tiramisu cake

It's 2017. I'm baking a cake. It's got cake and coffee and mascarpone cream in it. I post it on IG. I don't share the recipe for 2 1/2 years. Totally normal. 

Also, mascarpone is super hard to spell and I'm pretty sure I mispronounce it. 

My cousin asked me to make something tiramisu based to cut at her wedding [back in 2017] and I came up with this combination after exploring several other recipes on the internet.  

It's pretty good. 

Tiramisu Cake

cake:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

combine the above together

• 10 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup sugar

cream for 3 minutes with a mixer

• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk

add the eggs to the creamed mixture

• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla

combine the buttermilk and vanilla together

Alternate the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture into the creamed mixture with the dry mixture in 3 parts. Start with the dry until just combined, add the buttermilk...dry, buttermilk, dry.

Divide into prepared pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when you touch the middle.

coffee extract:

• 4 Tbsp instant coffee
• 4 Tbsp boiling water

Combine in a small bowl.

simple syrup:

• 1 cup water 
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp coffee extract

Boil the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool stir in the coffee extract you made. 

frosting: 

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 

whip the HWC until you have peaks

• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1-2 Tbsp coffee extract [to taste]

whisk the cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and coffee together in a second bowl

In the second bowl you'll combine a large dollop of whipped cream with the mascarpone mixture with a whisk start to loosen the cheese mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until you no longer see streaks and everything is smooth.

 

 

Assemble the cake:
Take your cooled layers and drizzle or brush them with the coffee simple syrup. Give it time to soak in and drizzle it a few times for maximum coffee moisture. Layer with the mascarpone frosting and grated chocolate. Frost the outside with more of the mascarpone frosting and then add chocolate however your heart desires.

Tips!
*there are lots of pieces to this puzzle, but none of them are difficult, I promise!
*I made this as a 3 layer 6-inch cake. you could definitely do 2 8-inch layers easily. just adjust the bake time. your cake will also be more stable.
*as with all cake layers: parchment circle on the bottom of the pan, non-stick spray on the sides and lower edges
*trim the tops of your cakes so they're nice and flat. see above for stability issues. give yourself your best shot for zero cake slippage.
*this is a whipped cream based frosting, so it's gotta stay cool. the cake itself won't be very stable simply because the frosting is slicker'n snot. REFRIGERATE YOUR BELOVED CAKE.
*I think that coffee extract is a thing. I have never purchased it or tried it. I find the instant coffee/espresso to be more versatile.
*if you overwhip the heavy whipping cream you will make butter. just go until you have some nice peaks, baby.
*soak the simple syrup into the cake with as much or as little as you like. if you're a firm believer that tiramisu should have rum or brandy or something boozy, this is where you can add it.

Look at these two cuties who now have a sweet babe at home. The real reason this recipe is posted now? They asked. ♡

P.S. sorry for that heavy handed 70s filter. 2017 me was super into it. 2019 me doesn't hate it, but it does seem like a bit much.

conversations with my mother

me: I got tickets to see Pentatonix this summer!

mom: Exciting! Who are you going with?

me: So far, Kate and Bea. I bought two tickets though so maybe Sarah or someone will want to go.

mom: You should ask your neighbor.

me: HUH?

sidebar --> Pentatonix [and a cappella music in general] is a pretty specific genre, so why would I ask a mostly stranger to a concert with me? 

mom: Yeah. You know, just ask him out.

me: I don't even know if I want to be friends with him. Dating would be kind of the ultimate "don't shit where you eat."

mom: Why?

me: BECAUSE WE LIVE NEXT DOOR.

mom: Well, I want more grandkids.



Priorities.

glasses

I wore these glasses for most of Christmas when I was with family in Fort Wayne. 

At one point my grandpa looked at me and said "I really like your glasses." 

"Really?" 

"Nope."

heh. 

**edit: I don't in any way think this was a slam from my grandpa. I mostly thought it was hilarious. He's the kind of old-school gentleman who always compliments a lady, but totally doesn't get the trendiness of giant glasses. I get plenty of compliments other places on my glasses that I'm not worried about my ego. (-;

the newest niece

Our newest family member arrived on May 2.

We're all pretty smitten with her, but her brother and sister win for loving their sister the most. You may think this picture is posed [and they were told to kiss their sister], but most of the time it's:
"OK, you've given enough kisses for right now."
"Give your sister some space to breathe."
"Good job being gentle."

"What's her name?" "Puh-puh-Payton." 'P' is a hard letter to say when you're two and three.

Similar to her sister, this niece o' mine refused to fall asleep.

I think we'll keep her for forever.

sunday funsies

Today I touched the Butte.

I ate baked goods filled with cream cheese and jalapeños or sweet almond cream, made entirely of butter, flour, and love.

I watched a movie. I wandered around Whole Foods. I had meaningful conversation. I listened to a sermon on where Christianity and Environmentalism collide [shoot, that's some good stuff].

All in all? It was a good one.

dog food

The Niece is basically the most helpful 1 1/2 year old I know.

I am biased.

First she fed the dogs.

Then she cleaned it up...one piece at a time until we found a little broom for her.

Who cares that we were waiting on approximately 50 people to descend on the house that we'd been cleaning for days? (-:

And because I can:

Kansas wind is no joke. 

our Braggin' Book

Last weekend I was left home alone for a few hours at my grandparent's house. Always a little scary...for anyone who has pictures in the house. (-;

I found these Braggin' Books in the hutch and started snapping pictures of pictures. Aren't they awesome? There's one for my mom, my Uncle Rob, and my Aunt Suze.

Mom:

It's my mom's birthday today, so I'm guessing that this book is somewhere around 56 years old. I love these pictures!

That over the shoulder look! Ack! So cute.

I can't quite tell if that's just a curl on the top of her head or a little boinker. [Do you call the top pony on babies "boinkers"?]

Uncle Rob:

That grin. 

I think my Uncle Rob may have been into Sophie before Sophie was a thing.

Aunt Suze:

That face. That mohawk o'curls. Gah. 

Aunt Suze was not having any of that posing without toys thing at this photoshoot.