Tiramisu Recipe – No Bake Dessert
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?Â
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 –
- whipping cream cheese,
- whipping heavy cream,
- heating and whipping the egg yolks and sugar,
- 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.
Check out these other NO-BAKE desserts!
- Tiramisu Cake – Same delicious flavor, in a cake form.
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cups – berry cheesecake mousse
- Salted Caramel Coffee mousse Cups – these ones are super quick!
- Strawberry Bird’s Milk Jell-O – always a favorite among kids and adults.
Tiramisu Recipe
Tiramisu Recipe - no-bake dessert with fluffy and creamy Sabayon based Tiramisu cream and coffee soaked ladyfingers.
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
-
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:
-
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:
-
Set up the water bath: Fill a saucepot with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low.
-
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.
-
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
-
Whip 2 cups of cold whip cream until stiff peaks.
-
Combine the Sabayon creme and the refrigerated whipped cream cheese until smooth and combined.
-
Carefully fold the whipped cream into the mixture in halves.
Assemble the Tiramisu
-
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.
-
Refrigerate for 6-12 hours before serving.
Tiramisu Garnish - chocolate curls
-
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
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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.
- 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).
- Place the smaller sponge cake cutout on the bottom of each cup.Â
- Soak with 1 tablespoon of the Coffee Soaking syrup.Â
- 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.Â
- Then follow by the larger sponge cake cutout and soak it with 1 tablespoon of the Coffee Cream.Â
- Top with 1 more large tablespoon of Tiramisu Cream and tap it against the counter several times to flatten.Â
- Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.
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Hi Marina, Thank you for the recipe!
Just wanted to clarify, do you use 1 or 2 cups of heavy cream? Recipe card says 1 cup but directions in recipe notes say 2.?
Hi Anya, it shows 2 cups of heavy cream in both places for me, so 2 cups is the correct amount.
What is that you also add to your coffee syrup that you don’t mention in the writing, (at least I can’t seem to find it, that fourth ingredient not written in ingredients) and it makes your coffee a little milky as we see on pictures?
Thank you!
Hi Irina,
The milky mixture is the Baileys liqueur and it’s mentioned in the instructions 🙂
I have used the basic sponge cake instead of lady fingers, and sweetened ricotta instead of marscapone or cream cheese .
Made no bake Tiramisu, they came out yummy!
Marina, Thank you for recipe!!!
By the way, out of all russian bloggers, your blog is the hottest:) You are doing a great job! keep it up
wish I could attach pic of my tiramisu
why, thank you Diana 😀 I’m flattered! I appreciate your kindness!
Thank you for this easy recipe!! I have one question though… could my cream cheese be room temp? Would it mess up the consistency of the whole cream?? Thanks so much!
Julia
Hi, Julie, I guess you could, especially if you’re doing them in the cups as this recipe directs. If making the cream for the cake I would use cold cream cheese to help cream hold its shape better.
Made this recipe! My little cups turned out so delicious and beautiful!!
Thanks so much for all the details!!
Love your blog!!
Can I make this a day ahead or do you recommend to make it couple hours before event?
A day ahead is best for these Tiramisu Cups.
Hi,
It would be so helpful if you would post the pictures of the ingredients that you use for your recipes.
Thanks,
Thank you Alla for your suggestion. I will keep it in mind for future recipes.
Marina, as always so talented with your dessert posts. I love the no bake option especially useful while making other desserts. Oven can be free!
Thank you Natasha, you’re too kind!