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A Vanilla Tiramisu Cake…for your weekend baking. Vanilla-infused sour cream cake swirled with chocolate chunks and soaked in sweet coffee syrup. This cake is no fuss, easy to mix up, and SO DELICIOUS! Every bite is layered with chocolate and moist coffee-soaked vanilla cake crumbs. Finish the cake with the creamiest whipped mascarpone frosting and a heavy dusting of cocoa powder for that classic tiramisu finish. Bonus? It’s simpler to make than you’d think, and so very pretty…with very little effort.
Happy Friday guys! We made it to the end of the week, and are also to the end of January! It’s crazy that tomorrow is the last day of the month and that we’re already making our way through 2021.
I guess this could be looked at as a celebratory cake! Maybe you’ve stuck with your New Year’s resolutions…or maybe you’ve broken them all. Either way, we’re going to celebrate with tiramisu. Because really, why not?! These are odd times, with lots of downtime at home…so let’s eat cake!
The inspiration.
This recipe started out completely different. But then I remembered about the tiramisu cupcakes that I have in the very first HBH cookbook. And the sound of a cake made with the flavors of a classic Tiramisu was just too good. So I switched gears a bit and created this cake. Normally desserts take me a while to test and re-test, but this one was perfect the very first time around.
Love when that happens! It just means this dessert was really meant to be shared!
The funny thing is that I have yet to make a classic tiramisu, that will be next! For now, this cake is the perfect quick fix when craving something sweet and creamy like a classic Tiramisu. It might just be better! That coffee-soaked vanilla cake with that very generous layer of mascarpone cream.
So super simple. And so insanely delicious.
I cannot wait to tell you guys about it. This cake is SO GOOD.
(frosting on cake)
Here is how you make the cake.
Surprisingly, this Vanilla Tiramisu Cake is actually really simple to make. Cream some butter with a touch of sugar. Then add eggs and sour cream.
Now, the sour cream is KEY. You can also use Greek yogurt, but I’ve decided that sour cream will give you the best flavor and the most amount of moisture too. This is just my second time baking with sour cream and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite ingredients to bake with. It’s a game-changer and I’m just a little bit obsessed.
Once all the wet ingredients have been mixed. Simply beat in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Then stir in lots of chocolate chunks. You can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate here, but the key is to give the chunks a good chopping before adding to the batter. You want them to be lightly swirled throughout the cakes, so small pieces are best.
And now you bake this up in a good ole’ cake pan. Nothing too fancy. I am sure you could also do cupcakes too, which would be very cute!
Onto the coffee glaze.
The way tiramisu is made is by dipping ladyfingers in coffee. For this cake, I make a sweetened coffee glaze and brush it over the top of the cake after baking. The glaze slowly sinks into the cake, creating a creamy, moist, and delicious coffee-infused cake crumb.
It. Is. SO GOOD!
Now that frosting…
If you LOVE tiramisu, you know that a classic tiramisu is really all about that oh so creamy and thick layer of mascarpone. It’s essential to a GOOD tiramisu. So, to keep that flavor and texture, I made a simple whipped mascarpone frosting.
It’s just mascarpone cheese whipped with cream and a touch of vanilla. Seems so easy and simple, but do not let that fool you. It makes for the creamiest frosting, and is just perfect atop this cake.
Every bite of this cake is filled with sweet vanilla flavors. And the whipped mascarpone cream on top is that final extra special touch that really elevates this cake above others. Trust me, I know this is different, but it’s different in a very delicious way.
This cake is perfect for just about any occasion as well…like when you’re in need of a sweet cake to bake up over the weekend! It’s COLD out, so stay inside and do a little weekend baking. Trust me, you will be a happier person because of it.
Looking for more quick wintery desserts? Here are a few to try:
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Lastly, if you make this Vanilla Tiramisu Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Vanilla Tiramisu Cake
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 563 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup brewed very strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
Frosting
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone or cream cheese, at room temperate
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. 2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the sour cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.3. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the center is just set. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert the cake onto a plate, flip it back over onto a serving plate. Let cool.4. In a small saucepan, combine the coffee, rum, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and honey. Bring to a boil over high heat, boil 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool slightly. Brush the top of the cake with coffee syrup, repeating until all syrup has been used. Allow the cake to absorb the liquid for 30 minutes.5. Using an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone/cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream and whip until soft peaks form. Add the honey and vanilla. Whip once more until combined. Dollop frosting onto the cake. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving. Cake will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Notes
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
This post was originally published on January 29, 2021
Is the coffee taste strong? My kids aren’t a fan of coffee flavor. Any sub for the coffee in the syrup?
Thanks!
Hey Jen,
Yes, the coffee really comes through in a tiramisu, it is really the essence of the cake. I suppose you could skip the coffee or make a vanilla syrup in its place. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! I’m currently baking this and it smells amazing! I started glazing it and the top is getting a bit soggy looking — I should continue to use all the glaze right? Like is this to be expected or should I maybe cool the glaze more?
Thanks!
Hey Sonali,
Yes, the glaze is meant to soak into the cake making it moist. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks amazing! I am wanting to make this for a birthday and do a layered cake. If I double the recipe, would it work to layer? Thanks!
Hey Brandy.
Yes, I think that would work well for you! I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Is there any possible substitute for the honey?
Hey Lorr,
You could use maple syrup in place of the honey. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Which kosher salt do you use, Red Diamond or Morton’s. Since the Red Diamond is pure it is stronger so I like to check.
Hey Diane,
I use Morton’s salt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
You said your recipe for the tiramisu cupcakes is in you first cookbook
Can you send it to me?
I researched it and cannot find it anywhere.
Hey Maureen,
Sorry the recipe is exclusive to the cookbook:) I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi there! Would it be ok to use an 8×8 baking pan for this? Thank you!
Hey Sasha,
Yes, that will work well for this recipe. I hope you love the cake, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I printed out the recipe when it said 375, but baked it at 350. I used mini chocolate chips, instead of chunks in the batter and sprinkled mini chocolate chips on top as well. It was delicious and pretty easy to make.
Hey Pat,
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks a lot for giving it a try and happy Sunday! xTieghan
This looks delicious! I am going to try the recipe with an egg substitute I use for my daughter who can’t eat eggs (1 1/2 tbsp. water, 1 1/2 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. baking powder per egg). I hope it turns out well because I can’t wait to eat this!
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks so much, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I just made the cake and it’s in the oven, but when I went to check something in your recipe I noticed you changed the baking temperature from 375 to 350. I know this because I printed out the recipe initially and it’s different from the present one. Why the change? Also, the 1/4 cup of chocolate- did you mean a 1/4 or 4 ounces of chocolate? I added about 1/2 cup because the 1/4 seemed too scant.
Hey Liza,
Sorry the 375 was a typo, you will want to bake at 350. All of the other ingredients listed are correct:) Let me know how the cake turns out! xTieghan
Hi, your recipes are wonderful, tasty and I have tried a LOT of them. I was searching through your My Top 10 Go To Recipes and tried to access and searched for the 3 Ingredient Blue Cheese Appetizer but it was nowhere to be found. Please keep up what you are doing, because it’s great!
Hey Gayland,
Thanks so much for reading along, so sorry that recipe is not online it is located in the HBH cookbook. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do i cool cake completely before brushing on coffee syrup or can cake be slightly warm?
Hey Princess,
The cake can still be slightly warm. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could I make this as cupcakes instead? Would anything change?
Hey Tara,
I think these would be great as cupcakes, I would reduce your baking time and start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I’m thinking of making these into cupcakes so they’re easier to transport. What would you recommend for baking time and temp?
Hey Jess,
I would reduce your bake time and start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks delicious! Do you think an almond flour or all-purpose gluten free flour would work in this recipe?
Hey Janet,
I think an equal amount of GF flour will work well here. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan