Take Me Back to Italy with Tiramisu Torte

Visiting Italy has been on my "bucket list" since grade school. I've always wanted to experience the art, the beautiful landscapes, the history and the food. So, last fall when I had the opportunity to travel there with my whole family, I was thrilled! We saw the Mediterranean Sea, The David, real gondolas and more. Tiramisu quickly became our favorite Italian food (as you can see, we practically licked our plates clean). So, at each stop along the way we sampled the delicious tiramisu that region of the country had to offer.  

So, now that I am home again and reminiscing, I decided to make this Tiramisu Torte recipe to remember the beauty of Italy.

Prepare by heating your oven to 375 degrees F and greasing a 15 x 10 x 1 inch jelly roll pan (I only had a 17 x 12 x 1 inch pan, so my cake was a little thinner). Line the pan with waxed paper and then grease the paper. Set the pan aside.

While your oven is warming up, separate your eggs. You'll be using the egg whites first, so set the yolks aside. Beat the eggs on high speed until foamy.

Gradually add sugar to the egg whites until the mixture fluffs up and glossy peaks form.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, remaining sugar, water and vanilla. Beat those ingredients together until the mixture thickens. It will be a lemony color like this.

Now use a spatula to gently stir flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture. Use the same technique to combine this batter with the beaten egg whites.

Gently spread the batter into your already-greased-and-lined pan. Place in the oven for 14 -18 minutes (until the top pops back when touched lightly in the center).

When the cake is finished baking, remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from its pan. I found that the cake stuck to the waxed paper a bit, so I flipped the cake upside down on a clean surface, then carefully peeled back the waxed paper with one hand while gently pulling down on the cake with the other. Once the cake is free, set it on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

While your cake is baking and cooling, combine your espresso syrup ingredients (sugar, water and instant espresso powder) in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until it comes to a full boil. Boil the syrup for one minute, then stir in the rum (or rum extract). Cool the syrup completely.

This is also the time to prepare your filling. Stir together powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese) and vanilla. Grate two ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate and mix it into the filling.

Cut your cake into thirds and place the first layer down on a pan. Brush a generous amount of the syrup on the cake layer.

Then spread half of the filling on top. Next, layer with a second piece of cake, espresso syrup and the other half of the filling. Top with last piece of cake and another generous portion of the syrup. Reserve two tablespoons of the syrup for your whipped icing.

Finally, prepare your whipped cream icing by beating heavy whipping cream on high speed until peaks begin to form. Gradually add the remaining espresso syrup to the mixture (I also added a little more sugar to sweeten it to my taste).

Spread the whipped cream icing on the sides of the cake, then smooth out the frosting on the top. (Any leftover whipped cream is delicious in a cup of coffee.)

Sprinkle with more grated chocolate.

We tried a piece immediately, then, refrigerated the rest for the next evening when we were meeting up with friends. The Tiramisu Torte was significantly better after it had a day for the flavors to blend! I cut it into slices and served these tasty layers with a drizzle of espresso syrup and a dash of powdered sugar. It was like a taste of Italy all over again!

Enjoy the tantalizing tastes of Italy by trying this Tiramisu Torte for yourself. Leave me a comment about your dessert-making experience.  Also, rate and review this recipe.

Stop back on Thursday when Julie will make a great egg recipe for breakfast or dinner.

Amanda is paid to write for the Land O'Lakes Recipe Buzz™ Blog.