Black and White Tiramisu

Like the quiet balance you find across the cosmos, this black and white tiramisu is built on contrast: deep, bittersweet layers against a cloud of mascarpone. A one-bowl sponge carries a gentle coffee soak without losing its structure while the long, shallow shape of the Galileo Shuttlecraft Casserole encourages wide, generous layering. Finished with finely grated dark chocolate, it feels familiar yet just a touch otherworldly.

Black cocoa sponge cake:

4 large eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all purpose flour (95 g)

¼ cup black cocoa powder (25 g)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (15 g)

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Coffee soak:

1½ cups hot coffee

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon amaro (optional)

Mascarpone cream:

4 large egg yolks

½ cup granulated sugar

1½ cups mascarpone

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch Kosher salt

1 cup heavy cream, cold

Assembly:

1 dark chocolate bar

For the black cocoa sponge cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13” sheet pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix on high for 3 to 5 minutes, until pale and thick. If you don’t have a stand mixer, whisk by hand for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture looks whipped and runs off the whisk like thick pancake batter.

Stir together flour, cocoa powders, salt and baking powder. Gently sprinkle half of the mixture over the egg wet ingredients, gently folding until smooth. Repeat, gently sprinkling in the remaining dry mixture and folding again until smooth. Fold in the melted butter until smooth.

Transfer to the prepared sheet pan and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the cake is just set. Cool completely, then invert on a flat surface and cut into shapes to fit the width of your container.

For the coffee soak:

To make the coffee soak, whisk the cocoa powder and sugar into the hot coffee and let cool. Stir in the amaro. 

For the mascarpone cream:

While the coffee cools, prepare the mascarpone cream. In a double boiler, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Remove from the double boiler and let cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the mascarpone, vanilla and salt until smooth. Using a stand mixer or whisk, whip the heavy cream until soft to medium peaks form, then gently fold into the mascarpone mixture until smooth.

To assemble:

Add your first layer of black cocoa sponge to the bottom of the dish. Drizzle with half of the coffee mixture. Pipe or spoon on half of the mascarpone cream. Using a grater or microplane, shave a generous amount of the dark chocolate bar on top. Repeat with the second layer of black cocoa sponge, drizzle with the remaining coffee mixture, and pipe or spoon the remaining half of the mascarpone cream on top. Finish with another shaving of the dark chocolate bar.

Cover and chill for at least 6 hours before serving.