Monday 4 May 2009

Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

I spent the first twenty years of my life without celebrating my birthdays. There were no parties and no birthday cakes.

When I was still very young, I used to envy my friends and classmates whenever they showed me photos of them when they were barely toddlers...standing behind a birthday cake. No, don't get me wrong, even without any birthday parties, I had a wonderful childhood...I would even think I am way better off as compared to my kids. I spent most of my time playing as we had so much free time. School homework were unheard of during those days and there were no such things as enrichment classes! My childhood days were fully enriched with the time spent at the playgrounds and the fields :)


I probably had two or three birthday cakes for the subsequent 10 to 18 years of my life. My friends bought me my first birthday cake. I remembered it was an ice cream cake from Swensons.

It was only after I embarked on my baking journey that I started having birthday cakes on a regular basis. That's because I made the cakes myself ;) It was with mixed feelings that I made my first birthday cake. The excitement worn off when I attempted the second one. This year, I only decided to make a cake just so that I could use it as an opportunity to test out the tiramisu torte recipe again. Yes, the previous two attempts were not as satisfactory...the cakes were delicious...the only thing was, the sponge cake layers floated above the cheese fillings!!


I made this Tiramisu Charlotte Cake this year. This must be the most presentable cake I have ever made, or rather, I have ever had on my birthday. I have always wanted to make a pretty and very very girlish cake. I guess my wish had finally came true...and you will be surprised at how easy this can be accomplished.


I decided at the last minute not to go back to the same tiramisu recipe which I had attempted twice. I didn't want to go through the hassles of making the sponge cake layers and the zabaglione. I googled using the key words 'easy tiramisu' and out came this video clip of Gorden Ramsey whipping up an awesome version of this Italian dessert. Then, I searched using another set of key words 'tiramisu birthday cake' and I was brought to several blogs featuring a tiramisu cake recipe by Dorie Greenspan, it looks 'simple' enough as it also doesn't require making the zabaglione. With my past two hands-on experience with making tiramisu, I tried to mix and match the two recipes and came out with my own version.


There is no baking required as I used store-bought sponge fingers. It was really a time-saver. Although I have not tried making any homemade sponge fingers, I would think these ready-made ones are not anyway less inferior in taste, and that was base on the fact that both my kids actually save the sponge fingers for the last! In case you ask, I used this brand (Vicenzi) of sponge fingers, and for the locals, you can get it from Carrefour or Cold Storage. It comes in a pack of 24 sponge fingers, and the quantity is just enough for this cake.


To me, the most tricky part of putting together a tiramisu cake is the timing to dip the sponge fingers in the espresso syrup. It has to be done within one second so that they will not get soggy. I accidentally dropped the first sponge finger into the espresso syrup and it was totally soaked within a few seconds.

It was a fabulous cake, rich and finger-licking good. It certainly picked-me-up especially on a day when I have to unwilling acknowledge and accept my advancing years ;)



Tiramisu Charlotte Cake


Ingredients:
(makes a 7" cake)

Espresso Syrup:
1 tablespoon instant espresso/ strong coffee powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) boiling water
1 tablespoon Marsala (I used Baileys Irish Cream)

Filling:
250g mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons Marsala (I used Baileys Irish Cream)
1 cup (250 ml) heavy/whipping cream

about 24 sponge fingers (savoiardi)
50g dark chocolate

cocoa powder, to dust
dark and white chocolate shavings (optional)
strawberries for decoration (optional)


Method:

To make the Espresso Syrup:
Dissolve instant espresso coffee powder, sugar in boiling water. Leave to cool. Stir in 1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream. Set aside.

To make the Filling:
In a mixing bowl, with a manual whisk, whisk mascarpone cheese with icing sugar, vanilla extract, Baileys Irish Cream and 3 tablespoons of the espresso syrup until blended.

With an electric mixer whisk the whipping cream until soft peak (do not over whip). With a spatula, fold in 1/4 of the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture.

To assemble the cake:
Cut off one end of the sponge fingers so that each one is about 3" in length. Line the sides of a 7" round baking pan* (with a removable base or use a springform pan) with the sponge fingers (do not dip them in the espresso syrup). You will need about 17 sponge fingers (depending on the type/brand). If the last sponge finger cannot fit in nicely, trim away part of it to fit it in. Save the leftover small pieces.

One at a time, gently dip (do not soak) sponge fingers in the espresso syrup and use them to line the base of the pan. Cut the sponge fingers into shorter lengths if necessary. Use the leftover pieces to fill the gaps.

Spoon over half of the filling. Spread evenly. Grate the dark chocolates over the filling. Repeat with another layer of sponge fingers and spoon over the remaining filling. Spread and smooth the top. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, best left overnight.

Just before serving, unmold the cake and dust the top with cocoa powder. Decorate with dark and white chocolate shavings and strawberries (as desired).

(*Note: If you do not have a springform pan or a pan with a removable base, you can improvise by lining a normal round pan with a large sheet of aluminium foil. Give allowance of about 1~2 inches for the foil to hang over the rim of the pan. Place a cake board inside the lined pan. Follow the steps above. To unmold, simply lift up the cake from the pan by gripping the foil. Transfer the cake onto a serving plate and carefully remove the foil. )

139 comments:

Kitchen Corner said...

Very very pretty cake! I believe that you are very happy with that. Keep on!

Small Small Baker said...

That's a gorgeous cake you made for yourself! Wishing you good health, luck and happiness.

Happy birthday, my dear friend! ^_^

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

wah, your tiramisu cake look so tempting to me, great job and well done.

Yuri said...

Happy Birthday HHB! That's a really pretty birthday cake :)

Ming said...

Awesome... another great masterpiece from you I'll say.

Happy Birthday!!!

celine said...

Happy Belated (?) Birthday, HHB. May God bless you richly in terms of health and happiness.

BTW your cake looks awesome, and I am sure it taste yummy too.

One silly question. When you spoon the filling into the sponge fingers, would it leak out, between the gaps of the sponge fingers?

Happy Homebaker said...

dear All, thanks for your well wishes :)

Hi Skinnymum,
That's a very valid question you have asked. It was the same question I had in mind when I first tried making a charlotte cake :)

The filling will fill up the tiny gaps, but it will not leak out from the pan. The consistency of this filling is quite thick and it will firm up further after chilling.

Family First said...

This looks absolutely gorgeous! Maybe I can try this for Mothers' Day!

Honey Bee Sweets said...

What a sweet looking cake! Happy Birthday to you HHB from HBS! ;)

Parita said...

A very happy birthday to you...the cake looks gorgeous...i love tiramisu and will try this cake soon:)

Happy Flour said...

Hi Happy Home Baking,

Happy Belated Birthday. This is a very gorgeous cake. :)

Shandy said...

I am in love with this cake. How gorgeous and Happy Birthday! I really hope you are happy with this one because all I can see is perfection from the pictures =).

Esther said...

Wishing you a Healthy & Happy Birthday HHB! :-)
Hope your birthday is a fruitful & meaningful one.
Your cake is gorgeous & yummy, how I wish I can have a bite on it ;-p

Cuisine Paradise said...

Hi HHB,

This is a very nice Birthday Cake... better than store bought.. :)

Wish you all the best!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

p/s: is it possible for me to xchange email with u...s i got some thing to check with u.. :) do drop me an email if it is possible. thanks

Angel @ Cook.Bake.Love said...

Hi HHB,

Happy belated birthday!!

This is such a gorgeous and delicious looking cake, very tempting.

U have motivated me to attend to this cake but first I must get a cake ring or springform cake pan.

Just to share. i attended Phoon Huat demo class on Tiramisu cake, the recipe calls for brady/rum or coffee liquor. At that time I didn't have any of these at home so I asked the teacher if I could reply it by Bailey's Irish cream and the answer was NO. I was puzzled but didn't ask further for the reason.

I guess it's alright to use Bailey since u are using it.

Katherine said...

i really love how you make everything seem so effortless and easy... i'll definitely will try out your recipe. and one more thing...more candles on the cake = more wiser each year! =)

Kristie said...

Hi mummy!

I was just looking for an easy tiramisu recipe for Mother's Day and here you just posted one, it looks easy enough. I'm going to bake one for my mum and myself :)

thanks!

b said...

happy birthday happy home baker :D

温馨小屋 said...

your tiramisu look so pretty....
Happy birthday to u !!

ann low said...

Happy Birthday to you and wish you all the best. this is a pretty cake!

Wendy said...

Hi HHB, I have just been introduced to your blog recently. Awesome website, awesome recipes.

I have a question abt bread. You usually stop and restart the machine when the kneading cycle of the BM machine has stopped. I couldn't get my machine to start again after stopping it at this stage. Have to wait to 15 min b4 it can start. Do you hv this problem?

My bread is always very dense and heavy even though I follow your recipe closely. Any idea why is this so?

Anne said...

The cake is beautiful :-) Happy Birthday!

Elyn said...

Very sweet and pretty cake! Very presentable too! I'm sure it must be very delicious too! Happy Birthday!!

Aimei said...

Happy Birthday HHB!! It was a really pretty, girlish cake. ;)

quizzine said...

Hi HHB,
Happy birthday! The tiramisu charlotte cake look so so yummy! I've got a bottle of bailey irish cream and i'm gonna try this out!

Maria said...

Fantastic cake! Compliments for your blog! Greetings, Maria

Para i familiaku said...

WOW! What a georgeous cake. I have attempted a tiramisu before and it tasted good but did not come out as pretty as yours. I will try your recipe, thanks for posting it! Happy Belated Birthday! Come visit my blog... www.taotaotasi.blogspot.com

Happy Homebaker said...

Dear ALL, thanks again for your lovely comments :):)

Hi Family First, It would be a lovely cake for Mother's Day :D

Hi Parita, I hope you have fun making this cake :)

Dear Ellena, I have sent you a Flickr email, hope you have received it :)

Hi Cook.Bake.Love, I do not have a cake ring, so I use a pan with removeable base which I bought from Phoon Huat. I delayed making Tiramisu for a long time as I am concerned about serving the cake to my kids. It was only after I was assured that Bailey has got a very much milder taste that I used it to replace RUM or Brandy. Since this is just a homemade cake, we can choose to decide what goes in it. Unless you are making it for sale, then I would think it is best to stick to the original recipe. However, I read about the origin of Tiramisu, it was actually meant for children and the elderly, there are no liquor in it! See here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiramisu).

Hi Katherine, it is because I lack the skills that's why you will find that most of the things that I make are quite fool-proof and easy ;)

Hi Kristie, I hope you have fun making this cake!

Hi Wendy, thanks for dropping by. I bought my bread machine 2 years ago, probably it is a old model, and I didnt have the problem of start/restart again. I have readers telling me they faced the same problem as you. I am not sure what was the reason behind the dense and heavy bread. As there are many factors affecting the outcome, you may want to elaborate more on how you go about making it? Did you use the full cycle of the bread machine to bake the bread? Did you allow the dough to proof till it doubles in volume? Is the measurement of the ingredients correct? What about the type of yeast you use? and also which recipe did you try out, I can try to see whether I can help you to find out the causes.

Hi Quizzine, I hope you will like this cake :)

FL Mom said...

Yummy, wonderful looking cake. Just like something from a gourmet magazine.

Happy birthday, la. Well, I'd be happy to celebrate any birthday with you knowing there will be delicious baked goodies. :)

thecoffeesnob said...

This is just gorgeous! Happy birthday, BBH!

May said...

What a beautiful cake this is. You are really an amazing baker.
Happy Birthday!

May said...

What a beautiful cake this is. You are really an amazing baker.
Happy Birthday!

Anonymous said...

Hey there..
Really like dat buffdae cake(:
&& i really love to view ur blog cause every week there will always be a new creations. Keep up da gd work!!

Do you take any order??

xx said...

wooooow!! this cake looks delicious!!!!! I think that I would repeat twice or more!! hahaha
Congratulatioons!!!

Wendy said...

Hi there. I tried your honey bun recipe. Followed your portion of ingredients and steps, except I hv to wait for 15 min to restart the machine.Do you know the correct way to test if the dough is well proof?

When I first use the machine, using the recipe in the manual book, the bread came out to be heavy and dense too. Adding more water didn't help.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Your cake looks so pro and pretty! Really envy you for your ability in creating such nice cakes. I made a birthday cake using your recipe for my hubby weeks ago. It looks rather ok, but as the sponge cake was not really spongy, I gave myself a low score. Nevertheless, I must thank you once again for sharing your recipes.

Zhi Wen said...

Belated happy birthday! This must be the prettiest cake I have ever seen... what a great idea to bake your own, I may bake one too on my own b-day next month :-)

Angel @ Cook.Bake.Love said...

Hi HHB,

Thanks for sharing the fact but I still prefer tiramusu with liquor. haha.

sherlyn said...

I am sure I am late. Happy Belated Birthday. That is certainly another great cake from you.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Wendy, since your bread machine doesn't allow you to restart immediately, you may want to knead by hand instead of letting the dough sit around?
To test whether the dough is well proof, you can use the recommended proofing time as a guide, and estimate whether the dough has doubled in bulk. Then, you can press the dough with the tip of your finger (flour your finger first) lightly and quickly about 1/2 inch into the dough. If the indent stays, the dough is doubled and is ready to be shaped. If the indent disappears, let it continue to proof. If the dough collapse, it means it has over-proof.
I have not tried any of the recipes in the instruction manual so I am not able to comment it. Hope this helps :)

Hi Anonymous, it is the thought that counts. I am sure your skills will improve in no time :)

Anonymous said...

Dear HHB,

Happy birthday! That is a wonderful looking cake, and I bet equally delicious too!

- Jackie

Pei-Lin said...

Dear HHB,

Happy belated birthday! It's a very, very pretty charlotte indeed. Haven't talked to you for a long time. How've you and your family been? Hope all are well with you.

Regards,
Pei-Lin

Baking Fiend said...

Happy Belated Birthday!

The cake looks awesome.. and now u're putting ideas into my head!

BTW, you can just brush the expresso syrup onto the fingers instead of dipping them.

Talita said...

Beautiful! Awesome! This charlotte looks really amazing!

Quinn said...

Happy Belated Birthday to you HHB!
I'm so gonna make this for my boyfriend's birthday this May!
Thanks for inspiring!

Quinn said...

HHB,
Can I assemble this in an 8'' round pan?
Do I have to up the recipe by 1.5x?
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB

Happy belated bday to you!
This cake looks store bought! how i wish i can try this recipe one day but need to get my hands on a bottle of baileys first...
regards
octopusmum

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Baking Fiend, thanks for the useful tip :D

Hi Quinn, you can use an 8" pan without adjusting the amount, the only thing is, your cake will be a little 'shorter', by about 20%. Maybe you can cut the sponge fingers (those lined at the sides) a little shorter, say by half an inch to balance off.

Hi Octopusmum, you don't have to use baileys, you can use other type of coffee liquor or Rum or even brandy.

Apricot said...

Hi HHB,
Happy belated bday to you ! Your cakes are awesome. I cannot bake to your standard ! Do you bake and sell to people ? Can consider, pls. I need one for my twins's bday in July.

Smiley Baker said...

Hi,
I have been visiting your blog quite frequently. I enjoy reading it. Thanks for sharing your recipes and I think you just gave me an idea of what to 'bake' this mother's day. Happy Mother's day!

Prego81 said...

Wow!!! It look beautiful & yummy! It's always a joy reading your blog. Thanks for sharing the recipes.
Happy Belated Birthday...

Kristie said...

Hi mummy,

Can you taste Baileys inside your cake when you eat it?

I thought of getting a small bottle of rum just to flavour it up... Initially I just planned to go without coffee liquer, but am not sure whether the taste of the cake will be flat! Does it make a big difference if I omit coffee liquer?

said...

PERFECT!!!!!!!!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi SweetPerfectio, Apricot, thanks for your comments, no I don't bake for sale...I am not qualified :)

Hi Kristie, yes I can taste the Baileys. Do use coffee liquor or rum. It does make a difference.

Kristie said...

thanks mummy :) I will be attempting to make this cake today with rum, cheers! Will share later!

agapejen said...

Just to share that I have made Tiramisu without using Bailey or any liquor or rum. I actually made 2 versions, one I added Bailey, the other I only use coffee. The latter is for children and actually both tasted equally good.

poisonkizzer said...

I'm going to use your recipe to make a cake for my mum since its mothers' day and your cake looks really awesome.

But I have some questions to ask -
Is it okay if I substitute mascarpone cheese with philadelphia cream cheese? And will the cake still taste the same without marsala or Baileys Irish cream?

Please reply asap (: Thank you so much. Happy belated birthday!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi poisonkizzer, sorry I just read your comments, hope it is not too late to reply. For a tiramisu, it is best to use mascarpone cheese. It will not be the same if you were to use Philadelphia cream cheese. You can choose to omit the liquor, but again, it will not taste like a tiramisu. Hope this helps.

Poisonkizzer said...

Hello again :D Thanks for replying. In the end, I used mascarpone cheese. It tasted good though I used a square pan instead of a circle one (*regrets*) and I skipped on the liquor. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Missy said...

wow 59 comments!! amazing!
your cake really looks so lovely!You can set up your own Happy Home Baking cake shop! kudos!

Baking gal said...

Hi HHB,

I just started baking about 3 months ago and am so glad I found your blog. The cakes here are always amazing! I tried out this Tiramisu Charlotte for Mother's day and it was so well received! Thank you so so much!

Sophie said...

This would make a beautiful birthday cake :)!

KWF said...

Happy Belated Birthday, HHB! Sorry this came a bit late. :) The cake looks lovely, as usual. I would very much love to meet up with u one of these days.

said...

I did this charllote! It´s amazing! I loved it!

Fayette said...

Hi,

May I ask whether the amount of heavy/whipping cream you state is before whipping or after whipping?
Thanks.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Fayette, the amount of cream is before whipping.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Can I use a 20cm cake pan with a removable base ?

And also should I put the cardbase in the cake pan as well since its a non bake cake ?

Thankyou for your advise.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, you can use a 20cm cake pan, just note that the height of the finished cake may not be as tall. Since you are using a pan with a removable base, it won't be necessary to use a cake board...I serve the cake with the removable base, hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

your blog is so nice! I would like to do this cake for my bf's bdae coming up in early Aug...n i'm so excited to see that this tiramisu (which is one of my fave cake) requires no baking. I've always wanted to do baking but never got a chance to cos I don't have an oven at home. So you would imagine how great this recipe is for me! Really grateful for sharing!

Anyway, I got some questions here, hope you can advise:
1. What brand of mascarpone cheese do you use?
2. For the liquor, am I right to say if I use Bailey's Irish Cream for the syrup, I should use the same for Filling too? Which taste better (Rum/Bailey)?
3. Your ingredient listed 50g dark chocolate - is this for the grating part inside the cake? If so, is this different from chocolate shavings on top of the cake?
4. What brand of dark chocolate do you use?

many thanks!
m.y.

Wong said...

Hi Happy Homebaker,
May I know where can I get vanilla extract?
If this is not easily available, can I substitute with vanilla essence? What is the different between these 2?

I plan to make this cake this coming Sat. Hope to hear from you soon.

Kristie said...

Hi HHB,

Just want to let you know that I've made this cake with success last month for Mother's Day and everyone loved it! Hope you won't mind that I've included this recipe in my blog, have quoted this source too.

Cheers :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi m.y.

1. I cant remember the brand, there are only two brands available at either Cold Storage or Carrefour. I usually get any one that is available.
2. Yes, use one type of liquor for both the syrup and filling. Sorry, I have not tried with Rum so I am not able to comment on it.
3. The 50g of dark chocolates is only for the inside. You need some extra for dusting the top.
4. For this cake I used Lindt which was I had on hand. You can use any brand that you like. Hope this helps.

Hi Wong, you can get vanilla extract from baking supply store such as Phoon Huat or Sun Lik. You can substitute with vanilla essence. I did a search on the differences, you can read about it here (http://www.joyofbaking.com/Vanilla.html)
Hope this helps.

Wong said...

Thanks Happy Homebaker for the info. Hope I am able to come out one as nice as you posted here. This cake is meant for my 9th wedding anniversary. :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Wong, Happy Wedding Anniversary!!! I am sure you can come up with a gorgeous cake :D

m.y. said...

Hi HHB,

thanks for getting back on my questions earlier. I have a few more doubts here:

1. May i know the brand of the whipping cream you used?
2. For the mascarpone cheese mixture, should it appear creamy & wet or thick & fluffly?
3. After whisking the whipping cream, I noticed your folding in of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture is broken into 2parts, first 1/4, then the rest. May I know why is this so?
4. "Laying out the soaked sponge fingers to line the base of the pan" - does it mean to form the bottom soaked sponge fingers at the bottom of the cake so as to house the fillings?
5. For the Lindt chocolate you mentioned (for the grating inside the fillings), am I right to assume these are the normal chocs off the shelves of supermkt? Cos I know there are some choc blocks meant for cooking only, though I am not sure if the normal ones which we eat can be used for cooking too.

Kindly advise. Sorry for asking such silly questions, cos i'm really new to cake-making, and would really appreciate some advice from experts like you.

many thanks!
m.y.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi m.y.
1. I used the brand 'Bulla'.
2. It should appear creamy with a thin consistency.
3. As the whipping cream is thicker in consistency compared to the cheese mixture, for easy blending, it is easier to mix a portion of it first.
4. Yes, the sponge fingers is used as the base. You can go a search on youtube, there are many demo videos on how to go about making a tiramisu.
5. It is not necessary to use baking chocolates as there is no melting required for this cake. Howeever, for certain baking recipes you will need to use baking chocolate. To know more about chocolates, you can go to this site: baking911.com or joyofbaking.com
I am no expert in baking, my knowledge is very limited as I have not attended any baking course or workshop, so I can speak based on my experience. Hope this helps :)

Wong said...

Thank you Happy Homebaker :)
I just put the cake into the fridge and will do the deco tomorrow morning. Just now I put some filing into my mouth and it tasted great. I used a heart shape tin instead of round. I am very sure this will be another well recieved cake among family and friends! Btw, am i right to dip the second layer of sponge finger with the espresso too?
Once again i want to thank you for sharing recipes and your baking experiences here.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Wong, yesm you will need to dip the second layer of sponge fingers with the espresso syrup too. I hope you and your family members enjoyed the cake :)

Wong said...

It was so delicious! I used a heart shape cake tin and it turned out sooo sweet n pretty with the ribbon. Now i recieved "order" from good friend said she want me to make one on her birhtday :)

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB

All your bakes look wonderful!

Can i check with you, noted that there is no gelatin required in this recipe. Will the cake be too soft?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, no the cake will not be too soft. Just make sure the cream is well whipped, and chill the cake well before serving, best is to leave it overnight to set.

Huiqi said...

hi HHB,

this cake looks really lovely! may i know where i can get Bailey Irish Cream? how much does it cost? thanks =)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Huiqi, I got my Bailey from airport's duty free shop. If you were to get from Carrefour (wine/liquor section) it will be around $60 (I think).

Anonymous said...

Hi,

you make a lovely cake!
can i check with you what the speed you use for whipping the cream?

Shirley

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Shirley, I used low speed to whip the cream for the first couple of mins (as it is very watery and will flash all over the place if higher speed is used), then I will turn to medium speed to beat till it becomes stiff. Do note that for dairy whipping cream, the mixture will separate if you overwhip it (looks like tofu curdles), and you will not be able to use it. So stop and check frequently (or turn to lower speed) when the mixture starts to turn mayonnaise-like. Hope this helps.

Maria said...

True enjoyment for home cooking freak like me:). Thanks

Anonymous said...

Hi, HHB! Happy very, very VERY late birthday! Your cake is very beautiful. Do you know what I could use as a substitute for the heavy cream?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I have tried replacing heavy cream with non-dairy whipping cream.

Anonymous said...

Beside marsala and bailey irish cream can i use kahlua or tia maria? Please reply asap. I want to make this cake for my sister birthday.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, sorry, I have not tried with kahula or tia maria so I am not able to comment.

Unknown said...

Hi HHB,

I stumbled upon your site when I was searching for a recipe on baked rice a few days back..n one thing lead to another, i have tried 3 of your recipes to date! Latest was the tiramisu cake here which i made for my hubby to bring to work to 'show-off' *hehe*..

Many thanks for your posts and do keep up with your fabulous recipes..

Cheers,
Tammy

Ange said...

Hi HHB,

I've been lurking around your blog for quite sometime. Totally impressed with your creation. I would like to make a tiramisu cake for my brother's 21st birthday upon his request. We are celebrating at a restaurant in town. Can this recipe or the other recipe (Just a slice of cake) withstand the travelling time from home to town (via car)?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ange, Thanks for reading my blog :)
I have made this cake for my SIL (this one with the sponge fingers) and brought it to her place by bus, no problem at all. Happy Bday to your brother!

Ange said...

Thank you so much for your reply HHB! :) I can't wait to make it! :)

Rachel said...

Hi HHB... I've just tried to make the cake and it's sitting in the fridge. And I have so much left over tiramisu filling.. Apparently it was enought to fill an 8 inch heart cake pan and also to make 5 more pastamania portions.. Simply amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe.. I couldn't wait so long so my bro and I each had one of the smaller portions. Simply delicious. Thank you:)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Rachel, a heart shape pan is smaller (in terms of volume) than a round shape pan, so u will have extract, which is good, isn't it??
If possible, leave the cake over night for it to set. Try not to unmold it tonight ;)

Maii said...

Hiie(: How can ii get sponge fingers? where can i get iit iin sg?

Happy Homebaker said...

Maii, u can try carrefour or cold storage.

Rachel said...

hi HHB! im back again to revisit this recipe.. everyone is full of praises for it. but just wondering, if i were to make a 9" square, any suggestions on how to adjust the recipe?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Rachel, I am sorry I do not know how to adjust the recipe...maybe you can do two portions...fill up the 9' square pan, and whatever leftover can be used for a smaller pan?

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB

Your recipe is fab! I tried it and the taste was really great. But it's a pity that my cake was watery! I guessed its the cream? Can i check with you, is the heavy cream also known as thickened cream? And also, does your whipping cream refer to Bulla's Pure Cream? Because I can't seem to find Bulla's whipping cream under their website(http://www.bullafoodservice.com.au/chilled-range/cream-range.html). Or the whipping cream that you were refering to is Pure Cream?

Thanks so much!

Best regards
Yvonne

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Yvonne, which type of whipping cream did you use? You need to whip it till it is soft peak. I used Bulla's Thickened cream (which is also known as heavy cream or whipping cream). It is not Pure Cream.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

What type of biscuit can I use for this cake besides the one in the picture.

Thanks,
Ultraman

Anonymous said...

Hmm I used the thickened cream too! But I think overwhipped, that's why it was really watery. Because I started with high speed and didn't slow it down at all. I shall give it a try this week again and whip it really slowly first. Thanks HHB! (:

Best regards
Yvonne

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ultraman, so far I have only used this type of biscuits (ladyfingers), so I am not sure what other types can be used.

Yulan said...

Hi for this whipping cream, can I use the redman whip topping cream? Is a red and white packaging.1L. Is this cream the same as for the tiramisu torte?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Yulan, for this recipe I used dairy whipping cream (Bulla brand's Thickened whipping cream). The redman whip topping cream is non-dairy cream. It depends on individual preference and taste. Dairy cream is richer (no sugar added), whereas non-dairy cream is sweeter (as it comes with sugar added in it). There is no worry of over whipping the non-dairy cream, but for dairy cream, if you over whip it, the mixture will form clots and cannot be used. So I have put in the instruction as: whip until soft peak (do not over whip). Whereas for non-dairy cream you can whip it till stiff. Hope this helps.

The Sweetylicious said...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this wonderful recipe! (: is yummy! (:

Aparna S Mallya said...

Hey, tried this cake. Thanks for the easy recipe, without raw eggs. I just blogged abt it.

Anonymous said...

heloo ur recipes r really nice plz tell me that u have used sponge fingers what r they .r the sponge cake

Happy Homebaker said...

hi, I used store bought sponge fingers, which is available in supermarkets.

Anonymous said...

Hi HB,

Is it ok to use the whipping cream available in NTUC stores. It comes in a little white box (200ml) with a bit of arabic text.

Thank you.

Happy Homebaker said...

H, I have not used that brand so I am not able to comment. I use this brand Bulla thickened cream, available at cold storage.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! I tried it yesterday and it tasted so good even though I omitted the alcohol!!

Thank you!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi, is it possible if I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone?

Happy Homebaker said...

Lx, using cream cheese will give a different taste from a classic tiramisu.

Anonymous said...

Was it hard to unmold this cake?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, if you use a springform pan or a pan with a removable base, it is very easy to unmold the cake.

Anonymous said...

Hi Happy Homebaker!

You cake looks like a piece of art!! haha I wonder can i use a tupperware and lined it with alumin foil? And would it be all right to use a hand wisk in whipping the cream?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, think should be ok to use a tupperware container, but do use one that is about 7". You can use a hand whisk to beat the cream, but it will take some time and do make sure your cream is cold from fridge and it also helps if you can place your mixing bowl over another one that is filled with ice and water.

Anonymous said...

Hello Homebaker,

Instead of using icing sugar, can i use normal sugar instead?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, please use icing sugar as caster sugar won't be able to dissolve easily.

Anonymous said...

Will the sides of the ladyfinger fall off when unmold the cake?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, no they wont fall off.

Anonymous said...

Hi Hi, Can i check how do you place the sponge fingers in the baking pan? all lined up side by side?

Also, my bf can't take liq, not sure if i remove baileys from your recipe if it will still taste similiar? One last question, did you put cling wrap in the baking pan and place the contents in or just use cling wrap to cover the top b4 u refrigerate? I'm just thinking how to remove the cake out from a removable base pan. :)

Thank you!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, yes, line the sponge fingers side by side around the sides of the round pan. if you omit the liquor, the taste will be affected, but it is ok to omit it if you dont really mind. No, I dont line the pan with cling wrap. Just cover the top with cling wrap before refrigerating. When ready to unmold, place the pan (with removable base) on a drinking glass, or a can (any canned food that is taller than the height of your pan), gently slide the pan down to release the cake, hope you get what I mean.

Anonymous said...

I got it! :) thank you loads! Wish me Luck on my first attempt! LOL.. thank you!

Anonymous said...

Your blog inspired me to make a Charlotte Tiramisu for my son on his 11th birthday over the last weekend. I received raving compliments for it and it made my son really happy. Thank you!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, happy to hear about your great success, and happy belated birthday to your boy :):)

emma's mummy said...

Hi, Happy homebaker,

I made this birthday cake for my friend and me (our birthday dates are close), and my friend is so happy about it.

Thank you!

Happy Homebaker said...

hi emma's mummy, very nice of you to make a cake for your friend :) Happy Birthday to you and your friend!

karen said...

Hi there, thanks for this recipe. May I ask where you bought instant espresso powder? I can't seem to find it anywhere in Singapore. Thanks in advance!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Karen, I used instant coffee powder, I can't find instant espresso powder too.

karen said...

Thanks for the reply! May I ask which brand(s) of instant coffee powder do you use for baking?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Karen, I used either international roast or davidoff instant coffee powder, in fact for davidoff, it is stated as 'espresso', you can get davidoff from cold storage.

karen said...

Thanks again! I've seen davidoff in cold storage, though the coffee is in granules rather than in a powder, so I didn't think it was suitable. I'll have another look.

Unknown said...

Hi dear,

I tried your recipes last night. This morning, it tasted great. However, I had a little problem:(

When i manually whisk the room temp mascarpone cheese and icing sugar, the texture was smooth and creamy. When i added the vanilla extract and whisked it, the cheese started to form lumps, it became worse after i added the baileys and expresso syrup. Please advise what I did wrong.

Happy Homebaker said...

Not sure what went wrong, but maybe you could try adding the liquid gradually a little at a time it will prevent lumps from forming.

Unknown said...

What delicious ingredients. Thanks for an easy way to make this yummy dessert!