Chocolate Tiramisu Cake (with Mascarpone Cream)

This recipe takes everything you love about a rich chocolate cake and pairs it with the dreamy layers of a classic tiramisu. This Chocolate Tiramisu Cake is a mashup that starts with a cocoa-packed base that gets drenched in espresso, and finishes with chocolate mascarpone cream. It’s the perfect dessert to make you feel fancy at a celebration but is comforting and easy enough to whip up for any day.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

• Chocolate Dream: You’re getting a fudgy cake and a chocolatey tiramisu layer. This is basically two desserts in one and it’s any chocolate lover’s dream.
• Make-Ahead: Make-ahead this cake and chill it in the fridge for zero stress before serving. Chilling it also makes it easier to cut!
• Fancy but Simple: This recipe tastes fancy but it’s very straightforward and easy to make.

🍲 Ingredients

Lindt Dark Chocolate – Using high-quality dark chocolate makes all the difference here. It melts beautifully into the batter and whipped cream, giving the whole dessert a deep, luxurious chocolate flavor that feels way more indulgent than the effort required.

Mascarpone Cheese – Mascarpone is what gives tiramisu its signature velvety texture. It blends into the whipped cream, creating a light, airy filling that still tastes rich and silky.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

Make the chocolate cake layer –

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and move an oven rack to the middle of your oven. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray of choice the bottom and sides of the baking dish. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl whisk together cocoa powder, baking powder, flour & salt; set aside.
3. Put butter & Lindt dark chocolate in a small pot. Heat over medium low heat, stirring until smooth.
4. Transfer the melted chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl; let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in oil, sugar, vanilla extract & greek yogurt until combined.
5. Add eggs & mix well.
6. Add dry ingredients into the bowl & whisk until smooth.
7. Pour it into the prepared cake pan & bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes at room temperature. Then, place the pan on a wire rack in the refrigerator to cool completely, about 30-60 minutes.

Make the chocolate whipped cream –

1. Once the cake is fully cooled, make the chocolate whipped cream.
2. Melt the chocolate using the microwave or in a pot over low heat, stirring regularly until melted. Transfer the melted chocolate to a bowl and let cool to almost room temperature. It should still be liquid but not set.
3. While the chocolate cools, use a hand mixer with a large bowl, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whip the mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until fully combined – this could take 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
5. Whisk 1 cup of the whipped cream into the room temperature chocolate until completely combined. Then, with the hand mixer on low, add that chocolate cream back to the whipped cream bowl, increasing the speed after about 1 minute to high and whip unti you get stiff peaks.
6. Then, use a spatula to gently fold the chocolate whipped cream into the mascarpone cream mixture – add the whipped cream in two additions, folding it in with a spatula so that the whipped cream doesn’t collapse. Set aside.

Assemble the chocolate tiramisu cake –

1. Add cooled brewed espresso to a low bowl and stir in the almond extract.
2. Brush the espresso over the cooled chocolate cake layer generously. Let’s measure how much espresso we have so we can give an approximation for how much to brush over the cake layer.
3. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the chocolate cake layer.
4. Then, dip the lady fingers into the cold espresso (a quick dip to get both sides – no more than 1 second per side). Lay the soaked lady fingers on the mascarpone in a single layer. Spread the rest of the mascarpone mixture over the top.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
6. When ready to serve, shave Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% chocolate finely over top of the tiramisu. Cut 12 pieces for serving.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

• Let the Chocolate Cool: If it’s too warm when you mix it with the cream, it can seize or deflate the whipped cream. Give it a few minutes to chill.
• Don’t Over-Soak: A super quick dip of the ladyfingers is all they need. Anything longer and they’ll turn mushy and lose their structure.
• Fully Cooled: Warm cake and mascarpone cream = sliding layers. Pop it in the fridge to speed things up.
• Form Stiff Peaks: Overwhipped cream gets grainy, but perfectly whipped cream will give you that dreamy, cloud-like filling.

🗒 Variations

If you’re a chocolate lover looking for other ways to bake with chocolate, try some of these recipes:

• Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
• No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

🍽️ Best served with

• Vanilla Ice Cream with Pink Salt
• Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container (or tightly covered) in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

🤔 Common Questions

Chocolate Tiramisu Cake (with Mascarpone Cream)

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This Chocolate Tiramisu Cake made with mascarpone cream is to die for. It combines two classic desserts (tiramisu and chocolate cake) to make the most decadent dessert.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Chilling Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian-Inspired

Servings 12 pieces

Calories 590 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the chocolate cake layer

• 140 g Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup neutral oil like avocado or canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the whipped cream

• 1 1/3 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 100 g Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% chocolate bar, melted
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the coffee and lady fingers

• 2 cups brewed Instant coffee or espresso, cooled
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 20-25 ladyfingers

For the topping

• 40 g Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% chocolate, finely shaved

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Instructions

 

Make the chocolate cake layer –

• Preheat the oven to 350F and move an oven rack to the middle of your oven. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray of choice the bottom and sides of the baking dish. Set aside.
• In a small bowl whisk together cocoa powder, baking powder, flour & salt; set aside.
• Put butter & Lindt dark chocolate in a small pot. Heat over medium low heat, stirring until smooth.
• Transfer the melted chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl; let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in oil, sugar, vanilla extract & greek yogurt until combined.
• Add eggs & mix well.
• Add dry ingredients into the bowl & whisk until smooth.
• Pour it into the prepared cake pan & bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes at room temperature. Then, place the pan on a wire rack in the refrigerator to cool completely, about 30-60 minutes.

Make the chocolate whipped cream –

• Once the cake is fully cooled, make the chocolate whipped cream.
• Melt the chocolate using the microwave or in a pot over low heat, stirring regularly until melted. Transfer the melted chocolate to a bowl and let cool to almost room temperature. It should still be liquid but not set.
• While the chocolate cools, use a hand mixer with a large bowl, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whip the mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until fully combined – this could take 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
• Whisk 1 cup of the whipped cream into the room temperature chocolate until completely combined. Then, with the hand mixer on low, add that chocolate cream back to the whipped cream bowl, increasing the speed after about 1 minute to high and whip unti you get stiff peaks.
• Then, use a spatula to gently fold the chocolate whipped cream into the mascarpone cream mixture – add the whipped cream in two additions, folding it in with a spatula so that the whipped cream doesn’t collapse. Set aside.

Assemble the chocolate tiramisu cake –

• Add cooled brewed espresso to a low bowl and stir in the almond extract.
• Brush the espresso over the cooled chocolate cake layer generously. Let’s measure how much espresso we have so we can give an approximation for how much to brush over the cake layer.
• Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the chocolate cake layer.
• Then, dip the lady fingers into the cold espresso (a quick dip to get both sides – no more than 1 second per side). Lay the soaked lady fingers on the mascarpone in a single layer. Spread the rest of the mascarpone mixture over the top.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, shave Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% chocolate finely over top of the tiramisu. Cut 12 pieces for serving.

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Notes

• This cake is made for a celebration!
• For the warmer months, you might enjoy this Pistachio Tiramisu

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 71.1g | Protein: 8.6g | Fat: 31.1g | Saturated Fat: 15.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 82.2mg | Sodium: 148.8mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 46.6g

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