Brown Butter Apple Tiramisu Cake

A hybrid of apple cake, tiramisu, and crème brûlée—soft brown-butter cake layered with cinnamon apples and mascarpone cream.

Serves: 8–10
Prep: 40 min
Bake: 35 min

Ingredients:

Cake

• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1½ cups (190 g) flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup (120 ml) milk

Cinnamon apples

• 2 medium apples, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

Mascarpone cream

• 8 oz (225 g) mascarpone
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• ⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Coffee syrup

• ½ cup (120 ml) strong coffee
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. Pour into a bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
2. Make the cake: Whisk the browned butter with sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, mixing just until combined.
3. Pour into a greased 8-inch round cake pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
4. Cook the apples: Melt butter in a skillet. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt. Cook for 6–8 minutes until tender but not mushy. Cool.
5. Make the cream: Beat mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until thick and spreadable. Don’t overbeat.
6. Make the coffee syrup: Stir the hot coffee, brown sugar, and vanilla together until dissolved. Cool.
7. Assemble: Slice the cake horizontally into two layers. Brush the bottom layer generously with coffee syrup. Spread with half the mascarpone cream, then scatter over half the cinnamon apples.
8. Add the second cake layer. Brush with more coffee syrup and cover with the remaining mascarpone cream. Top with the remaining apples.
9. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

For an extra dramatic finish, sprinkle the top with a little brown sugar and briefly torch it until caramelized and crackly.