoop or a large spoon to alternate adding dollops of vanilla batter and coffee batter into the prepared pan and use the blunt side if a knife to swirl the two batters together. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, prepare the coffee soak. Combine hot water with instant espresso powder (or use ½ cup of strong hot coffee) and sugar in a small bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let it cool until it is no longer hot. Use a serrated knife to trim the dome off the cake to level it and then brush the coffee syrup all over the cooled cake.
Make the cream topping. Combine cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and whip to almost stiff peaks - somewhere between soft and stiff peaks. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix it in. Dollop the cream over the coffee-soaked cake and spread it out evenly. Dust cocoa powder heavily over the top just before serving.

Tiramisu Cake

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

WHAT IS TIRAMISU?

INGREDIENTS FOR TIRAMISU CAKE

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR TIRAMISU CAKE

RECIPE FAQ