The Classic Italian Tiramisu Cheesecake for the Gods! No bake, no alcohol with just espresso and vanilla!
I made us the bestest Italian Tiramisu cheesecake recipe ever!
Tiramisu cheesecake is an easy Italian dessert traditionally made of lady fingers, espresso, amaretto and fluffy layers of whipped mascarpone cheese.
And who doesn’t love a dessert you can make without the oven? Jackpot!
Tiramisu is one of the most popular Italian desserts originally from the Veneto, and it literally means ” Pick me up ” or ” Carry me up “.
It is rummored to have been created in a restaurant in Treviso, Italy, called ” Le Beccherie “, and eaten by the ladies who ” worked ” in the brothel above the restaurant. Imagine that!
How is that for a little history lesson ? Don’t believe me? Google it, you’ll prolly end up right back here to the best Tiramisu cheesecake recipe 😉
Traditionally made with amaretto liquer mixed with espresso ( not coffee liquer), tiramisu is an absolute chameleon and you can make it with dark rum or brandy instead, berries, peaches or chocolate.
This is a virgin vanilla tiramisu recipe to keep it kid friendly, but you can add your favorite liquer to the mix.
Easy to execute, simple rustic look, and the best part It can be eaten straight out of the dish it was made in.. You can also layer it in a jar or a glass for individual servings like I did this Berry Tiramisu!
IMPORTANT DETAIL: DO NOT DRENCH THE LADYFINGERS IN ESPRESSO!
Tiramisu Cheesecake Recipe
Just quickly dip them in on both sides and place them in the dish. Even tough this is a rustic Italian tiramisu, basically we still want them to keep their consistency and not disintegrate. They are the ones keeping all the mascarpone cheesecake filling together so we can call it an Italian Tiramisu Cheesecake after all.
I opted for an easy two layer Tiramisu cheesecake, but this definitely works as a 4 layer if you wanted to go for something taller rather than longer. You know me, I go for the easiest most simple ways of doing things, and that applies to my homemade Tiramisu. Easy like Sunday morning!
The Classic, Easy Italian Tiramisu Cheesecake for the Gods! No bake, no alcohol with just espresso and vanilla!
- 2 c espresso cold
- 12 oz lady fingers
- 8 egg yolks organic
- 2 lb mascarpone cheese
- 1 1/2 c heavy cream
- 1/2 c granulated sugar + 2 tbsp organic
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp finely ground espresso beans
- In the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer whip together the heavy cream with 2 tbsp of granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Rinse the kitchen aid bowl and dry it well. Add the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk together until creamy then start adding the mascarpone cheese spoon by spoon and wait until it is incorporated before adding more.
- Once all the mascarpone cheese has been incorporated, remove the whipped cream from the fridge and gently fold it into the egg yolk mascarpone mixture.
- Set a medium size glass dish on the counter and layer the bottom of it with ladyfingers quickly dipped in the espresso. Top with half of the mascarpone whipped cream filling and layer it with the remaining espresso dipped ladyfingers.
- Finish the Italian Tiramisu cheesecake with the remaining mascarpone mixture on top.
- Using a fine sieve dust the top of your Tiramisu with the espresso grounds and refrigerate.
- Allow the Tiramisu cheesecake to set in the refrigerators for about 3 hours before serving.
CHOCOLATE VERSION
3 oz dark chocolate, shaved
1/4 c cocoa powder
Sprinkle the chocolate over the mascarpone layers and finish with a dusting of cocoa powder.
You’ll Love:
Limoncello Cake or Lemon Tiramisu
Berry Tiramisu Trifle
Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Italian Wedding Cookies
Yum! This 2 layer cake looks amazing! I can’t imagine how big the slices would be if there were 4 layers! Happy birthday too!
aww thank you! Yeah it would be pretty tall and too messy for me to handle haha!
Hey, How much cream? Tisk, Tisk.
bahahah 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, but if you want you can go for 2 😉
i want to reach into the computer and have some 🙁
then i did my job 😉
I’d love to make this but is this okay to eat not having the eggs cooked?
Hi Nicole, traditional Tiramisu is never made with cooked eggs. We only use the yolks, I’ve been doing it this way all my life and never had a problem. However, I would only use fresh Organic, free range eggs from pasture raised chickens. Hope that helps ~ Florentina
my traditional tirimisu recipe is from Italy & does not have raw eggs! Instead, a classic Italian custard called zabaglione cream is mixed with the Marscapone cheese. It is simply egg yolks, tiny amount of sugar and Marsalis wine or sherry. It is cooked in a double boiler until it forms soft mounds. The wine can be eliminated although it is a traditional part of recipe. The alcohol & expresso give it the name “pick me up”
Thank you for this recipe. I appreciate a recipe without alcohol. I’m going to be making it for a large crowd (25 people). How many of them do you think I would need to make to serve them all? Thanks for your feedback:-)
Hi Heather, to be safe and just in case some guests will ask for seconds I would say 3. If you plan on serving smaller portions 2 would suffice as well. Let me know how it goes 🙂 ~ Florentina
Thank you! Wish Me Luck:-)
Good Luck! I know you’ll do awesome! Remember: organic eggs 😉
Looks scrumptious. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Hollie, hope you love it as much as we do!