I realized just last week that saltedsugaredspeiced.com is beginning its' seventh year! Could this be the blog's lucky year? Maybe. I replaced the occasion for a celebration with a more reflective, retrospective moment. Looking at some of my early photos made me gasp, however, seeing the evolution of my photos caused me to smile. For a completely untrained, non-professional, I feel a bit like a seven year old myself. Still learning, evolving, and making mistakes, yet having moments of prideful accomplishment and growth. Both literally and figuratively, the lens through which I see this blog has changed quite a bit. Not only over the past seven years, but even within the past year. Whether to remain committed to sharing both sweet and savory recipes or to take a deep dive into my real passion (sweet confections) has been something I have wrestled with from the birth of the blog. And I must admit, I still am. But if you asked a seven year old what they wanted to be when they grew up, the answer you get might change from day to day or month to month. So for the time being, I will seek to enjoy remaining in this youthful state of indecisiveness. In the year ahead, I hope you stay with me on my ongoing journey of the discovery of new recipes and new insights into both food and photography.
Do you remember the first time or the last time you had Tiramisu? The Italian coffee-flavored dessert made with Savoiardi ladyfingers, coffee, and mascarpone may or may not go back to the 17th century. Or a version of tiramisu may or may not have been first served in Italian brothels. Or maybe the tiramisu we know today may really have been created in Italy in the 1970s or 1980s and popularized in the states in the 1990s. Regardless of the origins of tiramisu, both it's alluring flavors and sultry name evoke an aura of sexiness. One not typically found in many other desserts. So maybe the popularity of tiramisu doesn't come as any surprise.
This Tiramisu Sponge Cake has all of the flavor elements of the classic tiramisu, but with a few twists. A tender chocolate sponge cake replaces the ladyfingers and coffee liqueur replaces coffee.
If you have instant espresso and caster (or superfine) sugar in your pantry, you more than likely have all of the makings for the cake. If you don't, this sponge cake is reason enough to buy them. As a believer in the power of even small amounts of salt to boost flavor, I added 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt to the dry ingredients as well as rounded up the amount of butter to a full four Tablespoons.
While the ingredients for the cake are ordinary ones, the techniques were a bit different than ones I am most familiar using. Instead of beating the eggs for a relatively short period of time, they are beaten for 12 to 15 minutes (no, that's not a typo) until pale, thick, and tripled in volume. The result is an incredibly voluptuous base. Rather than sifting the flour, cocoa, and baking powder once, they are sifted three times. Whether or not you believe this 'over-sifting' matters or not, it helped when folding in the aerated, incredibly fine, and fluffy flour mixture to the very thick batter base.
The cakes bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 15-18 minutes in six inch cake pans. Once cooled, the cakes are carefully cut in half horizontally. The cut sides of the cake are then brushed liberally with coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlua). Isn't this cake already sounding even more delicious than a traditional tiramisu?
Mascarpone, confectionary sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla are whipped together to make the most luscious, creamiest icing. Be careful not to over beat the mixture or it will become grainy rather than remaining smooth. Note: You might end up with an extra half-cup or so of the icing after you have finished assembling the cake.
Your Tiramisu Sponge Cake can have a naked cake look (like this one) or you can slather the sides of the cake with more of the icing. The ratio of cake to the luscious mascarpone icing is almost 1:1. My idea of cake perfection. Note: Allowing the cake to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight enables its' flavors to deepen.
Until the cake is completely finished you might wonder how it could possibly serve up to 8 people. But it will. Because of the richness of the cake, it's height and the cake to icing ratio, eight slices are more than generous. The Tiramisu Sponge Cake could probably even serve up to 10 people.
This Tiramisu Sponge Cake exemplifies the old adage 'Good things come in small packages'. It's a dinner party, birthday party, getting together with friends gathering, or commemorating a milestone perfect finish to a meal or celebratory occasion. Finished with a light dusting of cocoa and some chocolate covered espresso beans takes to one of those 'drop the mic' cake moments. This cake is everything and more. It's sexy, swoonworthy, and insanely scrumptious.
Tiramisu Sponge Cake (slight adaptation to the Tiramisu Sponge Cake recipe from Donna Hay's cookbook "Modern Baking: Cakes, Cookies and Everything in Between")
Serves 8, possibly 10
Ingredients
Cake
1/2 cup (75 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (110 g) caster or superfine sugar
2 teaspoons good quality instant espresso granules
1 teaspoon boiling water
4 Tablespoons (50 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (See note below)
1/4 to 1/3 cup coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlua)
Mascarpone Cream
3 cups (750 g) mascarpone
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (80 g) confectionary sugar
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
Dutch-processed cocoa for dusting
Optional: Chocolate covered espresso beans
Directions
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray two 6" baking pans with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt three times. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed for 12-15 minutes or until pale, thick and tripled in volume.
4. Combine the coffee and water in a small bowl. Mix to combine.
5. Blend the butter and coffee mixture to the egg/sugar mixture on low speed.
6. Fold the sifted flour mixture into the batter in two batches.
7. Divide the batter equally between the two baking pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cakes are springy to the touch and edges begin to come away from the sides of the pans. Remove from oven and set on wire racks. After 5 minutes, turn out onto the racks and let cool completely.
8. When cool, use a serrated knife to carefully cut the cakes in half horizontally.
9. Brush the coffee liqueur over the cut sides of the cakes.
Mascarpone Cream and Assembly
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone cream on medium speed just until blended.
2. Add in the whipping cream, confectionary sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is thickened and spreadable.
3. Place one of the cakes, cut side up, on a cake plate or platter. Spread with 1 cup of the mascarpone cream. Repeat the layering 3 more times with the cake and mascarpone cream.
4. Use remaining mascarpone cream to spread on sides of the cake or pipe on top of the cake. Note: You will still have a little of the mascarpone cream left over.
5. Lightly sift some of the Dutch-processed cocoa over the top of the cake. Decorate with the chocolate covered espresso beans, if using.
6. Chill for several hours before serving. Store any leftovers lightly covered in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter is slightly more than 50g. (2) The finished size of the cake is 6" x 4 1/2" (3) The original recipe called for the use of 18 cm (or 7 inch) cake pans. I used 6 inch pans with great success. (4) I added 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt to the cake batter to ramp up the cake's flavor. (5) Cake can be made one day ahead. (6) Next time I make this cake I will use up to 1/3 cup of the Kahlua so it's flavor has a stronger presence in the cake.
