Tiramisu Choux Cake
Luscious and creamy with a melt-in-your mouth texture this layered Tiramisu Choux Cake is made with choux pastry dough sandwiched between a traditional tiramisu filling. It’s similar to a cream puff but easier to make and is perfect for special occasions!
If you were to combine tiramisu cake and an Italian baked bigne the result would be this amazing tiramisu choux cake. Light choux pastry dough is made into a layered cake then filled with classic tiramisu for a show stopping dessert!
While making pate a choux dough does sound fancy, it’s easier than you think, especially when you are making it into a cake that requires no shaping or piping!
The decadent tiramisu filling compliments the pastry cake to perfection and it becomes the most irresistible dessert. Serve this cake at the holidays or for any special occasion and it is sure to wow your guests!
Why You’ll Love This Choux Pastry Cake
- Light and flavorful: A light pate a choux dough is filled with the best tiramisu filling and then layered into a cake! It doesn’t get much better than that!
- Easy to make: With no need to fill individual tiramisu cream puffs, this cake requires no shaping and still is a showstopper!
- Dessert perfection: If you love French choux pastries and Italian tiramisu, this dessert is the perfect combination of the two!
- Crowd pleasing: This fun dessert is perfect for any special occasion, including holidays, birthdays or even just a weekend baking project.
Recipe Ingredients
This tiramisu choux cake has two main components: the choux pastry dough and tiramisu filling!
- Choux cake pastry: Water, granulated sugar, butter, salt, all-purpose flour and 4 large eggs.
- Tiramisu filling: Egg, granulated sugar, mascarpone, heavy cream and brewed coffee.
How to Make Tiramisu Choux Cake
To start, make your choux cake dough by adding water, butter, sugar and salt to a medium saucepan on the stovetop and then using a whisk or wooden spoon combine the ingredients over low heat. When the mixture starts to come to a rolling boil remove it from the heat and add the flour all at once. Mix quickly and combine well with a wooden spoon.
Place the pot back on the stove and stir the mixture rapidly with a wooden spoon to allow the choux pastry to dry. When it starts to form a ball and loses its wet appearance, it’s time to remove it from the heat.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl fitted with flat beaters and mix on low until the choux cools enough to add the eggs.
When ready, add eggs one at a time and beat well before adding the next egg.
Divide the batter evenly between two parchment lined 8-inch round cake pans and bake. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door and leave the cakes in the oven to dry.
While the cakes rest, make your tiramisu filling! In a large bowl beat together the sugar and egg until frothy, then add the mascarpone, cream and coffee and beat until thickened.
It’s time to assemble your tiramisu choux cake! Remove cake from oven, cool completely then remove from pans. Place one cake on a clean plate spread with the tiramisu filling.
Top with the remaining cake then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, dust cake with unsweetened cocoa powder, slice and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
- Milk: Feel free to replace some of the water with milk for a slightly softer and richer choux pastry dough.
- Raw eggs: Try using an egg replacer or replace the granulated sugar with powdered sugar.
- Butter: You can use salted butter or unsalted butter and adjust added salt accordingly.
- Liqueur: Replace the coffee with cream de cacao, brandy or rum if you aren’t serving it to the kids.
- No choux pastry: While this cake is the best introduction to making choux pastry dough if the thought still intimidates you, you can use pound cake or even angel food cake like in this lemon tiramisu cake.
- Filling: Instead of a tiramisu filling, you can use Italian pastry cream like I do in this zeppole di san giuseppe or try this coffee pastry cream or lemon pastry cream.
- Garnish: Instead of dusting with cocoa powder, try drizzling with chocolate ganache or even serving with fresh berries and whipped cream.
Baking Tips
- Room temperature ingredients: Bring any eggs used in the cake and filling to room temperature first as they will incorporate better with the other ingredients. While we are at it, bring the mascarpone to room temperature as well.
- Cool the dough: Before beating in the egg, cool the dough almost completely! You don’t want cooked egg in your dough.
- Add some water to a pan in the oven: Before baking, place a metal pan on the bottom rack and add a cup of water. The steam in the oven will help the pastry choux cake rise even further for a lighter cake.
- Don’t open the oven door: While your cake bakes don’t open the oven or your pastry cake may not puff.
- Measure accurately: For the best choux pastry cake, adhere to the ingredients and measurements.
- Adhere to the timing: Resting your cake in the oven helps keep the exterior dry as the interior moisture dissipates, resulting in choux that will hold its crunch even when filled with the tiramisu filling and chilled several hours.
Recipe FAQs
A choux pastry dough is made from water and flour then enriched by slowly incorporating eggs while beating the dough paste. The dough is then baked which results in a crisp shell with a hollow center. It’s light yet rich tasting and much different from a flaky shortcrust or even puff pastry.
While the assembled cake is best served fresh, you can make the choux pastry dough 3 days in advance. Prepare dough through step 4, then cover and refrigerate it until ready to bake. You can also freeze the dough up to 3 months in advance. Thaw and proceed with the recipe.
How to store leftover tiramisu choux cake?
Similar to an eclair, you can store your cake in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You may notice some moisture loss and sogginess may develop. It will still taste delicious!
Can I freeze leftover cake?
Yes! For longer storage, you can freeze slices of your choux pastry cake with tiramisu filling. Wrap slices in plastic wrap, then foil and store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator then enjoy!
More Dessert Recipes To Try
- Kouign Amann
- Cinnamon Sugar Puff Pastry Palmiers
- Italian Struffoli
- Italian Cream Filled Tarts
- Italian Castagnole
If you have always loved cream puffs but felt a bit intimidated to make, this Choux Cake is the perfect way to give it a try. I hope you do and let me know how you liked it. Enjoy!
Tiramisu Choux Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOUX CAKE
- ¾ cup water
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons butter
- 1 pinch salt*
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
*If using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon salt.
TIRAMISU FILLING
- 1 large egg (room temperature)*
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar*
- 9 ounces mascarpone (room temperature)
- 1 cup cream whole, heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
- 2 tablespoons coffee
*For the replacement of raw eggs, you can try using a product called Egg Replacer or there are now pasteurized eggs available. Or you can leave it out completely, if you do then substitute powdered/icing sugar for granulated sugar.
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375F/190C. Line two 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
FOR THE CHOUX CAKE
- In a medium pot or saucepan on medium heat, add the water, butter, sugar and salt using a whisk or wooden spoon to combine as the butter melts, when it starts to come to a rolling boil remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Mix quickly and combine well with a wooden spoon.
- Place the pot back on the low heat and stir the mixture rapidly with a wooden spoon for approximately 2-3 minutes to allow the choux pastry to dry, it is ready when it starts to form a ball, loses its wet appearance and leaves white skin on the bottom of the pot, remove it from the heat.
- Transfer the dough to your mixing bowl and with the flat beater attachment start to mix on low for 1-2 minutes until the choux cools enough to add the eggs.
- Add one egg at a time and beat well before adding the next egg. Scrape the bowl down after adding each egg. The dough batter should be glossy and creamy and fall in a stream from your paddle.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for approximately 20 minutes (a toothpick inserted should come out dry). Turn off the oven. Leave the cakes in the oven to dry for 30 minutes, leave the door open a crack, I use a wooden spoon handle inserted to keep it open. Then remove from the oven and let cool completely, remove from the pan. Place a cake on a clean plate spread with the filling top with the remaining cake, cover and refrigerate 5-8 hours, dust with unsweetened cocoa before serving. Enjoy!
FOR THE FILLING
- In a large bowl beat together the sugar and egg until frothy, then add the mascarpone, cream and coffee, beat until thickened, make it as thick as you desire, some like it thicker and some creamier.
If you decide to not add the egg then be sure to substitute with 1½ tablespoons powdered sugar.
Tiramisu Choux Cake
Ingredients
CHOUX PASTRY
- ¾ cup water
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
TIRAMISU FILLING
- 1 large egg (optional)*
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
- 1 cup mascarpone (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon mascarpone (room temperature)
- 1 cup cream whole/heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
- 1 tablespoon cream whole/heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
*For the replacement of raw eggs, you can try using a product called Egg Replacer or there are now pasteurized eggs available. Or you can leave it out completely, if you do then substitute powdered/icing sugar for granulated sugar.
For room temperature remove from the fridge 45-60 minutes before using.
Instructions
FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY
- In a medium pot on medium heat, add the water, butter, sugar and salt mixing to combine as the butter melts, when it starts to come to a rolling boil remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Mix quickly and combine well with a wooden spoon.
- Place the pot on low heat and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon for approximately 2 minutes to allow the choux pastry to dry, it is ready when it starts to form a ball, loses its wet appearance and leaves white skin on the bottom of the pot, remove it from the heat.
- Pre-heat oven to 375F (190° C). Lightly spray or line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- Transfer the dough to your mixing bowl and with the flat beater attachment start to mix on low for 1-2 minutes until the choux cools enough to add the eggs. Add one egg at a time and beat well before adding the next egg, one at a time. Scrape the bowl down after adding each egg. The dough batter should be glossy and creamy and fall in a stream from your paddle.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden and baked through. Turn off the oven. Leave the cakes in the oven to dry for an additional 25-30 minutes, leave the oven door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon handle in the door.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and move to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling make the filling.
FOR THE TIRAMISU FILLING
- In a large bowl beat together the sugar and egg until frothy, then add the coffee, mascarpone and cream, beat until thickened. If you don't use the egg, then beat the powdered sugar with the mascarpone and cream until thickened.
- Place one of the cakes on a cake plate and fill with the filling, top with the second cake and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. Dust with unsweetened cocoa before serving.