This Tiramisu Chocolate Cake brings together my favorite chocolate cake with all the flavors that make tiramisu so great. By adding coffee into the cake mixture it really brings out all that chocolate and coffee goodness. Finish by topping with a mascarpone frosting and a generous dusting of cocoa powder.
There are some tips below to really nail a good chocolate cake. This is really moist from using multiple different liquids. You could easily double the recipe to make it a layered celebration cake! For me, this is divine at this quantity/ratio and makes for a wonderful dessert after a dinner with friends.
When making this cake, be sure to set aside time for the cake to cool. The frosting will ‘melt’ off the cake if it goes on while the cake is still warm. Speed up the time for the cake to cool by placing in the fridge once the initial heat has gone from the pan (if you can pick it up with bare hands, it’s fine to go in the fridge).
TIPS FOR MAKING A REALLY GREAT CHOCOLATE CAKE
Chocolate cake is a beloved classic that can bring joy to truly any occasion. Here are some tips to elevate your chocolate cake from good to great:
- Use Quality Cocoa Powder: Opt for good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder to give your cake a rich and decadent chocolate flavor.
- Coffee Enhances Chocolate: A little bit of brewed coffee or espresso powder can intensify the chocolate flavor without making your cake taste like coffee. This recipe adds more than a regular chocolate cake to really bring out some coffee vibes, without overpowering the chocolate flavor.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your eggs and butter are at room temperature to achieve a smooth batter, which results in a more uniform cake texture.
- Liquids: This chocolate cake recipe uses oil in place of butter, which I find leads to a more moist and delicate crumb. The batter may look quite runny, but this is fine!
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sifting flour along with cocoa powder, baking powder, and other dry ingredients helps to aerate them, leading to a lighter cake crumb.
- Do Not Overmix: Once you combine your wet and dry ingredients, mix just until they are combined. Overmixing can lead to a dense and tough cake.
- Precise Measuring: Baking is a science, so measure your ingredients precisely. I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy, instead of converting measurements to cups.
- Oven Thermometer: Ovens can often run hotter or cooler than the dial indicates. An oven thermometer can help you bake the cake at the perfect temperature.
- Proper Pan Preparation: Grease and flour your cake pans, or use parchment paper to prevent sticking. This helps in easy removal of the cake once it’s baked.
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: Frosting a warm cake can lead to a melted mess. Be patient and let your cake cool completely before spreading on the frosting.
By incorporating these tips, your chocolate cake will not only taste better but also have a professional touch that can impress your guests.
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED
There are no specialist ingredients or equipment required for this bake. I can find everything I need at my local supermarket or grocery store. To line a round baking tin, I cut a piece of baking paper to the diameter of the pan. Then place the paper in the pan, pressing up to the edges to see where the pan base ends and the walls start. Then I cut this circle out and place it on the base. Grease all sides with butter or cooking oil. This will make removing the bake so much easier!
- Granulated Sugar
- Plain (All Purpose) Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cocoa Powder
- Brewed Coffee
- Whole Milk
- Large Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Hot Water
- Mascarpone Cheese (or Cream Cheese)
- Powdered Sugar
TIPS FOR A GREAT COOKIE DOUGH CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Liquids: We go heavy on the liquid in this recipe. If it looks fairly runny compared to a sponge recipe, that’s good! This means the texture will come out light and moist. Using water, oil, milk and eggs results in a super fluffy texture.
- Cocoa Powder: As this is a key part of any chocolate cake, try to use a high quality cocoa powder.
- Oil: Use vegetable, canola or sunflower oil. Avoid using anything flavoured like extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil, as this will overpower the other flavors.
- Hot Water: Either boil the water and let it cool just slightly before using OR use the hottest water you can get out of your tap.
- Frosting: Use full fat mascarpone for best results. Cream cheese will also work if you prefer to use that! It works as a direct sub so you won’t need to change any other ingredient amounts if you go for cream cheese in place of mascarpone.
I make my Tiramisu Chocolate Cake using an 8″ circular cake pan and recommend a high speed mixer for when combining the dry and wet ingredients (with a mixer like this). If you’re looking for other cake ideas check out this Cookie Dough Chocolate Cake. For videos and baking inspiration, head on over to my Instagram. If you make this recipe, don’t forget to drop it a star rating, leave a review or share a photo on your socials!
STORAGE/MAKE AHEAD FOR MY Tiramisu Chocolate Cake
This Tiramisu Chocolate Cake can be made ahead of time really easily. Make your cake and wrap entirely in cling film/plastic wrap. Place the wrapped unfrosted cake in the fridge (3-5 days) or freezer (up to 3 months). Frost when ready to serve!
Once made, store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Place in an airtight container to prevent the frosting from drying up. You can also slice up the cake and wrap and freeze it as above. Let thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Tiramisu Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1 ½ tsp) Baking Powder
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Baking Soda
- 180 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
- 3 tbsp (3 tbsp) Cocoa Powder
- 100 ml (⅓ cups) Hot Water
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Instant Coffee
- 60 ml (¼ cups) Milk
- 2 (2) Large Free Range Eggs
- 150 ml (⅔ cups) Vegetable Oil or any unflavored oil
For the Mascarpone Frosting
- 200 g (7 oz) Mascarpone or Full Fat Cream Cheese
- 150 ml (⅔ cups) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 50 g (½ cups) Powdered Sugar
- Cocoa Powder To Decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/375℉. Line an 8" circular cake pan (I use a springform pan) – See Notes to use two pans.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Boil the water and mix in the instant coffee.
- Make a well in the dry mix, and add the eggs, milk and oil. Whisk together to form a smooth (if a little runny) batter. Finish by whisking in the coffee/water.
- Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
For the Mascarpone Frosting
- Once the cake is cool, make the filling! Whisk the mascarpone or cream cheese with the powdered sugar in a bowl until smooth but thick.
- In another bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Do this using an electric/stand mixer to save a lot of time and effort. Once soft peaks start to form, add the mascarpone/cream cheese mixture and fold using a spatula or metal spoon.
- Spread this over the cake and dust with lots of cocoa powder!
Notes
- Using two pans: I use one cake pan and slice the cake in half to form two layers. You can use two 8 inch cake pans instead but adjust the bake time down by 5-10 minutes.
- Cookies: The size I use are depicted in some of the recipe photos. They are the packaged cookies you buy in the cookie aisle – not the same size as the large bakery section ones! Overall you want about 1/2 cup cookie crumbs.
- Cream: Make sure the cream is cold to get it perfectly whipped. Whisk for a minute or two, then do it in short bursts to make sure it doesn’t get over whipped. It’s done when it holds its own shape (fairly stiff peaks).
