Easy Tiramisu Cake

This cake was experimented for a special boy whom I invited over for dinner at my house. I asked what is his favorite dessert and he said, "Auntie Joanne, I love Tiramisu!" So, Tiramisu it shall be! You can use pan or deep dish of any shape and they will be just as good or just assemble them in glasses and serve individually. The best thing about this is that you can spread the work out in two days; get the custard done the day before and place in the fridge until ready to assemble. You do not need to use any complicated mixer, it costs you half the price of a store bought and it is fresh. I always use skim milk in all my baking to shave off some milk fat.

Easy Tiramisu Cake

Ingredients:-

Custard Filling (A)

1-3/4 cups + 1/4 cup skim milk

1/3 cup + 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

6 large egg yolks

1/4 cup Amaretto liquor

2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence

1/8 cup unsalted butter (cubed) at room temperature

8 oz or 1 cup or 227gm mascarpone cheese at room temperature

Method

Place 1-3/4 cups milk and 1/3 cup sugar into a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium heat until milk comes to just about to boil, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour until there is no lump.

Once milk is about to boil, remove saucepan from heat and whisk in egg mixture.

Return saucepan to heat and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, whisking continuously. Continue to stir for another one to two minutes until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat. Add Amaretto, vanilla and butter. Whisk to combine and until custard is smooth.

Cover with a plastic wrap immediately and let it cool. When it is cold enough, place custard in the fridge to cool until custard is thick.

Meanwhile, whisk mascarpone cheese until it is smooth in a separate bowl by just using a wire whisk.

Add mascarpone cheese to cold custard and whisk until smooth. Set aside to chill in the fridge again until ready to use.

Coffee soaking Syrup (B)

1 cup very strong coffee by adding 4 teaspoons full of instant coffee to boiling water

1 tablespoon Amaretto liquor

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Mix all the ingredients together to form coffee syrup.

Pour into a wide and deep plate.

Biscuits (C)

3 packages of ladyfingers (about 36 pieces) if you are making the round cake with an outer ring of fingers. Otherwise, about 24 pieces will be sufficient. (I use store bought)

Assembling the cake

Method

Prepare a 9"x9" cake pan or a round cake pan or any deep dish.

Working quickly with your fingers, dip each ladyfinger into the coffee and shake off the excess coffee. Place each ladyfinger side by side and line the sides of the pan as well as on the bottom of the cake pan, until the whole bottom is lined in a single layer with ladyfingers. Spoon the custard mixture that was set aside onto the fingers, making sure that the layer is fully covered with custard. (If you have a deep pan for three layers of fingers, the you spread 1/3 of the custard, but if you have two layers, then you spread 1/2 the custard).

Then repeat the second layer by laying coffee soaked ladyfingers in a single layer on top of the custard. Spoon the rest of the custard on top of the ladyfingers and make sure it covers the whole surface.

Shave some chocolate over the top of the cake and place in the fridge to chill for at least 6-8 hours before serving.

Enjoy!