Serves 8 to 10
A delicious mash-up of sticky toffee pudding, tiramisu, and a festive trifle, rum and coffee infused sticky toffee pudding cake is layered with lemony mascarpone. Requires a little extra work, but worthy of the holidays. We borrowed the cake from our best-ever Espresso Sticky Toffee Pudding—best made a few days in advance for this recipe. Layer your trifle a few hours before your guests arrive and let chill in your fridge until dessert time. Here we use an eggless mascarpone filling – no messing with a double boiler – less fuss and more time to savor and enjoy the Holidays.
Ingredients:
Cake
- 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
- 1¼ cups hot freshly brewed coffee (see Note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates (about 24 small or 12 to 14 large dates), pitted and chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Trifle
- Three 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- Kosher salt
- 3 cups (1½ pints) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 2 cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled (see Note)
- 2 Tablespoons rum or brandy
- Unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)
Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square metal baking pan with butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk the hot coffee with the baking soda. Add the dates and let stand for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or in a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the 1½ sticks of butter with both sugars at medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add the lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Beat in the espresso soaked dates and their liquid—the mixture will look curdled. Gradually add the dry ingredients until the batter is just combined, scraping the sides as needed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, or until the center is set and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely. If possible, prepare cake a day in advance of assembling your trifle.
Assemble the Trifle:
In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt until smooth. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a medium bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the heavy creamy at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone until smooth and fluffy. Chill until you’re ready to assemble your trifle.
In a shallow bowl, whisk the coffee with the rum. Remove the cake from the pan and trim the edges, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Working with a third of the cake at a time, quickly dunk each piece of cake in the coffee mixture and then arrange in the bottom of a 12- to 14-cup trifle bowl. Top with a third of the mascarpone filling (about 2 cups) and spread in an even layer. Repeat two more times with the remaining cake, coffee mixture, and mascarpone filling. Smooth the top of your tiramisu with an offset spatula. If desired, reserve some of the mascarpone for decorating the top. (We like to transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe out small dollops all over the top shortly before serving).
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours. Discard the plastic wrap and generously dust the top with cocoa powder, if using. (If you’re decorating the top, do this right before dusting with cocoa powder). Serve right away.
NOTE If you do not have a coffee maker, you can substitute with an equal amount of boiling water mixed with 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder for the cake and 2 tablespoons for the tiramisu trifle.
Recipe and photos by Julia Heffelfinger @JuliaHeff
