This Tiramisu recipe is the perfect no-bake dessert to serve when baking is not an option and you want something impressive and delicious. Whether made as a cake or as individual cups, this cake always ignites a lot of “wow’s” around the table.

I love individually portioned desserts, not only are they just the perfect bite to finish off a meal, but they also cut off the temptation to eat more than you should.

This Tiramisu recipe is every coffee lover’s dream. The ladyfingers are softened with some strong, spiked coffee and then layered with silky cream. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as my family does!

What is Tiramisu? 

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert, the name of which translates as “pick me up”. This coffee flavored dessert is made with ladyfingers softened with coffee and spiked with some sort of liquor, then layered with a delicious light and creamy custard flavored cheesecake mixture.

Tiramisu Ingredients

• An authentic Tiramisu recipe will have the following ingredients: ladyfingers dipped in coffee, Tiramisu cream, and cocoa.
• The cream is typically made with eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese. Marsala wine is often used to spike the cream, but other liquors like Bailey’s, Irish Cream, Kahlua, brandy, Malibu or Madiera can be used as well.

To make this Tiramisu recipe easier to make I have made the following changes:
In my recipe, I replace the whipped egg whites with the whipped heavy cream. Next, in place of mascarpone cream, I used cream cheese (since it’s a more common ingredient).

Substitutions for Alcohol

There’s no true substitution for alcohol itself, but Rum Flavor can be used as a substitute for the flavor.

Tiramisu Recipe

Ingredients for the Tiramisu

• This recipe uses cream cheese in place of mascarpone cheese since it’s easier and cheaper to buy. If you would like though, feel free to replace the cream cheese with mascarpone.
• Even though the Tiramisu cream uses raw egg yolks, they become completely safe to consume once they go through the process of heating over the water bath.
• Liquor: use any liquor that’s similar to Bailey’s, such as Kahlua, or Irish Cream. For a no-alcohol version, use Rum Flavor.

Make the Coffee Syrup

• Dissolve the instant coffee with hot water, then combine with the cold water, Bailey’s liqueur and the vanilla extract in a large bowl.

How to make the Tiramisu Cream:

The process involves 4 steps –

1. whipping cream cheese,
2. whipping heavy cream,
3. heating and whipping the egg yolks and sugar,
4. then combining the above 3 together.

• Step 1: Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Then, whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar, set them over the simmering sauce pot and continue whisking until the egg yolks mixture is hot to the touch and registers at 160F.
  Then transfer to the mixer and continue whipping on high until the bowl is cool to the touch.

• Step 2: Meanwhile, whip the cream cheese. Then fold the Sabayon Cream with the whipped cream cheese.

• Step 3: Now fold in the whipped cream into the above mixture, adding the vanilla extract and Bailey’s liqueur.

Assemble the Tiramisu

• Gather the Tiramisu Cream, Coffee Syrup, ladyfingers and the containers in which the tiramisu will be built.

• Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture very quickly, then layer the bottom of the cups with them. Follow with 1 medium ice cream scoop of cream (or a heaping spoon) and a dusting of cocoa. Then repeat with the coffee soaked ladyfingers, cream and cocoa again. Tap the glass against the counter to even out the cream layers.

• Alternatively, you can fit a piping bag with a large French star tip, then fill it with the Tiramisu Cream and pipe the cream into the cups.
• You can use any kind of small container to build the Tiramisu Cups. The first picture is built in a cup from the Oui Yogurt, second is the disposable 5 oz cup, third is a glass from the Costco caramel dessert. As long as the cups are about 4-6 oz, they’re ok to use for this Tiramisu dessert.

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Tiramisu Recipe

4.8 from 5 votes

Tiramisu Recipe - no-bake dessert with fluffy and creamy Sabayon based Tiramisu cream and coffee soaked ladyfingers.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: no bake tiramisu

Calories: 229 kcal

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 26 servings

Ingredients

Sabayon Sauce

• 6 egg yolks (use up to 12 egg yolks per recipe for added richness)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

For Tiramisu Cream (fold this into the Sabayon Sauce)

• 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Coffee Syrup:

• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream Liquor
• 2 Tbsp instant coffee (Or Starbucks Viva Packets, or shots of espresso)

Also:

• 34 Ladyfingers (Savoiardi cookies)
• Chocolate bar for chocolate shavings/curls
• Cocoa powder for dusting the top
• 26 cups 5 oz size plastic or glass cups/jars

Instructions

1. Whip 16 oz of cold cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, scraping the bottom of the bowl occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a different bowl and refrigerate. 

Make coffee syrup:

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of instant coffee with 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir until dissolved. Add 1 1/2 cups iced water and 3 tablespoons of liqueur. Stir. Set aside.

Make the Sabayon Sauce:

1. Set up the water bath: Fill a saucepot with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low.

2. Meanwhile in a heatproof mixer bowl that is wider than the saucepan whisk 6 egg yolks and 1 cups granulated sugar and set over the boiling water in the saucepot. Cook the egg/sugar mixture while continuously whisking until the egg yolks are hot to the touch (no more than 160F), about 4-5 minutes. Whisk the Bailey's liquor and the vanilla extract. 

3. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whip until very pale, increased in volume, and the outside of the bowl is cool to the touch, about 6-7 minutes.

Finish making the Tiramisu Cream

1. Whip 2 cups of cold whip cream until stiff peaks. 

2. Combine the Sabayon creme and the refrigerated whipped cream cheese until smooth and combined.

3. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the mixture in halves.

Assemble the Tiramisu

1. Break the ladyfingers into long enough pieces to fit into your jars/containers/cups. For these 5 oz cups, I broke the ladyfingers into 3 pieces. Only 4 pieces will be used for each cup. 

2. Quickly dip each piece of the ladyfingers and cover the bottom of each cup. Top with a heaping spoon (or one full medium ice cream scoop) of Tiramisu cream, dust with cocoa powder, then repeat with ladyfingers, cream and cocoa again. Do this until all ladyfingers and cream are used. 
   

3. Refrigerate for 6-12 hours before serving.

Tiramisu Garnish - chocolate curls

1. Heat a large chocolate bar in the microwave at 10% power for about 20-30 seconds. Try going with a vegetable peeler along the rib of the chocolate, if the chocolate is at the desired softness it will produce a curl. If it does not, and instead breaks into shards, continue heating and trying to shave it with a vegetable peeler until you're happy with the chocolate curls. 

Recipe Notes

 

If you don't have ladyfingers, use basic Sponge Cake recipe made with 6 eggs and baked in 12" x 17" for about 12 - 15 minutes to make the cake layers.

1. From the baked 12"x16" sponge cake cut out equal amount of circles for both the base and the middle of the cups (about 25 each size).
2. Place the smaller sponge cake cutout on the bottom of each cup. 
3. Soak with 1 tablespoon of the Coffee Soaking syrup. 
4. Top with 1 large spoon (or 1 medium ice cream scoop) of the Tiramisu Cream and tap the cup against the counter to flatten the cream. 
5. Then follow by the larger sponge cake cutout and soak it with 1 tablespoon of the Coffee Cream. 
6. Top with 1 more large tablespoon of Tiramisu Cream and tap it against the counter several times to flatten. 
7. Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Tiramisu Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 229 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 121mg40%

Sodium 87mg4%

Potassium 72mg2%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 643IU13%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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