Easy Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

This Chocolate Tiramisu Layered Cake is inspired by an Italian tiramisu and turning it into a simple but stunning layer cake. Light chocolate sponge layers are soaked with strong coffee and silky mascarpone cream frosting. Finished with a generous dusting of cocoa powder, this cake is pure elegance but is surprisingly easy to make.

Why you’ll love this Tiramisu Chocolate Cake

If you’ve ever been intimidated by making a layered catch, this recipe is hard to mess up. The sponge is light and forgiving, the frosting comes together in minutes, and you don’t even have to worry about perfectly sharp frosting edges. It’s easiest to assemble the layers in a springform pan, which gives it a rustic and beautiful look.

This cake combines the classic tiramisu flavors of soaked sponge cake in coffee and mascarpone but with a twist. Coffee enhances the richness of chocolate flavor, which makes this cake a delicious twist on a classic.

The cake layers are a simple sponge cake, which means it’s light and airy and soaks up the coffee like a dream.

Just like a traditional tiramisu, it tastes better when you make ahead and allow it to set for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator. It’s a great ‘Make ahead’ dessert option.

What you’ll need to make this Layered Tiramisu Cake:

Chocolate Sponge Cake

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or 1/4 cup of black cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor, this is what was used for the cake in the images)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 large eggs, room temperature (separated)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coffee Soak

• 1 cup strong coffee (or ½ cup espresso)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Mascarpone Cream Frosting

• 16 oz mascarpone cheese, cold
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Tools you’ll need

• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• 2 8×8-inch springform pans or regular cake pans, or a 9 inch springform pan (you will cut the cake into two layers)
• Offset spatula or spoon
• Pastry brush (optional, but helpful for soaking)
• Fine mesh sieve (for dusting cocoa)

How to make Tiramisu Cake

Step 1: Make the chocolate sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Grease again and dust lightly with cocoa powder.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium and gradually add the sugar. Then turn back to high and beat for about 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
3. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the meringue. Mix on medium for 1–2 minutes, just until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
4. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in 3 additions, using a spatula. Be careful not to overmix — the batter should stay light and airy.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently pressed. (If using a single pan, bake for about 18 minutes.)
6. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then release and cool fully on a wire rack.

Step 2: Prepare the coffee soak

While the cakes cool, stir the sugar into the hot coffee until dissolved. Set aside.

Step 3: Make the mascarpone cream frosting

In a clean mixer bowl, beat the cold mascarpone, powdered sugar, and salt on medium-high until combined. Add the vanilla and cold heavy cream and beat for another 2–3 minutes, or until the frosting is thick and fluffy like whipped cream.

Step 4: Assemble the cake

1. If you used springform pans, you can build the cake right in the pan. Otherwise, place the first layer on a serving platter.
2. Use a fork to gently poke holes all over the cake, this helps it absorb the coffee.
3. Brush or spoon half of the coffee soak over the first layer.
4. Spread half of the mascarpone cream on top, then dust with cocoa powder.
5. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat (soak with coffee, spread the frosting, and finish with a generous cocoa powder dusting.)
6. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4–6 hours (or overnight) for the best flavor and texture.

Tips for success

• Be gentle when folding the dry ingredients into the meringue , this keeps your sponge light and airy.
• Chill time is key — just like traditional tiramisu, this cake gets better after resting.
• Use black cocoa if you want a deeper, almost Oreo-like chocolate flavor.

This cake is guaranteed to impress, but the best part? It’s actually pretty simple to make. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out!

If you love this recipe, you may also like to try:

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Speckled Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

A Chocolate Tiramisu Cake with soft sponge layers, coffee soak, and mascarpone whipped cream frosting.

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Ingredients

  

Chocolate Sponge Cake: for 4 layers of cake, double the recipe

• ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or ¼ cup black cocoa powder, this gives it a deeper chocolate and oreo like flavor
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs- room temperature separated
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coffee Soak

• 1 cup strong coffee or ½ cup espresso
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Mascarpone Cream Frosting:

• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese cold
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• tiny pinch of fine sea salt
• Cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 8×8 springform pans with nonstick spray or 2 8×8 cake pans, the pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray and lightly dust with cocoa powder. Alternatively, use 1 9×9 inch cake pan or springform pan but the cake will need to be cut into two layers.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed for 1 minute, turn the mixer to medium and slowly stream in the sugar. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Set aside
• Pour in the egg yolks and vanilla and mix on medium for 1-2 minutes, or until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and add ⅓ of the dry mixture into the egg mixture.
• Using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients in 3 additions( adding ⅓ more at a time) until it’s fully combined. Careful not to overmix, this will deflate the cake. Batter will be light.
• Spread batter into the prepared pans and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the top of the cake gently springs back (if baking in a single pan, bake for 18 minutes).
• Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before releasing to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Coffee Soak

• Pour the coffee into a large measuring cup and add the sugar and mix until it’s dissolved.

Mascarpone Cream

• Place the cold mascarpone into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer) with the powdered sugar and salt.
• Beat on medium-high speed until they’re combined. Add the vanilla and the cold heavy whipping cream and beat for another 2-3 minutes or until the frosting has thickened (like whipped cream)

Assemble

• If cakes were baked in a springform pan, they can stay in the pan. If not, place cake layers on a serving platter. Using a fork to stab the cake throughout, making holes for the coffee to soak into.
• Place the first layer of cake upside down (so bottoms up) on to a flat surface and use a spoon or pastry brush to soak it with 1/2 cup of the coffee soak.
• Add half of the mascarpone cream frosting on top of the first layer of the cake, dust with cocoa powder.
• Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat the process (adding the coffee soak) and remaining mascarpone cream frosting and dust with a generous amount of unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Cake is best after 4-6 hours in the refrigerator to set, before serving.