Ingredients

Vanilla Espresso Sponge Cake:

• 1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (220 g) vegan unsalted butter (melted) or neutral oil
• 1 cup (240 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract (yes, 2 tablespoons!!)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) dairy free milk, like oat milk or soy milk
• 3 1/2 cup (420 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tbsp flour

Vegan Mascarpone filling:

• 1 1/2 batches vegan mascarpone cheese
• 1/3 cup vegan heavy cream, COLD
• 4 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp vanilla bean extract
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Remaining components:

• 1 cup (8 ounces) vegan cream cheese, cold
• 1 cup (226 g) vegan butter, room temperature
• 4 cups (540 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Prep: I recommend making the mascarpone cheese the day before, as then it has ample time to cool in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Mix the espresso powder with 1 tbsp of hot water to dissolve, then place into the fridge to cool. You don’t want it to be super hot going into the cake batter.
3. Make the vanilla cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted vegan butter, granulated sugar, dairy free yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste. Then add in the vinegar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk to combine. Finally, add in the flour and dairy free milk. Whisk JUST until combined.
4. Make the espresso cake batter: Divide about 1/3 of the cake batter into a separate small bowl, and add in the espresso and additional 1 tbsp of flour to the small bowl with the cake batter. Whisk gently to incorporate the espresso into the cake batter.
5. Assemble the cake batter: Pour the vanilla cake batter evenly into each cake pan. Then dollop half of the espresso batter into one pan, then dollop the remaining batter into the other. Gently swirl the cake batter with a butter knife, being careful not to over swirl.
6. Bake: Place the cake pans into the oven to bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in their cake pans before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack.
7. Make the sweet mascarpone cream: First start by  using a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the heavy vegan cream until soft peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean extract, vanilla bean paste, and sea salt, and cream again to incorporate. Add in the mascarpone cheese, and switch to a silicone spatula. Fold the mascarpone into the vegan whipped cream mixture, just folding until the mascarpone is evenly distributed. Be careful NOT to stir, but rather fold. Set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes.
8. Make the cream cheese frosting: 
   Chill the bowl for 5 minutes in the fridge or freezer before beginning. Make sure all ingredients are prepped.
   Add vegan butter and vegan cream cheese to a large bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer. Cream together until combined.
   Then add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, continuing the beat the mixture until it’s a thick frosting.
9. Assemble the tiramisu cake: Once the cake layers are fully cooled, it’s time to assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on a cake plate or turntable, and spoon some vegan cream cheese frosting into a piping bag, with the tip cut off. Pipe a wall of cream cheese frosting around the outer top edge of the cake. The center will be where the mascarpone goes. Spoon about 1/2-2/3 cup of mascarpone filling into the center (you will have leftover mascarpone to pipe on the top of the cake). Place the second cake layer on top and promptly coat the outside of the cake in cream cheese frosting to create a crumb coat. Place the tiramisu cake into the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
10. Finish decorating: After the cake has set in the fridge, remove the cake and finish frosting the cake as desired, piping the remaining mascarpone filling on top. Dust the cake with cocoa powder. If serving at a later point, hold off on piping the mascarpone until 10-20 minutes before serving. The cocoa powder will soak too much into the piped mascarpone, and soften the mascarpone.
11. Slice and serve! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days.