Create this 4 Layer Tiramisu Cake in just a few stages. The sponge cake layers are soaked with espresso and optional rum, filled with mascarpone cream, topped with espresso buttercream and finished with a dusting of cocoa.
I created this cake for a wedding cutting cake; it was the bride and groom’s favorite flavors. Since I love tiramisu myself, I couldn’t wait to make it and have a few test tastings in between.
The sponge layers can be a little tricky, so this post walks through the tips that make them come out light and fluffy. If layer cakes are your happy place, my Milky Way poke cake and Lucky Charms layer cake are cut from the same cloth.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 1 hour
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 45 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus chilling between coats
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 792kcal per slice
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Espresso soaked sponge, cool mascarpone cream and espresso buttercream under cocoa
- ✋ Difficulty: A weekend project; the sponge is the only tricky part
Quick Answer
Beat 6 eggs on high for 1 minute, gradually add 1 cup sugar and beat 8 to 10 minutes until thick, then sift and fold in the flour and baking powder a third at a time without deflating the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 23 to 28 minutes, cool, and slice into layers. Simmer espresso, sugar and water into a syrup, adding rum if you like. Whip mascarpone, whipping cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks for the filling, and beat butter, shortening, powdered sugar, espresso powder and cream into the frosting. Brush every layer with syrup, fill with mascarpone cream, crumb coat, chill 30 minutes, frost, and dust with cocoa.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The eggs are the leavening. This sponge has only half a teaspoon of baking powder; the 8 to 10 minutes of beating builds the foam that makes the cake rise. Cut the beating short and the cake bakes flat.
- Folding is the whole game. Sift the flour in a third at a time and stop the moment no streaks remain. Overmixing deflates the foam you just spent ten minutes building.
- A dry sponge is the point. Sponge cake is sturdy and thirsty, which is exactly what lets it drink the espresso syrup without turning to mush the way a butter cake would.
- The syrup is brushed, not poured. A pastry brush on both sides of every layer puts the coffee where you want it, evenly, without a soggy stripe down the middle.
- Mascarpone whips with cream and sugar to soft peaks only; past that, mascarpone splits and the filling turns grainy.
- Butter plus shortening in the frosting keeps the espresso buttercream stable at room temperature, which matters on a wedding table by the beach.
- The crumb coat and two chills lock the soaked layers in place, so the finished coat goes on clean over a cold, firm cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is real tiramisu in cake form: espresso soaked layers, mascarpone cream and cocoa, sturdy enough to slice for a crowd.
- Wedding proven. This exact cake was a wedding cutting cake, and it survived a head table on the beach.
- Two looks from one recipe. Frost it smooth with cocoa on top, or pipe the spoon petal design; the photos below show both.
- The rum is optional, so it can be family friendly or grown up.
- Every stage can be broken up. Bake the layers one day, syrup and assemble the next.
- A showpiece among my dessert recipes, next to the lemon blueberry swirl cheesecake and sparkling cider strawberry poke cake.
Key Ingredients
Four components: sponge, coffee syrup, mascarpone filling and espresso buttercream. Quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Large Eggs, room temperature. Six of them, beaten into the foam that gives the sponge its lift.
- Cake Flour, sifted twice. Its lower protein keeps the sponge tender; all purpose makes a tougher crumb here.
- Fine Granulated Sugar in the sponge and syrup, dissolving quickly into the beaten eggs.
- Brewed espresso and Espresso Coffee for the soaking syrup; instant espresso brews strong without a machine.
- Rum, optional. One to two ounces stirred into the cooling syrup for the classic tiramisu edge.
- Mascarpone Cheese and cold heavy whipping cream whip together with powdered sugar into the filling.
- Unsalted Butter and Shortening form the base of the buttercream, with sifted powdered sugar, whipping cream and Espresso Powder for Frosting for the coffee flavor.
- Cocoa Powder for the signature dusting on top.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Variations & Substitutions
- Two pan routes: four 6 inch layers as written, or two 8 inch cakes split in half. A kitchen scale helps divide the batter evenly.
- Skip the rum and the syrup is pure coffee; swap in coffee liqueur or marsala if you want a different spirit.
- Two frosting designs. The smooth cocoa dusted finish uses half the frosting; the spoon petal design needs a double batch and a little patience.
- Decaf works. Brew the syrup and frosting with decaf espresso and nobody staying up all night will know.
- Make it a party pairing. Serve slices with a caramel brulee latte or an Irish cream dalgona coffee and leaning into the coffee theme.
- Want smaller bakes first? My cupcake recipes, the Earl Grey cupcakes and the gluten free chocolate cupcakes practice the same frosting skills at cupcake scale.
How to Make a Tiramisu Cake
The sponge cake:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 6 large eggs for 1 minute on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8 to 10 minutes, until thick and fluffy.
- Whisk together the flour and baking powder, then sift this mixture into the fluffy egg mixture one third at a time, folding with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated.
- Scrape the spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks remain. Do not overmix or you will deflate the batter.
- Line the pans with parchment and spray with baking spray. Divide the batter evenly between four 6 inch pans, or two 8 inch pans to split later; a kitchen scale helps.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 23 to 28 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Slide a thin spatula around the edges, turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment, and cool to room temperature. Slice each cake equally in half with a serrated knife if using 8 inch layers.
The coffee syrup, filling and frosting:
- Stir the espresso, water and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, bring to a boil over medium heat stirring frequently, then remove from the heat. Add the rum while it cools, if using, and cool completely.
- Whip the mascarpone, whipping cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks for the filling.
- Cream the butter and shortening about 5 minutes until light, sift in the powdered sugar and espresso powder, beat well, and add the whipping cream as the frosting thickens. Beat until light and fluffy.
Assembly:
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the cake board, set down the first layer, and brush it with coffee syrup using a pastry brush. Brush both sides of every layer as you go.
- Fill between the layers with mascarpone cream about half an inch thick using an offset spatula, then refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Crumb coat the sides and top with a thin layer of espresso frosting on a turntable, scrape it even, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Frost with the finished coat, add a piped border, and dust the top with cocoa. For the spoon petal design, double the frosting and work in rows.
This smooth design uses only half the frosting of the petal version, and it is the one I would pick for a dinner party. The spoon design below was the one the bride chose.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the oven is fully heated before the pans go in, and do not open the oven door during baking.
- Do not use a convection oven for this sponge; the fan dries and skews the delicate rise.
- Take the cakes out of the pans 10 minutes after removing from the oven.
- The whole trick is the eggs: fully beat them at the start and do not let the batter deflate when the flour goes in. An electric hand mixer works but takes a few minutes longer.
- The right tools earn their space: 6″ Round Cake Pans (4), an Offset Spatula, Frosting Bags with a Wilton Cake Tip, and Cake Circles under each tier.
- Chill between every coat. The 15 and 30 minute refrigerations are what keep the soaked layers from sliding.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Serve it as the centerpiece it was built to be. It held the head table at a beach wedding, and it does the same job at a birthday, an anniversary dinner or a dessert table. Slice it with a hot knife for clean layers, and offer coffee alongside, since the cake itself will convince everyone they want a cup.
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 3 days, and honestly the flavor is even better on day two once the syrup settles in. Let slices sit out 20 minutes before serving. For more ideas, the dessert archive, my lemon bundt cake, the blackberry lavender bundt, the key lime cupcakes and the lemon bars cover every other occasion.
Tiramisu Cake FAQs
Almost always the eggs. They need the full 8 to 10 minutes of beating with the sugar to build volume, and the flour must be folded in gently, one third at a time, stopping as soon as no streaks remain. A fully preheated oven and a closed door do the rest.
Yes, and it improves. Bake the sponge layers a day ahead and wrap them well, then syrup, fill and frost the next day. The finished cake keeps refrigerated for 3 days, and the espresso flavor deepens by day two.
No, the rum is optional. Leave it out for a family friendly cake, or stir one to two ounces into the cooling syrup for the classic flavor. Coffee liqueur works the same way.
Full fat cream cheese whipped with a splash of heavy cream comes closest, though it is tangier than mascarpone. Do not use whipped topping; the filling needs the body of a real cheese to hold four layers.
Yes. Use two 8 inch pans and slice each cooled cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife to get your four layers. Weighing the batter into the pans keeps the layers even.
Pipe a vertical row of frosting dots, then press the back of a spoon into each dot and drag sideways, overlapping the next row onto the tails. It needs double the frosting of the smooth design, so make the full batch and work on a chilled crumb coated cake.
4 Layer Tiramisu Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 1 cup Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup cake flour sifted twice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 large eggs room temp
Coffee Syrup
- 1/4 cup brewed espresso
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1-2 oz rum optional
Mascarpone Cream Cheese
- 8 oz Mascarpone cheese
- 8 oz Heavy whipping cream cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Espresso Buttercream
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup Crisco Shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted twice
- 2 oz Whipping Cream
- 2 teaspoon espresso powder
Instructions
Sponge Cake
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat 6 large eggs for 1 minute on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 minutes until thick and fluffy.
- Whisk together 1 cup flour and ½ tsp baking powder then sift this mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated.
- Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
- Divide evenly between prepared 6 or 8" cake pans (it helps if you have a kitchen scale to weigh the pans). I made four 6" cake layers. You can use 2 8" cake pages and split layers. Add parchment paper and spray with cooking and flour spray.
- Bake at 350˚F for 23-28 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula around the edges then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temperature then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.
Coffee Syrup
- Stir Espresso, water, and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Bring coffee syrup to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using. You can add rum while it's cooling down.
Mascarpone Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or using a hand whisk, whip mascarpone cheese, whipping cream and powdered sugar, until soft peaks form.
Espresso Buttercream
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and shortening until light and creamy about 5 minutes. Sift in powdered sugar and espresso powder. Beat well until combined. As frosting thickens add whipping cream. Beat until light and fluffy.
Assemble Cake
- Split 2 8" cakes or use 4 6" cakes. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on cake board. Place the first layer of cake on the cake board and brush the cake with coffee syrup using a pastry brush. Continue to brush both sides of layers with coffee syrup.
- Start adding mascarpone filling approximately 1/2" thick in between cake layers with an offset spatula until all four layers are filled. Then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Spread a thin layer of coffee frosting on the sides and top of the cake on a turntable to crumb coat your cake. Use a scraper to get it even and smooth.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- If using the smooth cake design add another layer of frosting and add some design to the bottom and top and sprinkle with cocoa. Directions for spoon design decorating see below. You will need double the frosting for this method.
Notes
Tips for making the best Tiramisu Cake Recipe
- Make sure oven is fully heated before placing pans in.
- Do not open oven door during baking.
- Do not use a convection oven.
- Take out of pans 10 minutes after removing from oven.
- The trick to this cake is to fully beat eggs in the beginning and not let the cake deflate when adding flour.
- Using an electric hand mixer will take a few minutes longer.
- When making the spoon design cake you will need double the frosting.
Leo Tat says
I love tiramisu cake, goes well with a cup of latte. I like them with lots of cream like in your recipe.