Tuesdays with Dorie: Tiramisu Cake

This Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Megan of My Baking Adventures, and you can find the recipe here.

It doesn't matter how far I run on the treadmill tonight. It won't be far enough to make up for all the Tiramisu Cake I've eaten. It was fun while it lasted, but now I've got to pay for my indiscretions. And boy, do I have to pay!

My first encounter with Tiramisu occurred in the early 90's when my husband took me to Chicago for a romantic vacation. Since I wasn't a coffee drinker at the time, I didn't expect to like the dessert, but my husband kept insisting I try it. That evening a monster was born, a Tiramisu monster that demanded frequent feedings.

Back home in Tennessee, we weren't so lucky to have Tiramisu on many menus, and necessity brought me to attempt Tiramisu at home, even though items like mascarpone cheese and espresso weren't available. Thus began the cream cheese/instant coffee version of Tiramisu with store-bought pound cake standing in as a substitution for ladyfingers. As time passed and semi-Tiramisu ruled the kitchen, I became conditioned to its lackluster qualities and forgot the subtle, refreshing nuances of traditional Tiramisu. Until....

Several years ago our family spent some time in Italy, land of a thousand Tiramisus, and I just may have sampled most of them while I was there. I came back to the states with the knowledge I had experienced the REAL thing, rekindling my passion for authentic Tiramisu. Within days of my return home, I began collecting multiple recipes for Tiramisu off the internet, Aunt Edna's recipe, Papa Scarlatti's recipe, even the Pope's recipe (who knew the Pope made Tiramisu?). In a montage of all these recipes, a Tiramisu recipe was formed in the fond memory of the best I tasted in Italy. To this day it is one of the most beloved dessert recipes I have on file, a recipe I'll have to share with you in the future.

Since I haven't been too clear, today is all about Tiramisu Cake. The cake is, in all aspects, a delicious representation of traditional Tiramisu. Sandwiched between the espresso syrup-soaked cake is a creamy filling of mascarpone and shaved bittersweet chocolate, while the outside of the cake is frosted with espresso whipped cream.

If given a choice, I'd still choose traditional Tiramisu over Tiramisu Cake, only because I prefer the spongy ladyfingers, soggy with espresso, that nestle in the bottom of the dish. I found the cake to be tastiest the day after I made it, when it was lounging on my kitchen counter, still cool from being in the fridge but close enough to room temperature to make the cake soft. To see many other interpretations and pictures of the cake, check out Tuesdays with Dorie.