Hi,

  I would like to make a tiramisu cake, and I was wondering if anyone might have some advice for me.  I would like to make a cake that would take the place of store-bought lady fingers.  I usually love to experiment and make several different recipes to see what I like the best, but I really don’t have much “experimenting” time and would love to make a delicous cake on the first try, so any advice and recipes would really be appreciated!  Thanks so much!

Nick Malgieri likes to use Pan di Spagna for Tiramisu—it’s the Italian version of sponge cake. There’s a recipe for Tiramisu in his “Great Italian Desserts” and also in his “Perfect Cakes.” I haven’t made this recipe myself—yet!

I believe Rose has a recipe in Rose’s Melting Pot.  I think it uses the biscuit de savoie from the cake bible.  I don’t have it right in front of me, so maybe someone could confirm this.

I was thinking something along those lines too Matthew, but I just looked and see that Rose’s recipe from The Melting Pot calls for Savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers).  She notes: Homemade ladyfingers can be used if desired, but are too fragile to dip and should instead be brushed with espresso syrup.

CAKEMUNCHKIN:
  Good afternoon. If I have one recipe for “TIRAMISU” dessert I must have 20 or 30 of them, mostly built around a cake.
I have looked for that folder but I am not able to locate it. However most of the info that I have came from this website a few years ago. GO TO:

http://italianfood.about.com

  Once there print out a search for tiramisu recipes. Hopefully when you complete this cake you will report back & let us know what you have learned. I made this dessert about 7 years ago twice & I made the mascapone cheese myself…but I cannot remember how it turned out.
Good luck & enjoy the rest of the day.

~FRESHKID.

I like to use the yellow butter cake and soak it with a coffee syrup (as for Opera Cake), then make a dam of buttercream around the perimeter of the cake, and fill with the mascarpone filling.  I also like to guild the lily by adding some shaved chocolate to the mascarpone filling.  You can make this a two cake layer/one filling layer or a three cake layer, two filling layer dessert.  How to finish the top is up to you - you could decoratively pipe any left over filling on the top; smooth the remaining buttercream on the sides and make a chocolate lattice (as in the Strawberry Maria from the Cake Bible).  Sift a little cocoa on the top and it’s ready!