Tiramisu-making lesson

Some months back, a friend brought a homemade tiramisu to another friend's house for a fellowship meeting. My daalin wallop at least 4 to 5 pieces in one sitting.

Knowing he likes it, I thought of making it for him for Father's Day and asked this friend where she buys the sponge fingers.

She told me that she bakes the sponge herself. Then she asked if I would like to bake together in her house. I gladly took up the offer.

Last Thursday, I had to lie to my Daalin that I was going to work. Well actually I did go out to work. It just wasn't in the clinic.

I googled my friend's address, sketched a simple map and drove to her home located in an area that I had never been to before. Thank God I inherited my dad's sense of direction and map-reading abilities. I didn't get lost.

So we started to bake. My sifu also baked one for herself because it was her mom's birthday the next day.

First we measured out the flour and baking soda.

Then crack 2 eggs in a bowl.

Beat the eggs on high for 5 minutes...

Gradually add in the sugar...

Add flour+baking soda and mix in well.

In a small saucepan, melt butter into milk...

Then pour into batter, beat and pour batter into baking tray.

Put tray into pre-heated oven at 350C and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check constantly.

While the cake baked and then cooled, we prepared the filling and topping.

Prepare coffee+sugar in saucepan and bring to boil for a minute. Then add in the rum. Leave to cool.

While the coffee cooled, I grated the chocolate.

Then sieve icing sugar in a bowl...

...add in mascarpone cheese (very much cheaper bought from a shop in Taman Megah)

....and mix well with grated chocolate flakes. Cover with cling wrap and put in the fridge until ready to use.

For the topping...

Beat whipping cream + kahlua until stiff enough to form soft peaks.

To assemble the cake, cut it into 3 layers. Place bottom layer back in the pan and 'paint' with coffee mixture. The coffee should sufficiently soak the sponge without making it soggy.

Then spread a layer of mascarpone cheese filling...

Repeat with second layer of cake, coffee mixture and filling and a third layer of cake and coffee mixture.

Then cover with the whipping cream + kahlua topping.

Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder and chocolate flakes. Chill in refridgerator.


I brought the tiramisu home and hid it at the back of the fridge before Daalin got home. Thank God he's the kind who's not very good at finding stuff even if the item is right in front of his eyes. Hence he didn't go digging in the fridge and didn't find my secret in the next 3 days.

Sunday night - after we got home from dinner, I brought it out and he was surprised. Then I told him I made it and he was even more surprised.

Nevertheless he was happy and that made it all worth it.

I have an extra tub of mascarpone cheese in the fridge and will probably make this again when I'm in the mood but I'll do it the short cut way using store-bought sponge cake. My sifu says can also try using bahulu (cut and arrange tightly) instead of sponge.