Eggless Tiramisu Cake

Tiramisu,the name itself evokes a sense of wanting doesn't it?After a long long wait,I finally tasted my first Tiramisu a couple of days back.I have come across the name on many different menus across restaurants in Chennai but was apprehensive to try.I didn't want the first impression to be a damp squib.After hearing quite a number of good reviews,I had mine at The Pasta Bar Veneto and fell in love with it.

Remember the Tiramisu Cake we baked a while back?I wanted to try it again coz I am yet to muster up courage to make the real deal.Making Mascarpone cheese at home is such an easy task that you tend to forgive the gourmet stores who do not stock up on it:).I decided to go eggless this time.So an Eggless Tiramisu cake it is,even though it sounds like an Oxymoron for sure:)

The first part is making the sponge cakes.I made the never-fail eggless sponge cake recipe which I've tried here.Of course,making Mascarpone cheese on your own is only for us deprived souls who do not get to buy it off the shelves.But let me tell you,it is so worth it!

 Eggless Tiramisu Cake Recipe
(Original recipe from Baking From My Home To Yours)

Ingredients

For the Cake(Double the recipe or bake two cakes.I made one plain cake and one with Coffee flavor)

All purpose flour – 1¼ cups

Cornflour - ¼ cup

Thick curd – 1 cup

Sugar – ¾ cup
Refined oil – ½ cup
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – ½ tsp
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Method(Check out step by step for the Chocolate version here)

Preheat oven to 180C.

Grease an 9’ round cake tin.
Beat together sugar and curds well.
Add baking powder and baking soda,mix well and keep aside for 2-3 minutes.
Bubbles will start appearing on top-add oil and vanilla essence and beat well.
Mix in the flour 1 tbsp at a time and make a smooth batter.

I added a tsp of cocoa powder to 1/3 of the batter and then swirled it together with the yellow batter for a marbled effect.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the espresso extract:

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons boiling water

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

For the espresso syrup:

½ cup water

1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy[I skipped this,added a tsp of Vanilla essence instead]
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 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.

For the filling and frosting:

1 8-ounce container mascarpone (store-bought or homemade)½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy[I skipped this]
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 ½ ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about ½ cup store-bought mini chocolate chips[I used chopped chocolate]

Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur 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.

To assemble the cake:

If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. 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 – user about 1 1/4 cups – and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso 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 sides of the cake and over the top.Stick chopped chocolate pieces on the sides and do a doodle design on top if desired.I piped some swirls with some chocolate ganache.
 
Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving – the elements need time to meld.

I know the recipe can fill up pages,but if you attempt each element on its own,it is not so difficult.Only a matter of making a sponge and the filling,that's it,easy isn't it?Hope you try this piece of heaven,it truly is!