We've been celebrating a very special birthday around here! It's my husband's birthday and while he might not want a lot of fanfare on his day, I want to cue the confetti because he truly deserves it.
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This year, we don't have the aftershocks of Hurricane Sandy to contend with so things are thankfully calmer. My husband managed to have a day off from work here and there during the last couple of weeks and it's so nice to have some alone time together during the day. I'm grateful that he doesn't mind spending some of his free time running errands with me and helping me haul bags and bags of groceries (I'm amazed by the amount of groceries my family of 3 needs!). My husband's just cool like that.
The two of us managed to have a lovely dinner out last weekend as an early birthday celebration. For the actual event, it'll be a family dinner at home cooked by yours truly. I asked him what he'd like for dinner and not surprisingly, he picked one of his favorites, a risotto with saffron, clams and shrimp. As for birthday cake, he went with Ina/Beatty's chocolate cake, which is definitely another family favorite. To get a head start on the celebration, I made that cake last weekend and we had no problems devouring it over the course of a few days among the three of us. We occasionally hoard this cake - it's so easy to do so because it stays moist and delicious for days.
But in thinking about my husband's birthday during the last few weeks, I couldn't help but want to make something different, a little surprise, for him. Somewhere, I saw a picture of a small tiramisu cake and given my husband's love of tiramisu, I started searching for some ideas.
At first, I thought I'd turn the last tiramisu recipe I made into a cake but the idea of fitting the ladyfingers into a round cake pan sounded like a potential mess. So long story short, I ended up at Smitten Kitchen, again, and decided to make the tiramisu cake recipe by Dorie Greenspan. Since we just finished polishing off that chocolate cake, I made a small 6-inch tiramisu cake for our birthday boy.
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Instead of ladyfingers, this tiramisu cake starts with two yellow cake layers. The layers are soaked with an espresso syrup. In between is a creamy filling made with mascarpone cheese and whipped cream, flavored with espresso and liqueur. There's also a hidden stash of finely chopped chocolate within that adds crunch and additional flavor (chocolate!) to the cake.
I used amaretto as our liqueur of choice so I went ahead and added a bit of almond extract to the cake layers, too. After reading some of the comments left by others who've made the cake (big thanks to those people who take the time to do that!) saying the cake could have used more syrup, I doubled-up on it to make sure I'd have enough. In other words, I made half the recipe for the cake, filling, and frosting but the full amount of espresso syrup to make sure I could properly soak and flavor the cake.
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Boy, am I glad I made extra syrup! I used nearly all of it (the double-portion) and I think the cake could have still handled more! As you can see from the photo above, the cake is just thirsting for that liquid. I'm happy with the end result though - I just highly recommend doubling up on that espresso syrup and being patient in giving the cake a good deep soak.
If you're thinking all the dividing and doubling sounds a little convoluted and confusing, it was a little bit. Shrinking this recipe down by half was a little tricky since there are several components to this cake so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I made this cake the night before we planned to eat it since it needs time to sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld. The late hour didn't exactly help my concentration but I did it with joy because it was for a most deserving fella! And luckily, the fella was a big fan of the cake so it was worth the effort.
As you'll be able to tell from the recipe, there are quite a few parts to this recipe. It's not difficult but there are a few steps so I had to really pay attention to the recipe. I'm not going to confuse the situation by dividing the original recipe in half but I am doubling the recipes for the espresso extract and syrup since this cake really needs the added amount, in my experience.
I tried to get a little creative in decorating this cake though I suppose less is more. I have some crunchy chocolate perles that I've been wanting to use so I placed them around the cake as a border. Then I decided to make that heart stencil (quasi-successfully) and then the bits of chocolate somehow landed around the heart.
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If you have a serious tiramisu lover in your life, you might consider this cake. I really liked it. It's got great classic tiramisu flavor - just remember to load up on that espresso syrup and give the cake layers a good douse because it can handle it!
The birthday boy seemed to enjoy his surprise so I'm happy! Here's to many more birthday cakes and special days!
Recipe:
Tiramisu Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, original recipe by Dorie Greenspan *
* When I made this cake, I divided the recipe in half to make a two-layer 6-inch cake. It gets extra confusing that way so I'm sticking with a full size here. If you do decide to do what I did, the cake layers take roughly 18 minutes to bake. I made a few small changes to the original recipe. I added almond extract to the cake since I used amaretto liqueur. I am doubling the original amount of espresso extract and syrup because I think the cake needs that additional moisture and flavor.
- For a two-layer 9-inch cake -
For the cake layers:
2 cups (255 grams) cake flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla (8 ml) extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional, if using amaretto)
3/4 cup buttermilk
For espresso extract (used to flavor espresso syrup and frosting)*:
4 tablespoons instant espresso powder
4 tablespoons (60 ml) boiling water
For espresso syrup*:
1 cup (240 ml) water
2/3 cup (130 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) amaretto (that's what I used), Kahlua, or brandy
For filling and frosting:
1 8-ounce (225 grams) container mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 ml) amaretto (that's what I used), Kahlua, or brandy
1 cup (235 ml) cold heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces (70 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Ideas of decorating the cake: unsweetened cocoa powder, dark chocolate shavings, chocolate-covered espresso beans, chocolate perles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pans.
Make cake layers:
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed. Beat in the vanilla. At this point, the mixture may look curdled. On low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 increments, alternating with 2 additions of the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry. Scrape bowl and mix until just incorporated. Divide batter evenly among the two pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula.
Bake until cake is lightly golden, the surface is dry and springs slightly to the touch, and a cake tester comes out clean (28-30 minutes, but check early). Transfer cakes to a wire rack, let cool 5 minutes before running a knife around the edges and turning the cakes out. Remove parchment paper and let cakes cool (right-side up) to room temperature.
Make espresso extract:
Stir espresso powder and boiling water together in a heatproof bowl until combined. Set aside to be incorporated in steps below.
Make espresso syrup:
In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar together. Stir together and bring just to a boil. Pour the sugar syrup into a heatproof bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of the espresso extract and the liqueur. Set aside.
Make filling and frosting:
Put mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and liqueur into a large bowl. Whisk together until just smooth.
Whip heavy cream to firm peaks using the whip attachment of a stand mixer. Using a rubber spatula, stir about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream gently until just combined.
Assembling the cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a serrated knife to trim the bumps to even them. Place one layer, right-side up, onto a cake plate. Tuck a few strips of wax or parchment paper under the sides of the cake to make for easy clean-up. Use a pastry brush or small spoon to soak the layer with about one-third the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer (about 1 1 /4 cups), then gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling.
Place second cake layer onto a work surface or plate. Soak with half of the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the cake over and place over the filling, soaked side down. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup. It will seem like a lot but the cake can take it.
For the frosting that goes on the outside of the cake, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons more of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste to adjust and see if you like more or less extract. The frosting might be a bit too wet/soft to spread at this point. If that's the case, press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface and chill for about 15 minutes. Refrigerate the cake as well.
Spread the frosting around the sides and top of the cake. If decorating the top with chocolate-covered espresso beans or chocolate perles, you can press it onto the cake now. Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours or up to a day in advance before servings so the flavors can meld.
Before serving, you can also dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. Let cake sit at room temperature for about half an hour before serving; it is best served cool.
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The two of us managed to have a lovely dinner out last weekend as an early birthday celebration. For the actual event, it'll be a family dinner at home cooked by yours truly. I asked him what he'd like for dinner and not surprisingly, he picked one of his favorites, a risotto with saffron, clams and shrimp. As for birthday cake, he went with Ina/Beatty's chocolate cake, which is definitely another family favorite. To get a head start on the celebration, I made that cake last weekend and we had no problems devouring it over the course of a few days among the three of us. We occasionally hoard this cake - it's so easy to do so because it stays moist and delicious for days.
.JPG) |
| A family favorite (the "first" birthday cake): Ina/Beatty's chocolate cake |
At first, I thought I'd turn the last tiramisu recipe I made into a cake but the idea of fitting the ladyfingers into a round cake pan sounded like a potential mess. So long story short, I ended up at Smitten Kitchen, again, and decided to make the tiramisu cake recipe by Dorie Greenspan. Since we just finished polishing off that chocolate cake, I made a small 6-inch tiramisu cake for our birthday boy.
.JPG)
I used amaretto as our liqueur of choice so I went ahead and added a bit of almond extract to the cake layers, too. After reading some of the comments left by others who've made the cake (big thanks to those people who take the time to do that!) saying the cake could have used more syrup, I doubled-up on it to make sure I'd have enough. In other words, I made half the recipe for the cake, filling, and frosting but the full amount of espresso syrup to make sure I could properly soak and flavor the cake.
.JPG)
If you're thinking all the dividing and doubling sounds a little convoluted and confusing, it was a little bit. Shrinking this recipe down by half was a little tricky since there are several components to this cake so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I made this cake the night before we planned to eat it since it needs time to sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld. The late hour didn't exactly help my concentration but I did it with joy because it was for a most deserving fella! And luckily, the fella was a big fan of the cake so it was worth the effort.
As you'll be able to tell from the recipe, there are quite a few parts to this recipe. It's not difficult but there are a few steps so I had to really pay attention to the recipe. I'm not going to confuse the situation by dividing the original recipe in half but I am doubling the recipes for the espresso extract and syrup since this cake really needs the added amount, in my experience.
 |
| Keeping it real: Putting the cake together (and trying not to mess it up) around 9pm |
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The birthday boy seemed to enjoy his surprise so I'm happy! Here's to many more birthday cakes and special days!
Recipe:
Tiramisu Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, original recipe by Dorie Greenspan *
* When I made this cake, I divided the recipe in half to make a two-layer 6-inch cake. It gets extra confusing that way so I'm sticking with a full size here. If you do decide to do what I did, the cake layers take roughly 18 minutes to bake. I made a few small changes to the original recipe. I added almond extract to the cake since I used amaretto liqueur. I am doubling the original amount of espresso extract and syrup because I think the cake needs that additional moisture and flavor.
- For a two-layer 9-inch cake -
For the cake layers:
2 cups (255 grams) cake flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla (8 ml) extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional, if using amaretto)
3/4 cup buttermilk
For espresso extract (used to flavor espresso syrup and frosting)*:
4 tablespoons instant espresso powder
4 tablespoons (60 ml) boiling water
For espresso syrup*:
1 cup (240 ml) water
2/3 cup (130 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) amaretto (that's what I used), Kahlua, or brandy
For filling and frosting:
1 8-ounce (225 grams) container mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 ml) amaretto (that's what I used), Kahlua, or brandy
1 cup (235 ml) cold heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces (70 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Ideas of decorating the cake: unsweetened cocoa powder, dark chocolate shavings, chocolate-covered espresso beans, chocolate perles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pans.
Make cake layers:
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed. Beat in the vanilla. At this point, the mixture may look curdled. On low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 increments, alternating with 2 additions of the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry. Scrape bowl and mix until just incorporated. Divide batter evenly among the two pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula.
Bake until cake is lightly golden, the surface is dry and springs slightly to the touch, and a cake tester comes out clean (28-30 minutes, but check early). Transfer cakes to a wire rack, let cool 5 minutes before running a knife around the edges and turning the cakes out. Remove parchment paper and let cakes cool (right-side up) to room temperature.
Make espresso extract:
Stir espresso powder and boiling water together in a heatproof bowl until combined. Set aside to be incorporated in steps below.
Make espresso syrup:
In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar together. Stir together and bring just to a boil. Pour the sugar syrup into a heatproof bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of the espresso extract and the liqueur. Set aside.
Make filling and frosting:
Put mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and liqueur into a large bowl. Whisk together until just smooth.
Whip heavy cream to firm peaks using the whip attachment of a stand mixer. Using a rubber spatula, stir about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream gently until just combined.
Assembling the cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a serrated knife to trim the bumps to even them. Place one layer, right-side up, onto a cake plate. Tuck a few strips of wax or parchment paper under the sides of the cake to make for easy clean-up. Use a pastry brush or small spoon to soak the layer with about one-third the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer (about 1 1 /4 cups), then gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling.
Place second cake layer onto a work surface or plate. Soak with half of the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the cake over and place over the filling, soaked side down. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup. It will seem like a lot but the cake can take it.
For the frosting that goes on the outside of the cake, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons more of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste to adjust and see if you like more or less extract. The frosting might be a bit too wet/soft to spread at this point. If that's the case, press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface and chill for about 15 minutes. Refrigerate the cake as well.
Spread the frosting around the sides and top of the cake. If decorating the top with chocolate-covered espresso beans or chocolate perles, you can press it onto the cake now. Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours or up to a day in advance before servings so the flavors can meld.
Before serving, you can also dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. Let cake sit at room temperature for about half an hour before serving; it is best served cool.
