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I love a good tiramisu dessert with traditional lady fingers, but every once in a while, I crave a sponge cake version.
The cake version is surprisingly easier than piping dozens of ladyfingers, and it tastes like the lightest, airiest sponge cake layers ever!
This cake is so decadent and tastes absolutely delicious! Moist and fluffy sponge cake layers are soaked in a non-alcoholic coffee syrup, then topped with a light and airy mascarpone-chocolate whipped cream! And of course topped with a generous dusting of cocoa powder.
It’s really phenomenal and a one-of-a-kind dessert that needs to be on your list to make! You’ll thank me later, but trust me!
It’s also super easy to make! I literally have it memorized by now after making it so many times just for you 😊! All that to say it’s really the best cake I’ve made this year!
Let me explain why this particular tiramisu cake is amazing and how I came up with the recipe.
Best Tiramisu Recipe
There is a lady in my area who makes the BEST tiramisu cake for orders. Everyone highly raves about her tiramisu cake!
She makes a four-layer sheet cake that is perfectly suited for crowds and weddings. I’ll include a photo of the real deal below so you can compare it to my version, but the fact of the matter is, it’s amazing.
Her party tiramisu cake has a very delicate and cocoa-based cream frosting in the most moist and airy, homemade yellow cake layers.
Long story short, I evaluated her cake thoroughly and came up with my version. I took my favorite light-and-airy sponge cake recipe, ideal for layered cakes, and turned it into a tiramisu cake.
I had to test and adjust this recipe multiple times before I felt it was just right. To realize, I literally invented the most amazing genoise sponge cake layers (as they call it). Only enriched with sour cream and oil to make a moist and tender cake.
And it really works wonders along with the oil (a common ingredient in most boxed cake mixes).
All that to say, you will not find this recipe online. I recreated it so that the home bakers can enjoy this recipe!
More About This Tiramisu Cake
Making a sheet pan cake is a popular technique used by professional pastry chefs and home bakers like myself because it’s more efficient than using multiple round cake pans. And it’s perfect for serving larger crowds.
You will notice that the batter is rather large, but it works perfectly for two half-sheet pans measuring 18×13 inches. If you want to make a smaller round tiramisu cake, simply half the recipe to fit into two 9-inch round cake pans.
This tiramisu cake yields four 9×7 rectangular multi-layers that make a moist, fluffy, taller rectangular cake.
Honestly, cakes freeze well, so I wouldn’t hesitate to make a sheet cake.
Oh, and last but not least, you can serve this cake right after frosting, it is that moist and tender! True story: I baked this cake the morning of an event and got many compliments, including one on whether it was even homemade!
My final word of advice is that this Sheet Pan Tiramisu cake is easy to bake, decorate, slice, and perfect to travel with. It’s a smart choice for both the baker and the crowd, as it makes serving a large number of people at a party more convenient.
And wait until you get lots of compliments!
Now, let’s jump into the process and all of my recipe notes!
Mise en PlaceEverything you need! :
Equipment:
- two 18×13 sheet pans
- Parchment paper
- Heavy-duty mixer or hand mixer
- Large rectangular cake plate
- Rubber spatula
- Icing spatula and mixing bowl
Tiramisu Ingredients:
- Sponge cake layers are basically whipped whole eggs with granulated sugar, with added sour cream, oil, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and vanilla extract. That’s it!
- Coffee liqueur syrup is the perfect non-alcoholic option. I’ve tested this recipe with just strong coffee, and that works too.
- Cocoa cream frosting- is whipped with mascarpone, cocoa powder, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and a pinch of salt. This makes the most luscious melt-in-your-mouth cream perfect for tiramisu!
Pro-Chef Tip: A chocolate frosting made with cocoa powder complements the light and airy sponge cake layers in tiramisu, making it semi-sweet and mellow. Also, making the intense coffee flavor the star of the show. The two pairs best together!
Pastry Chef Tip: Once the cake is stacked and the frosting has sealed it, you have no additional frosting to decorate and add final touches. This is when I beat one 8-ounce package of Cool Whip Topping with 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder to pipe out the final touches. I used the 1E large piping tip for a more defined icing pattern that makes a wavy swirl.
Tips for BEST Tiramisu Cake!
- Use slightly larger parchment paper sheets so the delicate sponge cake layers don’t stick to the sides of the pans. I trim my extra-large sheets to fit over the sides.
- Beat all the frosting ingredients in a deep bowl, covering it slightly with a kitchen towel so the icing doesn’t splatter.
- If you don’t have sour cream, you can use Greek yogurt.
- White refined sugar is best for airy and fluffy cake layers. I tested this recipe with organic cane sugar, and my layers were darker and denser.
- All-purpose flour yields a lighter cake. I tested this recipe with bread flour, and it was much denser.
- Apply the syrup evenly using a pastry brush.
- Don’t assemble a cake when warm; be sure to cool the cake layers completely so that the frosting doesn’t melt.
Pro-Chef Tip: Always sift the dry ingredients in cake recipes to prevent lumps in the batter.
Can I Use a Different Type of Oil?
Yes! Any neutral-flavored oil works for this tiramisu cake. I recommend sunflower oil or avocado oil.
What Does Sour Cream or Oil Do In a Cake?
Sour cream or cooking oil adds extra fat and moisture, making a very tender, moist cake crumb. I love how the cake keeps moist for days, thanks to the sponge layers!
Will This Cake Taste Sour or Tangy?
No, the baking soda neutralizes the sour taste in sour cream, changing the acidity. You will not detect any sour cream in this cake.
How Much Syrup Per Layer?
For each sheet cake layer, use 2-4 tablespoons of coffee syrup or 4-8 tablespoons of strong coffee. This cake already has a high moisture level, so there is no need to add excess. Brush the syrup or use a squirt bottle. I sometimes spoon it over when in a rush.
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Sheet Pan Tiramisu Cake
Equipment
- 1 icing spatula and bowl for mixing icing
Ingredients
Sponge Cake Layers:
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups granulated sugar, (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream, (I love Daisy Brand)
- 1 1/2 cups sunflower oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, (sifted)
- 1 Tbsp baking soda, (sifted)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Whipped Cream:
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- pinch of salt
For The Non-Alcoholic Syrup:
- 1/2 cup coffee liqueur syrup, (see notes for substitute)
Topping:
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (I used Hershey's Brand)
Instructions
- In a heavy duty mixer using the whisk attachment, beat 3 cups of sugar and 6 eggs over high speed for 20 minutes. Meanwhile line two 18×13 sheet pans with parchemnt paper and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once the eggs have increased in volume and looks thicker beat in 1 1/2 cups of sour cream over low speed. Then gradullay beat in 1 1/2 cups of oil and 2 tsp of vanilla extract.
- Turn off the mixer and add 3 cups of sifted all-purpose flour and 1 Tbsp of sifted baking soda. Move the wire whisk in one direction with your hand until all the flour is incorporated. For the final touch, fold in the batter to scrape off the sides of the bowl.
- Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake upto 20 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted. Don't overbake. Cool completly before assembling.
- To make the chocolate whipped cream, combine all of the cream ingredients (4 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 14 oz can of condensed milk, 8 oz mascarpone cheese, and a pinch of salt). Beat until soft peaks form.
- To assemble the cake: cut each sheetcake in half.
- Place one half of the sponge cake onto a serving platter (top down) and brush with 2 Tbsp of coffee syrup (or 4 Tbsp of strong coffee if not using syrup). Frost with one fourth of the frosting and repeat with all the layers, finishing and sealing the sides with frosting.
- Dust the top with a single layer of cocoa powder, then pipe additional frosting (see notes below). The extra frosting is optional and serves only as a decoration. Serve immediately or let it sit overnight in the fridge. Enjoy!
Notes
- Optional: for final touches, beat 1 8-ounce package of Cool Whip Topping with 2 Tbsp cocoa powder to pipe a more defined icing pattern that creates a wavy swirl. I used the 1E large piping tip around the borders of the cake.
- The cream frosting is enough to fill and frost the entire cake, which is why I beat additional frosting for piping. Add a generous amount of frosting between each layer to use it up.
- Syrup Substitute: You could use 1 cup of strongly brewed coffee (or espresso) if you don’t have coffee liqueur syrup.
- Sugar: I tested this recipe with white refined sugar and organic cane sugar; the layers are more fluffier using the white sugar.
- Coffee is not as concentrated and sweet as syrup, so you can scale the coffee up. I wouldn’t scale up on the syrup, as the cake can be too sweet. If you want the best of both flavors mix 1/2 cup of the coffee syrup with 1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee.
- Sift the dry ingredients to prevent clumps in the batter.
- Use a kitchen towel to loosely cover the bowl when beating the cream frosting. This prevents it from splattering.
Nutrition (per serving)
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