The tiramisu cake with mascarpone cream (egg-free) is a fresh, elegant and indulgent dessert, perfect for a birthday, Father’s Day or a dinner with friends. It’s made with few ingredients and requires only baking the sponge cake: the rest of the dessert is assembled cold, with no further cooking, and left to rest in the refrigerator.
I love tiramisù in all its versions, but this cake has something extra: it’s showy, very easy to make and wins you over at the first bite. For this recipe I chose an egg-free mascarpone cream, perfect for those who can’t eat eggs or prefer a lighter dessert. If instead you prefer the classic version, 👉 here I explain step by step how I pasteurize the eggs.
The cake is made of two layers of soft sponge cake, homemade and soaked with coffee and a touch of rum. The filling is made of dollops of mascarpone cream and whipped cream, enriched with a little gelatin to make it stable and easy to cut, without giving up creaminess.
For decoration I chose a simple but effective style: many dollops of cream on top and a dusting of unsweetened cocoa.
This is a dessert you can prepare in advance and keep in the refrigerator until serving. In fact, I recommend doing so: resting allows the flavors to blend and the cream to firm up perfectly.
Ready to discover all the steps to make this very easy and irresistible cake?
Let’s go to the kitchen!
See you soon,
Susy 🥰
You might also be interested in these tiramisu recipes:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 10 pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 286.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.70 (g) of which sugars 14.56 (g)
- Proteins 6.07 (g)
- Fat 16.38 (g) of which saturated 5.53 (g)of which unsaturated 0.94 (g)
- Fibers 5.93 (g)
- Sodium 33.48 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 130 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Tiramisu Cake with Egg-Free Mascarpone Cream
I used an 8-inch pan, perfect for getting a tall sponge cake that can be sliced into 2 layers.
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup coffee
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp rum
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3 sheets leaf gelatin (optional, for extra stability)
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Tools
- Electric whisk
- Piping bag with smooth 12 mm tip (for perfect rosettes)
- Pan 8-inch round cake pan
- Spatula
- Cooling rack for desserts
How I make the Tiramisu Cake with Egg-Free Mascarpone Cream
Beat the eggs with the sugar using electric beaters or a stand mixer until you obtain a pale, frothy mixture.
Add the flour in two additions, folding it in gently with a spatula using upward motions.
Pour the batter into an 8-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 338°F for 30 minutes, leaving the oven slightly ajar (I place a teaspoon between the door and the oven).
Once baked, let the sponge cake cool slightly in the turned-off oven, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
First, soak the gelatin in cold water for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the mascarpone with the powdered sugar until smooth and lump-free. Separately, whip the cold cream to stiff peaks, setting aside a couple of tablespoons that will be used to dissolve the gelatin.Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cream, mixing from the bottom up to avoid deflating it. When the gelatin has softened, squeeze it out and dissolve it in the two tablespoons of warmed cream (the ones set aside). Mix well and incorporate it into the cream, stirring carefully so it distributes evenly.
Mix the coffee with the water and rum. You can sweeten it with a teaspoon of sugar if you prefer.
Cut the cold sponge cake into 2 layers. Place the ring of the springform pan (without the base) directly on the serving plate. Insert the first sponge layer, soak it with the coffee syrup and spread half of the mascarpone cream, leveling it well with a spatula.
Lay the second layer on top, soak it with the remaining syrup and spread the remaining cream over the surface, creating a smooth, even cover.
Cover the cake with plastic wrap (without touching the surface) or with a cake dome, and let it firm up in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Before removing the ring, gently dust the surface with unsweetened cocoa using a fine-mesh sieve: this keeps the edge clean and the serving plate neat.
Finally, carefully remove the ring of the pan and serve the cake well chilled.If you want to freeze it, let it firm up in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Then wrap it gently with plastic wrap, cover with aluminum foil and transfer to the freezer.
At serving time, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and dust with a little cocoa if desired.
Storage
The tiramisu cake can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with a cake dome, for up to 2 days.
I recommend letting the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes before serving so it firms up and the flavors meld perfectly.
Susy’s Tip
For an even more stable tiramisu cake that’s easier to slice, I recommend preparing it the day before and letting it rest in the refrigerator overnight.
This way the flavors settle, the cream firms up nicely and each slice will be perfect!
Questions and Answers
Can I replace the sponge cake with ladyfingers?
Of course! If you want a quicker version, you can use ladyfingers soaked as in the classic tiramisu. The result will still be delicious, although a bit less precise and compact in shape.
Can I skip the gelatin in the cream?
Yes, but the cake will be softer and less compact. Alternatively, you can slightly increase the amount of mascarpone or serve it directly in the springform pan and refrigerate it until slicing.
