••••TIRAMISU POUND CAKE••••

(Source: love foodies.com & photos also)

••••YUMMY!!

Tiramisu Pound Cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 10

Ingredients

For the cake ingredients:
• 3/4 cup or 175 g softened butter
• 3/4 cup or 175 ml ml milk
• 1 cup or 200 g regular sugar
• 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 4 Teaspoons of coffee granules dissolved in 2 Tablespoons hot water.
• 1 3/4 cups or 225 g Plain / All purpose flour (sieved)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
The cream cheese filling:
• 8 ounces or 225 g cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup or 50 g regular sugar
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons Marsala wine
Mascarpone frosting:
• 8 ounces or 225 g Mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup or 125 ml chilled heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon Marsala wine (optional)
• Cocoa powder for dusting.
Note:If you have a particularly sweet tooth, add an extra 1/2 cup or 100 g of sugar to the cake ingredients. I find it taste perfect as it is, together with the frosting and cream cheese filling, but I know some will prefer a very sweet cake! 

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 160 C, Gas 3, 300 F. Grease and line your baking tin. 
2. Get all your ingredients ready, i.e dissolve the coffee, sieve the flour, and add the salt and baking powder to the flour etc.
3. Start by making the cream cheese filling.
4. Add all the ingredients to a mixer and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and everything is nice and smooth. 
5. Place in the fridge whilst you make the cake. 
6. Make the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar until a pale light colour. 
7. Slowly add the beaten eggs to the mixer, on a low speed setting, a bit at a time. If the mixture starts to curdle or split, add a spoonful of your sieved flour, keep on adding the eggs, and a bit of flour if necessary, until all the eggs are added. 
8. Add half the milk with half of the flour, keeping the mixer on a slow speed. Once combined, add the coffee mixture, the rest of the milk and flour.
9. Transfer HALF the cake mixture to the greased and lined loaf tin. Then add the cream cheese mixture. Make sure the cream cheese mixture reaches the sides and corners of the pan. Use the back of a spoon to carefully spread evenly. Then add the remaining cake batter and spread evenly. 
10. Place in the oven for approximately 1 hr, using a skewer check if it is cooked. . Every oven varies, so keep an eye on your cake! When done, allow the cake to completely cool then carefully lift it out of the pan by holding the sides of the parchment paper. 
11. To make the Mascarpone Frosting, beat all ingredients in large bowl just to soft peaks.
12. When the cake has completely cooled, frost with any pattern you like then sprinkle a dusting of cocoa powder for decoration.
You can freeze this cake BEFORE frosting, otherwise the cake should be eating within 1 or 2 days because the frosting contains fresh cream. 
** Please note, when you lift the cake from the pan it needs to be cooled. You will note in my photos I was a little too impatient and the cake broke a bit! But waiting and being patient is not one of my strong points!!