Classic Tiramisu Cake Roll Recipe (video)

The most delicious and easy to make tiramisu cake roll recipe! If you love classic tiramisu, you’re going to love this light and fluffy coffee cake! It’s made with delicate sponge cake lightly soaked with hazelnut liqueur and coffee, then filled with a custard, mascarpone and cream filling! This incredible cake roll is bursting with traditional tiramisu flavor in every bite!

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Making the Sponge Cake

This tiramisu cake rolls starts with my classic Vanilla Sponge Cake recipe. It’s the one and only I use for all my cake roll recipes and many other cake recipes! I have a separate video recipe for the sponge cake if you want an in-depth tutorial. The most important step to making a sponge cake is getting the eggs super light and fluffy. I usually whisk my eggs and sugar on high speed for up to 10 minutes, until the eggs are almost white in color. Then, very gently but thoroughly fold in the sifted flour. It’s important to keep the eggs as fluffy as possible.

Once the cake is done baking, it needs to be rolled immediately! To help prevent the cake from sticking to your kitchen towel, sprinkle a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar onto the cake, then place a clean kitchen towel on top. Roll the cake gently and carefully while it’s still hot. Allow the cake to cool completely before unrolling and filling.

Traditional Tiramisu Filling

There are many different ways to prepare classic tiramisu and this easy recipe is perfect for this tiramisu cake! It’s made with egg yolks, mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. First, the egg yolks are combined with sugar and cooked very slowly over a double boiler until the sugar dissolves. Next, the softened mascarpone cheese is mixed into the egg yolk mixture until a creamy mixture results. Once this base has cooled, it’s ready for the whipped cream!

Whisk the chilled heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then slowly add in the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture. Try to keep the filling as light as possible and avoid over mixing it. Overmixing the filling can cause it to separate! Chill the filling for a good 30 minutes before filling and frosting the cake. As the filling cools, it will thicken and will be easier to work with.

Assembling the Tiramisu Cake Roll

Once the sponge cake has cooled completely and you have your tiramisu filling ready, it’s time to assemble this incredible tiramisu cake roll!

1. Gently unroll the cooled sponge cake.
2. Soak the cake generously with a combination of coffee and hazelnut liqueur. You can also use Amaretto (almond liqueur) or Kahlua (coffee liqueur).
3. Next, spread about 2/3 of the filling on the sponge cake, spreading it evenly to the edges. Gently roll the sponge cake back up the same way it was rolled initially.
4. Garnish the outside of the cake with the remaining tiramisu filling! I like to pipe dollops of the cream onto the cake, then use the back of a spoon to spread the filling gently.
5. I recommend refrigerating the cake overnight to allow all the flavors to really come together! Garnish the cake with a light dusting of cocoa powder before serving.

More Recipes!

Enjoyed this tiramisu recipe? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!

• Classic Tiramisu Parfaits – enjoy the best ever tiramisu, in individual parfait cups! This recipe is always a huge hit!
• Tiramisu Cheesecake – light and fluffy cheesecake with coffee and Amaretto flavors!
• Tiramisu French Macarons – all the flavors of this classic Italian dessert, in cookie form! Filled with mascarpone filling!
• Tiramisu Crepe Cake – 40 layers of delicate crepes and cream! This crepe cake is made with coffee crepes and a creamy mascarpone filling!
• Strawberries & Cream Swiss Roll Cake – the best-ever strawberry cake with delicate sponge cake, strawberries and mascarpone whipped cream filling!

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Classic Tiramisu Cake Roll Recipe (video)

1 hour hr 30 minutes mins prep + 25 minutes mins cook

10 servings

Easy tiramisu swill roll cake made with vanilla sponge cake, Kahlua coffee liqueur and a classic tiramisu filling!

Ingredients 

US Customary - Metric

For Sponge Cake:

• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For Tiramisu Filling:

• 7 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 12 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature (do not use cold cheese!)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or beans scraped from 1 vanilla bean pod

For soaking sponge cake:

• 1 cup freshly brewed and cooled coffee or espresso
• 1/2 cup Frangelico or coffee liqueur
• dark cocoa powder, for dusting

Instructions

• Remove the eggs and mascarpone cheese from the refrigerator and bring them up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large jelly-roll pan with parchment paper and spray the sides with a little bit of non-stick cooking spray.
• Prepare the sponge cake first: place the eggs and sugar into a mixer bowl and whisk on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes until thick, pale and almost white in color. Meanwhile, combine the flour and baking powder. Sift the flour in small portions into the whisked eggs, folding in by hand with a spatula. Mix gently but thoroughly after each addition, keeping the eggs fluffy. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it to edges evenly.
• Bake the sponge cake in the preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes, just until top of the cake turns a golden color. Remove it from the oven and immediately run a knife along the edges of pan to release cake from sides. Sprinkle the top of the cake with a light dusting of confectioner's sugar. Spread a large, clean kitchen towel over the sponge cake. Invert the cake and remove the parchment paper (leaving the parchment paper on will sweat the cake). Carefully roll the cake into a log, using the kitchen towel as a wrapper. Set the cake onto cooling rack to cool completely.
• Next, prepare the tiramisu filling: prepare a double boiler. Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized stainless steel/glass bowl. Make sure the bowl fits over the saucepan but does not touch the water! Place the bowl with the egg yolks over the simmering water and whisk constantly for 10 minutes. The egg yolks need to be cooked very slowly. The mixture will become thicker and more pale in color and the sugar will start to dissolve. Check the water often to make sure it's not boiling, but just simmering so egg yolks don't cook too quickly.
• Remove the egg yolks from the heat and pour the mixture into a mixer bowl. Whisk on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is thickened. Add the softened mascarpone cheese and vanilla and whisk again for a few minutes until no clumps remain. Cover the bowl and set it into refrigerator to cool for about 20-30 minutes.
• Pour the chilled heavy cream into a larger mixer bowl and whisk it on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in chilled egg and mascarpone mixture, mixing gently until well combined, about 1 minute. Don't overmix the filling; overmixing can cause the filling to separate. Cover the bowl and set into refrigerator to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• Once the cake has cooled, gently unroll cake roll. Combine the coffee and liqueur in a small bowl. Frangelico is a sweet hazelnut liqueur but can be replaced with other liquors such as Kahlua, rum, or cognac. Use a spoon to pour coffee over entire sponge cake evenly, soaking the cake generously.
• Reserve a third of the prepared filling for garnishing the top and keep it refrigerated. Spread the remaining two-thirds of the filling evenly across sponge cake, leaving about 1-inch margins around the edges. Gently roll up the cake roll the same way it was rolled initially. Place it onto serving tray. Spread a thin crumb coat of frosting on the outside and sides of cake.
• Place the reserved filling into a pastry bag, tipped with a round tip. Garnish the outside of the cake (watch video tutorial for instructions) by adding dollops of cream, then gently spread each dollop with the back of a spoon. Alternatively, simply spread the frosting evenly around the cake roll.
• Place the cake into refrigerator and let set for a few hours or overnight, preferably. Dust the top with cocoa powder right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 340mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 1510IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 2mg