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Tiramisu Cake is a cake roll with a vanilla sponge brushed with coffee and filled with the best creamy Tiramisu filling – and it’s frosted with it too. If you want a twist on a classic, try this cake!
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Tiramisu Cake Roll Recipe
Cake rolls are one of my favorite things to make for the holidays; or any occasion for that matter; because they are just so fun and festive! Mix that with delicious, creamy, tiramisu- the easy way and you have the perfect dessert.
This is easy to make with a vanilla cake and a simple tiramisu filling with easy to find ingredients. No eggs, no alcohol – just all that amazing tiramisu flavor.
Tiramisu Cake Ingredients
- Cream cheese- Make sure it is softened. I’m using this instead of mascarpone because I can never find that at my grocery store. If you can find it, you can use that instead.
- Sugar- Powered sugar is best for this recipe, it will give you the consistency you need.
- Heavy whipping cream – in the filling and topping – you want it to be cold
- Vanilla extract- Always use natural for the best flavor.
- Brewed coffee- Make sure it is cool when you use it.
- Powdered Sugar – Also alled confectoners’ sugar, this is to sweetened the whipped cream.
How to make a Tiramisu Cake Roll
- Place your eggs inside a large bowl or in your electric mixer bowl if you are using one. Beat the eggs at medium speed with a mixer for 3 to 5 minutes until they are foamy and vibrant yellow. This is the most important step so be careful not to skip it!
- Add the sugar into to mixing bowl and mix for around one more minute until the mixture has slightly thickened. Then, mix in the oil, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Lastly, add flour and mix slowly until it’s completely combined.
- Pour the mixture into a jelly roll pan. Bake the tiramisu cake for around 10 to 15 minutes. When the cake is done it will be slightly browned and should spring back when you touch it lightly.
- While the cake is baking lay a dish towel and sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Remove the hot cake with caution and let it fall out of the pan onto the towel. Roll it up using a kitchen towel to hold the cake if it is too hot for your hands!
- When the cake is cool, carefully unwrap it from the parchment paper. If it cracks slightly that’s ok, it’s no big deal! Brush the cake with the cooled coffee and evenly spread the filling over the cake. Then, carefully re-roll it and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill the tiramisu cake for at least 30 minutes.
- Beat the heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until you see stiff peaks form. If you want a more authentic tiramisu flavor, feel free to add a tablespoon of cooled coffee before beating the topping.
Expert Tips
- Cake rolls should be rolled while they are hot. I can’t say this enough! You don’t want it to be scalding your fingers as you roll it, but make sure that you’re not waiting until the cake is cool. If the cake becomes too cool it will crack and become brittle while rolling.
- If you want to add some extra flavor try brushing the cake with some different coffee flavors! Maybe a nice caramel coffee to spice it up and add some more complexity to your tiramisu cake roll!
FAQs
Traditional tiramisu cake does have alcohol in it. Usually, it includes Marsala wine in the filling and the ladyfingers are soaked in alcoholic coffee. This is the traditional way of making tiramisu, but plenty of other modern recipes exclude any sort of alcohol (including this one).
There can be a plethora of reasons that your cake roll cracked when trying to roll/unroll it. It can be under-baked, or over-baked. The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to monitor your tiramisu cake roll closely. If it does crack it’s no big deal, you can simply cover it with frosting and it will be our little secret; not a soul will know!
Yes, you can! The difference between the two is mascarpone is made with heavy cream and cream cheese is made with whole milk. If you use mascarpone the filling will be thicker due to this fact but as long as you spread it properly it will be perfectly fine.
You can actually freeze tiramisu cake for up to 1 month! Make sure it is in an airtight container in the freezer, don’t frost it until you are ready to serve it.
Tiramisu Cake Roll
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 large Eggs
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (93g) all-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar to aid in rolling
For the Filling:
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese , softened
- ⅔ cup (75g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (177ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) brewed coffee cooled
For the Topping:
- 1 cup (237ml) cold heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (28g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) cooled brewed coffee optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10×15” or 10.5×15” cake/jelly roll pan with foil and spray with floured nonstick cooking spray.
- Place eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed with mixer for 3-5 minutes until foamy and yellow. It is very important not to skip this step!
- Add sugar and mix for 1 more minute, until the mixture is thickened slightly. Mix in oil, baking powder, salt, and vanilla, then add flour and mix slowly until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, spreading as needed with a spatula. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cake springs back when touched lightly. (Mine took 12 minutes, but all ovens differ.)
- While the cake is baking, lay out a clean kitchen towel onto the counter. Spread with about 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
- Remove the hot cake from the oven and carefully, using oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself, flip the cake onto the towel. This might make a mess, but that’s okay. Carefully remove the pan and foil (they’re hot!) and then, using the towel, roll up the cake from the short side. The towel will be rolled into the cake. Let this cool completely before continuing.
- Note: you can wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight before finishing.
- Make the filling: beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then add the vanilla and whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form.
- When the cake is cool, carefully unwrap it from the towel. If it cracks, that’s okay.
- Brush the cake with the cooled coffee. Evenly spread the filling over the cake and carefully re-roll it, pulling it away from the towel as you go. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Make the topping: beat whipped cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. For a more authentic tiramisu flavor, add a tablespoon of cooled coffee before beating.
- Frost the cake as desired. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
- You can serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Cover with plastic wrap if storing longer than 2-3 hours.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
This recipe was sponsred by Eggland’s Best Eggs in 2018 and has been updated.
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Tiramisu Cake Roll is a fun way to make a cake out of tiramisu flavors – a coffee soaked vanilla cake with a fluffy tiramisu filling – this is a showstopper dessert!
Last Updated on October 28, 2023
Would i be able to make this GF and vegan? With the cream cheese, can I sub it with goat cheese? If I can find goat cream cheese..
You can substitute goat cheese but I have never tried it – as for GF I haven’t ever tried this cake with 1:1 GF flour but I know it works in other cake recipes.
Can you use wax paper instead of foil ?
Not for baking – wax paper will melt. You can use parchment!
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