Tiramisu cake

Let it be said, before anyone raises their hand, that this tiramisu tart recipe is a version of one of the quintessential Italian desserts, a different way to make and present it that, I can assure you, is delicious.

The base is a sweet dough, pâte sucrée, which, baked in the De Buyer perforated tart pan, becomes very crispy thanks to the perforations, which allow hot air to enter the dough quickly, improving baking. Also, having a removable base makes it much easier to unmold the dough without having to wait for it to cool completely.

To make the sweet dough we will use a portion of hazelnut flour or very finely ground hazelnuts, whose flavor pairs wonderfully with the coffee-chocolate cream that we will spread over the pâte sucrée before finishing assembling the tart.

If you're like me and your mouth is already watering, I have the foolproof remedy: get to work on the recipe so you don't wait any longer and have it ready by snack time.

Let's get started!

De Buyer tart and quiche pan with baking paper

Ingredients

For the sweet dough (pâte sucrée)

• 150 g butter cut into cubes
• 100 g icing sugar
• 60 g hazelnut flour (hazelnuts ground very finely)
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of salt
• 250 g flour

For the coffee-chocolate cream

• 110 g milk chocolate + 85 g dark chocolate
• 130 g cream (35% fat)
• 15 g honey
• 5 g instant coffee

For the sponge (melindro) dough

• 50 g flour
• 10 g cornflour
• 30 g egg yolk
• 75 g egg white
• 60 g sugar

For the tiramisu cream

• 4 egg yolks
• 120 g sugar
• 250 g mascarpone
• 300 g cream (minimum 30% fat)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla powder or 1 tablespoon dessert vanilla paste.

For the final assembly

• A long espresso coffee
• Unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Preparing the sweet dough

1. In a food processor (if you don't have one, use a large bowl), beat the butter until softened to a pomade consistency.
2. Add the icing sugar and hazelnut flour and mix.
3. Add the salt and the egg and continue mixing until you achieve a homogeneous consistency.
4. Add the flour and mix the minimum time, just until integrated.
5. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for at least one hour.
6. After that time, remove it from the plastic wrap and transfer it to a floured work surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin, giving it a circular shape (marble rolling pins are great for this type of dough because they keep the dough colder longer).
7. Transfer the dough to the De Buyer perforated tart pan with removable base (or to a perforated baking tray, placing a perforated ring on it) previously greased. Press the dough down onto the base and press it with your fingers toward the sides of the pan (it should form a right angle between the sides and the base).
8. Leave the dough in the pan covered with plastic wrap for a minimum of one hour (ideally overnight, until the next day).
9. After resting, bake the dough in a preheated oven at 160 °C for 25 to 30 minutes.

Preparing the coffee-chocolate cream

1. Melt the chocolates in a bain-marie.
2. Meanwhile, heat the cream with the honey and the instant coffee.
3. When the cream boils, remove it from the heat and pour it in three additions over the melted chocolate, mixing between each addition to integrate well so the mixture doesn't split.
4. Chill the cream in the refrigerator and let it cool for 30 minutes.
5. Once the cream has cooled, pour it over the tart base (the sweet dough baked in the previous step) and set aside until the next step.

Preparing the sponge (melindro) dough

1. Place the egg whites in the processor bowl and beat at medium speed until foamy.
2. Add the sugar and continue beating until you obtain a good meringue.
3. Add the egg yolk and fold gently with enveloping movements.
4. Incorporate the sifted flour and cornflour, mixing with gentle movements.
5. Place the batter in a greased ring or in a mold of smaller diameter than the tart base.
6. Bake the dough in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 20 minutes or until it starts to brown and is cooked.

Preparing the tiramisu cream

1. In the processor bowl, lighten the yolks with the sugar and vanilla until they double in volume.
2. Add the mascarpone, beat until incorporated and you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Reserve this cream.
3. Whip the cream very firm in the processor bowl.
4. Add the whipped cream to the reserved cream and mix with a whisk until integrated and the mixture is homogeneous.

Assembling the tart

1. Prepare a long coffee and pour it into a plate or wide bowl.
2. Place the sponge (melindro) dough on the tart base, over the coffee-chocolate cream. Position it so that the part of the sponge dough that will be visible is the whitest base.
3. Brush the sponge with the coffee and spread a good portion of the tiramisu cream with a spatula, until the entire sponge is covered.
4. Put the rest of the cream into a piping bag with a 16 mm fluted piping tip, or into the Le Tube De Buyer gun, and decorate the entire surface of the tart.
5. Dust the tart with cocoa powder.