Tiramisu cake with plums: A fruity layered dessert
A classic Italian dessert usually delights even in its traditional form. But sometimes it's worth venturing off the beaten path and swapping the spoon for a cake fork.
- 600 g firm, ripe plums
- 70 g sugar
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 50 ml water
- 20 g cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons of cold water
- 250 ml strong espresso (cooled)
- 2 EL Amaretto (optional)
- 500 g Mascarpone
- 250 g low-fat quark
- 80 g icing sugar
- 1 TL Vanilleextrakt
- 300 ml whipping cream
- 2 Pack. Sahnesteif
- 300 g ladyfingers
- 2 tbsp baking cocoa
- 100g firm plums
- 30 g dark chocolate
- Wash the plums, halve them and remove the stones. Cut the flesh into small cubes.
- Put the diced plums, sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and 50 ml of water into a small pot.
- Let the mixture simmer for 6-8 minutes, until the plums are soft and release juice.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
- Add the starch mixture to the plum compote and bring everything to a boil briefly while stirring until the liquid thickens noticeably.
- Pour the compote into a bowl and let it cool completely.
- Prepare the strong espresso and let it cool completely as well.
- Optionally, stir the Amaretto into the cold espresso.
- Place mascarpone, low-fat quark, icing sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Briefly mix everything until you have a smooth cream.
- Put the whipping cream and cream stabilizer into a second bowl and whip the cream until stiff.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cream.
- Line the bottom of the springform pan with baking paper.
- Dip half of the ladyfingers very briefly into the espresso mixture and use them to cover the bottom of the dish. Trim any remaining ladyfingers to fit and fill any larger gaps.
- Spread half of the mascarpone cream onto the ladyfingers.
- Pour the completely cooled plum compote on top and smooth it out. Leave about a centimeter free around the edge so the cake remains stable.
- Dip the remaining ladyfingers briefly in the espresso and place them on top of the fruit layer.
- Spread the remaining mascarpone cream on top and smooth the surface.
- Place the plum tiramisu cake in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Sift the baking cocoa over the surface just before cutting.
- Wash the plums for the topping, halve and pit them. Cut them into thin wedges and arrange them on the cake.
- Chop the dark chocolate finely and spread it over the surface.
Plum tiramisu cake with plum compote and mascarpone cream
We usually drink our coffee neatly alongside our pastries and bake the stone fruit into the dough. Here, both components come together in perfect harmony, melding seamlessly in every bite. The coffee's subtle bitter notes and intense roasted aromas create a wonderful counterpoint to the natural sweetness of the cooked fruit. At the same time, a touch of cinnamon provides an aromatic bridge to the rich mascarpone cream. You get the familiar taste of this popular layered dessert, but the fruity component elevates it to a whole new level. Especially in late summer or early autumn, this combination brings a delightful change to your coffee break.
Before you begin layering, the homemade plum compote needs sufficient time to cool. This step is absolutely crucial for the stability of your creation. A still-warm fruit mixture would immediately melt the delicate mascarpone cream and turn the sponge cakes into a soggy mess. To ensure the fruit layer stays exactly where it should when you cut into it, thicken the compote with a little cornstarch while cooking. The cornstarch gels when heated and gives the mixture a firm structure after cooling. This ensures clean edges and prevents the juice from leaking out uncontrollably.
Handling the ladyfingers requires a bit of finesse. You should only dip the delicate biscuits into the liquid for a fraction of a second. If you leave them in the coffee for too long, they'll become completely saturated and the whole thing will lose its structure. Keep in mind that the biscuits will absorb more moisture from the cream and compote while they rest in the refrigerator. So they'll soften on their own. If you'd like to round out the flavor, you can add a splash of Amaretto to the espresso. The liqueur perfectly complements the delicate almond aroma of the biscuits, but can easily be omitted for an alcohol-free version.
