Dirty Chai Tiramisu Chocolate Cake

4.86 from 14 votes

The cake I would make if my birthday was in October, this Dirty Chai Tiramisu Chocolate Cake is full of flavor, fluffy, and not too sweet.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Chilling8

Total Time8 50

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Dessert

Cuisine: Indian, Italian

Keyword: birthday cake, chai, dirty chai, october, tiramisu

Servings:

Calories: 666kcal

Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine.
Add in the egg, butter, sour cream, vanilla, and espresso. Beat with a mixer until just smooth.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Spray the bottom 7" metal cake pan with your baking spray and then pour in the chocolate batter.
Smooth out the cake with a rubber spatula.
Bake in the hot oven for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the cake pan. Remove the cake and leave it to cool completely on a cooling rack.

In a medium sauce pot add in the water, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and tea bags. Place over medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let steep for another 5 minutes.
Pour the soak through a fine mesh sieve into a shallow dish. Add in the espresso and allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, whip together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whip on high until pale and thick. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Then add in the mascarpone and cardamom, and whip again until smooth.
Pour in the cold heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form.

Use a large serrated knife to level off the top of the cake. Use a toothpick to poke extra holes into the top of the cake especially on the edges.
Lay a piece of parchment paper on a flat tray or plate that will fit the cake and fit in your fridge.
Place the chocolate cake layer on the parchment and then place the cake ring and if you have it the acetate ring around the cake. Tighten until snug around the cake.
Use a ladle or a measuring cup with a spout to soak the cake with 100 grams of the soak.
Add about 1 cup of the tiramisu cream over the cake and smooth out with the back of a spoon.
Soak one lady finger at a time for 3 seconds on each side and cover the layer of cream with them. For a 7" cake I used 6 lady fingers. Feel free to break one or two to fit them.
Repeat with another cup of the cream, and another layer of soaked lady fingers, followed by one more layer of cream.
Smooth out the top and cover the surface with a sheet of plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge to set overnight or at least 8 hours.

Just before serving, remove the cake collar and unwrap the acetate ring.
Dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder.
Use a thin sharp knife to cut the cake into 8 slices. Serve immediately, store any leftovers in the fridge.

Tips for making a Dirty Chai Tiramisu Chocolate Cake

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature - this will help get a smooth and fluffy cake batter.
Don't over bake the chocolate cake. It can be so easy to over bake a chocolate cake, so once you hit 20 minutes - if you don't think it's ready, check it every minute.
I used a 7" springform pan for this cake but if you want to make a larger version, use a 9" pan and double everything!
If you don't have an espresso machine, you can get espresso in a to go cup at your local coffee shop or use cold brew!
To assemble this cake you’ll have the best success with a sheet of acetate and a cake collar. I love this cake ring from ikea but any ring or even a springform pan will work to create the stability to stack the cake. For crisp edges you’ll also want to use a sheet of acetate, this is more optional but it will give you a cleaner finish.