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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
i see the recipe changed – is it 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup of mascarpone in the frosting?
Hey Mac,
You will want to use 1/2 cup of mascarpone for the frosting. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, I don’t have a stand mixer which is why I never make a tiramisu as you have to whisk the cheese quite vigorously. Could I make this cake without a stand mixer?
Hey there,
Yes, you can easily make this cake by hand. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this cake for a dessert tonight and it didn’t turn out as I’d hoped. The cake had more of a spongy, pudding-cake consistency to it, and the flavour of the syrup only really permeated the top half centimetre of the cake. I wouldn’t make again, but this would’ve been very good if I’d used a vanilla cake box mix and then added the syrup on top of that, Just needs to be a bit fluffier.
Hey Anne,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Any advice on cook time to make this into standard sized cupcakes?
Hey Laurynn,
I would check for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can use some help. I made the cake and it looked great but it was very dense. I followed the directions as listed. I was thinking I may have over mixed the batter? Any thoughts?
Hey Sara,
Sorry to hear your cake was dense. Yes, over mixing can cause this. Was your baking powder fresh? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I made this on Sunday and I am just finishing up the last slice now. DELICIOUS. My dad doesn’t like coffee so I made a syrup out of bourbon, brown sugar, and vanilla to use in place of the coffee syrup and it was AMAZING. Highly recommend if you have anyone who is coffee-adverse. I will definitely be making this again as it was VERY simple to put together and still very tasty.
Hey Kimiyo,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This is the first cake I’ve ever made from scratch – it was surprisingly easy and so delicious! Not too sweet and all of the flavors came together nicely. I’ll be making this again soon!
Hey Meghan,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hi, I tried twice first worked and delicious even my batter looked crumbled after I add cold yogurt. I also mistakenly used baking soda instead baking powder.
My boyfriend loved it so tried it again with room temperature yogurt and baking powder. The batter looked perfect but didn’t rise at all and failed.
I want to try again cozy boyfriend really loved first one.
When you make this you use room temperature yogurt and batter looks completely mixed? And also really use baking powder?
THX
Hey Otto,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Yes, that is correct:) xTieghan
Can you please let me know what is the ratio if coffee to water for strong coffee using instant coffee and using nescafe espresso powder please
Hi Marlon! I would use 1/3 cup hot water and 2 teaspoons instant coffee. That will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
How would you suggest adding rum (or kahlúa?!) to the icing? Making this for a micro Mardi Gras bash and using Café Du Monde coffee to turn it into a little bit of NOLA ???. So excited to try!
Hey Lauren,
I would just add a little splash in:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks great! I’m planning on making it for Valentine’s Day, what would the ratio be if I want to switch the flour to almond or coconut flour? Which one would be better?
Thanks!
Hey Nadia,
I would use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just made this after dreaming about it for days and it did not disappoint. This is also the first cake I make from scratch & it was so delicious! Highly recommend. Don’t skip out on the rum if you can!
Hey Gaby,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This cake was so easy to make, and really did taste yummy! Personally I would note that once refrigerated, make sure it comes back to room temperature before eating again. Let the dense cake soften up after being cold!
Hey Allie,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I hope it is good, in the process of making it right now. Grouping the different layers and the ingredients would have made the recipe easier to follow.
Hey Ellen,
Hope it’s delish! xTieghan
I made the cake yesterday and have the following comments:
Watch the cooking time to prevent it from being too dry. The coffee syrup amount is not enough by far and I would triple it to get a moist Tiramisu like cake and adding the flavor. I have added Amaretto instead of Rhum and I stirred the honey right into the freshly made hot Espresso saving the step to boil up the mixture, hence dirtying another pot. Next time, I would also cut this into layers and triple the amount of yummy frosting to get a more moist result. So, a nice base but needs to be improved a touch to get the Italian dolce vita feeling. Just had a slice with tea and yes, it improves the next day.
Hey Steph,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan