I have a friend who really likes tiramisù and so over the years I had made a couple of tiramisù-themed birthday cakes. That’s where it started. I myself though knew that I felt pretty neutral towards the utter majesty that is tiramisù – creamy clouds of mascarpone cream, the sweetness-moderating bitterness of coffee and cocoa powder, the way the sharp tang of alcohol cuts through the cream… Neutral. So very, very neutral.
But then I noticed I was making tiramisù-themed things for no specific occasion. And I wanted to either remake desserts with tiramisù flavours or remake tiramisù with a variety of other flavours… and so eventually I just had to come to terms with it: I love tiramisù.
And so here we are again… this time with one of my new dessert loves: the double fromage. If you’ve been to Le Tao, a Japanese cheesecake store which has started opening up some shops in Canada, this is very much inspired by them. The “double” in double fromage refers to the two layers of cheese components: a cheesecake, topped with a mascarpone mousse. This all sits on a sponge cake base, while crumbled spongecake crumbs make the cute, fuzzy coating.
When you have tiramisù-tinted lens like me, mascarpone screams (or at least quietly cries) tiramisù! This take on a double fromage has a chocolate sponge cake, a coffee flavoured cheesecake, and a marsala-spiked mascarpone mousse.
While inspired by Le Tao and partially based off of the original recipe (which I found via Bizarre Island), this take is bit different texturally. The original’s baked cheesecake layer has the firmness and slightly coarse texture typical of a baked cheesecake. However, I have been obsessed with making Stella Parks’s super creamy baked cheesecake recipe. Paired with the original mousse recipe, the mousse that was actually a bit firmer than the cheesecake layer below. It made for a bit of a strange combination. In subsequent batches, I adjusted the mousse to make it super soft which was a better combination with the softer cheesecake layer below. This way the fork slides nicely through a slice of cake – right through the mousse, with a tiny bit of resistance as it transitions into the cheesecake layer below.
tiramisù double fromage
Sponge cake adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen. Cheesecake adapted from Stella Parks. Mousse (sort of ish) and assembly of the double fromage based on Bizarre Island. I’ve also tried as low as 1/2 tsp gelatin in the mousse which is sufficient, but the 3/4 tsp gives a bit of extra insurance for the structure.
chocolate sponge cake
- 55g flour
- 15g cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 50g granulated sugar
coffee cheesecake
- 280g block cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5g (1 ½ sachets) instant coffee powder dissolved in 2 tsp hot water (I’ve been using the Starbucks microground one)
- 75g granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 75g egg (1 ½ large eggs)
- 42g heavy cream
mascarpone mousse
- 3/4 tsp powdered gelatin bloomed in 1 tbsp water
- 2 egg yolks
- 50g granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp marsala (optional)
- 130g mascarpone
- 200g heavy cream
outer layer
- 1/4 cup reserved mascarpone mousse
- the reserved sponge cake scraps
chocolate sponge cake
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 7 to 9″ square pan with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until frothy, sprinkle in the sugar, and then continue whipping until very light and fluffy. They are done when you can draw a figure-eight with a ribbon of batter flowing from the whisk, and it stays on the surface of the batter for at least 10 seconds.
Sift a third of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold in until no streaks or lumps of flour remain. Repeat twice more until all the flour is incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out with a small offset spatula. Bake the cake for around 25 minutes or until browned and an inserted skewer is removed clean.
This will form the bottom layer of the cheesecake. Grab the 16cm/7″ springform pan you’ll be using and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Be sure you line the sides right up to the top of the pan, and even a few cm higher so it can contain all the layers of the cheesecake.
Once the cake is completely cool, trim the crusts from the cake. Use the pan as a guide to cut the cake into a circle the right size. Trim the layer so it is about 1.5 – 1cm tall (I went on the thicker end of this range in version photographed). Save the cake scraps in an airtight container.
coffee cheesecake
Preheat the oven to 250F. Have the springform pan prepared, with the layer of sponge cake in the bottom.
Cream the cream cheese with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and instant coffee and stir until mixed. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until just combined.
Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Add to the cream cheese in a few additions. Be sure to scrape down the spoon as you do so.
Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until it bubbles (watch carefully!). Add this to the batter and stir until combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. If you see small bubbles rising to the surface of the cheesecake, bounce a spoon across the surface until the bubbles disappear.
Place in the oven and bake for around 35-45 minutes or until only the centre few inches of the cake is wobbly and the internal temperature taken in the middle is at least 145F. Let cool at room temperature, then chill in the fridge overnight. Do not remove the parchment paper – keep it in place as you need it to hold the mascarpone mousse as well.
mascarpone mousse
Bloom the gelatin in the water and then set aside.
In a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water, combine the egg yolks and sugar together. Whisking constantly, cook the egg yolks until they become thick, light and fluffy and the temperature reaches 140F (it’s important to whisk well so the yolks thicken up as this helps give structure to the mousse). Whisk in the gelatin until dissolved.
Whisk in the marsala, then add the mascarpone, a spoonful at a time. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.
Whip the cream. Whisk a dollop of cream into the mascarpone mixture, then fold in the remainder.
Reserve 1/4 cup of mousse in a container and store in the fridge. Scrape the remaining mousse overtop of the cheesecake and spread into a smooth layer with a small offset spatula. Cover and chill overnight.
outer layer
Press the leftover cake scraps through a sieve to form fine crumbs.
Remove the sides of the springform pan and peel the parchment from the sides of the cake. The parchment will have wrinkled and so the sides of the cake will not be smooth, but you’ll be covering it all up so it’s alright! Keep the cake on the bottom of the springform pan so it will have some support and you can lift it up easily.
Warm the reserved mascarpone mousse in the microwave until it loosens (7 seconds was sufficient for me). Use a small offset spatula to spread a thin layer over the sides of the cake.
Take handfuls of crumbs and pat them along the sides of the cake. Sprinkle crumbs on the top surface of the cake. Once your cake is as evenly coated as you can get it, you’re done!
tentimestea 