Vanilla-infused sour cream cake swirled with chocolate chunks and soaked in sweet coffee syrup. This cake is no fuss, easy to mix up, and SO DELICIOUS! Every bite is layered with chocolate and moist coffee-soaked vanilla cake crumbs. Finish the cake with the creamiest whipped mascarpone frosting and a heavy dusting of cocoa powder for that classic tiramisu finish. Bonus? It's simpler to make than you'd think, and so very pretty…with very little effort.
Here is how you make the cake.
Surprisingly, this Vanilla Tiramisu Cake is actually really simple to make. Cream some butter with a touch of sugar. Then add eggs and sour cream.
Now, the sour cream is KEY. You can also use Greek yogurt, but I've decided that sour cream will give you the best flavor and the most amount of moisture too. This is just my second time baking with sour cream and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite ingredients to bake with. It's a game-changer and I'm just a little bit obsessed.
Once all the wet ingredients have been mixed. Simply beat in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Then stir in lots of chocolate chunks. You can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate here, but the key is to give the chunks a good chopping before adding to the batter. You want them to be lightly swirled throughout the cakes, so small pieces are best.
And now you bake this up in a good ole' cake pan. Nothing too fancy. I am sure you could also do cupcakes too, which would be very cute!
Onto the coffee glaze...
The way tiramisu is made is by dipping ladyfingers in coffee. For this cake, I make a sweetened coffee glaze and brush it over the top of the cake after baking. The glaze slowly sinks into the cake, creating a creamy, moist, and delicious coffee-infused cake crumb.It. Is. SO GOOD!
Now that frosting…
If you LOVE tiramisu, you know that a classic tiramisu is really all about that oh so creamy and thick layer of mascarpone. It's essential to a GOOD tiramisu. So, to keep that flavor and texture, I made a simple whipped mascarpone frosting.It's just mascarpone cheese whipped with cream and a touch of vanilla. Seems so easy and simple, but do not let that fool you. It makes for the creamiest frosting, and is just perfect atop this cake.Every bite of this cake is filled with sweet vanilla flavors. And the whipped mascarpone cream on top is that final extra special touch that really elevates this cake above others. Trust me, I know this is different, but it's different in a very delicious way.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup brewed very strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
FROSTING
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone or cream cheese, at room temperate
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the sour cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the center is just set. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert the cake onto a plate, flip it back over onto a serving plate. Let cool.
- In a small saucepan, combine the coffee, rum, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and honey. Bring to a boil over high heat, boil 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool slightly. Brush the top of the cake with coffee syrup, repeating until all syrup has been used. Allow the cake to absorb the liquid for 30 minutes.
- Using an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone/cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream and whip until soft peaks form. Add the honey and vanilla. Whip once more until combined. Dollop frosting onto the cake. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving. Cake will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.
RECIPE NOTES
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Want more food inspo? Check out Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest on Teach Me Something New with Brit Morin!
