Easy Tiramisu (No Raw Eggs or Alcohol)
This Easy Tiramisu has espresso-soaked ladyfingers layered with a sweet mascarpone whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa on top. And it's made without raw eggs or alcohol. It's a perfect no-bake dessert for any occasion!
Servings: 9
Estimated Calories: 305
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups brewed espresso, cooled; see Notes below
- 24 ladyfingers, also called savoiardi; see Notes below
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
Special Equipment
- electric mixer (hand-held or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment)
Instructions
- Place the cold heavy whipping cream in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream just until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, stir together the softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. Give it a taste; if you'd like it sweeter, add more powdered sugar.
- Add half of the whipped cream to the bowl with the mascarpone cheese mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until well combined and smooth. Repeat with the remaining whipped cream. Set aside.
- Place the cooled espresso in a bowl. Using half of the ladyfingers, quickly dip each one, one at a time, into the espresso on both sides. After you finish dipping each one, place it in an 8x8x2-inch baking dish, arranging them to make a single layer. Break the ladyfingers to fit as needed.
- Evenly spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
- Do a second layer of the remaining ladyfingers dipped in the espresso, then spread the remaining mascarpone mixture over the top.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. Longer is fine; the flavor just gets better.
- Right before serving, use a fine mesh sieve or a shaker bottle to evenly dust the top of the tiramisu with cocoa powder.
- Cut the tiramisu into 9 squares and serve cold.
Stiff peaks are when you lift the beaters or whisk out of the whipped cream, and the peaks stand up straight without bending over on themselves. Be careful not to overwhip, as this can cause your whipped cream to be grainy or separate.
Don't beat or vigorously mix, as this will deflate the air in the whipped cream.
A quick dip of 1 to 2 seconds per side is all you need, even though it might seem like it's not enough. Any longer than that, and you risk soggy ladyfingers and a too-wet tiramisu.
Recipe Notes
- I most often find ladyfingers in the international aisle near the Italian foods; they might be also be near the cookies. The number of ladyfingers you need is approximate and can vary slightly depending on the brand you use and the size. You want as many as will make 2 single layers in an 8x8-inch dish.
- I used a 7-ounce package by Goya, which has 24 ladyfingers.
- I use instant espresso, and it works great (I even mix it right into cold water so I don't have to wait for it to cool). You can fresh-brewed espresso instead. Warm or hot espresso can make the ladyfingers too soggy, so be sure to cool it first.
- Don't rush the chilling time. 6 hours is the minimum, and overnight is even better. You will be rewarded with a much better flavor and texture than if you eat it too soon.
- Don't put the cocoa powder on before refrigerating; it will absorb moisture from the cream underneath. Alternately, you can individually dust each serving with cocoa powder. Then you can store any leftovers without it and add it later when serving.
- Although eggs are not an ingredient in this recipe, note that most store-bought ladyfingers do contain eggs. So just be aware of that if you are being considerate of an egg allergy or intolerance.
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