Tiramisu (making it from scratch)

Last week we celebrated my hubby's birthday. By 'we' I mean the two of us with our dear friends here in Bangalore, the usual suspects.....

Incidentally, Rishi's birthday (one of our friends who resides upstairs) also falls within the same week and for the past few years or so we have been celebrating a combined birthday for the two of them.

My hubby kept saying tiramisu...tiramisu .... so I thought why not....What better occasion than this to make the most sensuous of all Italian desserts, Tiramisu!
Friends just dug into it from all sides (refer pic below...haha) and enjoyed it as much I loved making it.
Tiramisu is made with some of my favourite ingredients - coffee, cheese and liqueur!
I already had a bottle of Kahlua lying around but you could also use brandy if you like and did I mention that I made my own Mascarpone cheese? Yes I did..and you can too! Just click here to see how.
Do not omit the buttermilk part because that is whats going to make it extra moist and soft. Dont have butter milk? Not to worry..Add 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice to 200ml of milk and let sit for 5 mins till it curdles.

Ingredients:

For the sponge
Flour     260g
Baking Powder   10g
Baking Soda   1/4 tsp
Salt    1/4 tsp
Butter (unsalted)   140g
Sugar   180g
Eggs   4 nos
Vanilla essence  8ml
Buttermilk    170ml

For the filling and frosting
Mascarpone Cheese    230g
Icing sugar   30g
Vanilla essence  8ml
Kahlua /Brandy  15ml
Whipped cream  230ml
Chocolate shavings   70g
Cocoa Powder for dusting on top

For the espresso extract


Instant espresso powder   
2 tbsp

Boiling water 2 tbsp (30 ml)

For the espresso syrup

Water    120ml
Sugar   65g
Kahlua / brandy    1 tbsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170*C. Butter an 8" cake pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. 

To make the sponge


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

In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat until well incorporated and creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter (do not over-mix). 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. When fully baked, the cake will be golden and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cake, unmold, and peel off the paper liner. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.

To make the extract:

Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Reserve.

To make the syrup:

Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Stir in 1 tbsp of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; Reserve.

To make the filling and frosting


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

Fold in the whipped cream.

To assemble the cake:

1. Using a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut the cake horizontally into three layers. 

2. Place one layer on a cake plate. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with the espresso syrup. 

3. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer and sprinkle the chocolate shaving on the filling. 

4. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with more syrup.

5. Repeat step 3 

6. Place the final layer of cake and soak it with more syrup.

For the frosting, whisk 1 tbsp 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.

Smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. I covered the sides of the cake with more chocolate shavings but you could use your own decoration.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours before serving.

Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder. Do not dust too much or it will taste bitter.

Looks like a fairly lengthy recipe? It is.....but do not let that deter you from making it. I promise it will be worth it in the end! 

Ciao'