Raspberry Tiramisu Cake

makes one 9" cake

recipe adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours

prep time: 1 hr / cook time: 28-30 min

CAKE INGREDIENTS

2 c cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

10 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), room temperature

1 c sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 c buttermilk

ESPRESSO EXTRACT INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp instant espresso powder

2 tbsp boiling water

ESPRESSO SYRUP

1/2 c water

1/3 c sugar

1 tbsp amaretto, Kahlua or brandy

* I used Kahlua

FILLING AND FROSTING INGREDIENTS

8 oz. mascarpone

1/2 c confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp amaretto, Kahlua or brandy

* I used Kahlua

1 c cold heavy cream

2 1/2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped or about 1/2 cup store bought mini chocolate chips

* I used Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Chocolate

1 lb. fresh raspberry

Cocoa powder

24 lady fingers

* I used Vicenzi brand

CAKE INSTRUCTIONS

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F.

• Butter two 9x2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line hte bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

• Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

• Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.

• Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes.

• Add the eggs one by one and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition.

• Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if hte mixture looks curdled.

• Reduce the mixer speed to low and ad the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter.

• Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Rap the pan a few times before putting into the oven.

EXTRACT INSTRUCTIONS

• Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

SYRUP INSTRUCTIONS

• Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tbsp of the espresso extract and the liquor or brandy; set aside.

FILLING AND FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS

• Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and liquor in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.

• Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks.

• Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone.

• Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

• If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them out.

• Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper.

• Reserve one third of the espresso syrup and set aside.

• Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup.

• Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer, approximately 1 1/4 cups, and gently press the chopped chocolate and raspberry into the filling.

• Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling.

• Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

• For the frosting, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling.

• Taste the frosting as you go to decide how much extract you want to add.

• If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread over the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.

• With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the side of the cake and over the top.

• Line up the lady fingers and lightly dust with the cocoa powder.

• With the reserved espresso syrup, gently soak the non-dusted side of the lady fingers.

* I did not soak the lady fingers all the way through, just enough to wet them so they'd still stick to the cake and not turn to mush when I wrap the ribbon around it.

• Carefully attach the soaked lady fingers around the cake.

• Place the raspberries on the top of the cake and add chopped chocolate over the top.

• Lightly dust the top of the finished cake with cocoa powder.

* I used Wilton's Gold Pearl Dust.

• To finish, tie a ribbon around the cake.

** ADDIECAKES' NOTES **

• Rather than chopping a bar of chocolate, I found it a lot easier to use a vegetable peeler.

• This cake came out to be around 4 1/2" tall. The brand of lady fingers I used was perfect for the height of this cake.

• I baked the cake a day before I made the filling. The cake was still moist and soft, so this is a good recipe to use if you want to make parts of the tiramisu cake ahead of time. After the cake completely cooled, I wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap. I did not place the cake in the refrigerator.

ADDIECAKES' DIFFICULTY RATING

ADDIECAKES' TASTE RATING