My simple Tiramisu recipe is made without eggs or alcohol, making it a dessert that the whole family can enjoy. Creamy vanilla flavored mascarpone and whipped cream is layered with espresso-syrup soaked sponge cake for a delightfully rich sweet that is simply perfect.
How to Make Tiramisu
To make this Italian specialty without any eggs, I recommend making your own sponge at home, as many store bought versions are made with eggs.
However, if you have ladyfingers or a sponge cake on hand, jump to the step of making the Tiramisu Filling and further.
1. First grease 6×6 inches square pan or a 5 to 6 inches round pan well with some butter. Keep aside. preheat oven for 15 minutes at 200° C/390° F.
2. Place a plate or tray beneath a sieve. Add 1 cup all purpose flour and ½ teaspoon baking powder in the sieve.
If using unsalted butter, then you can add a light pinch of salt in the flour. Sift once. Keep aside.
3. In a pan, take ¼ cup salted butter, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 3 tablespoons sugar.
Note: I used organic raw sugar. You can also use regular sugar.
4. Add ½ cup water.
5. Place the pan on stovetop and heat on a low flame.
6. Stir with a spatula so that the butter melts. Mix everything very well with the spatula.
7. Let this mixture come to a boil on a low heat.
8. When the butter mixture comes to a boil, turn off heat, lift the pan and then immediately add it to the flour mixture.
9. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence.
10. With a wired whisk, begin to mix with a light pressure, being careful not to overmix. The batter in for this sponge is of medium consistency – neither thick nor thin.
Depending on the quality of flour, you may need to add less or more water. If the batter becomes too thick, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons more hot water, so keep a kettle nearby.
11. Whisk to a smooth batter, but do not overmix. Tiny lumps in the batter are fine.
12. Now pour the batter in the pan.
13. Gently shake the pan or tap the sides.
14. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes at 200° C/390° F.
If using an OTG, then use the bake mode or keep only the bottom heating element on for a regular oven.
15. Check with a toothpick or a wooden skewer to see if the cake is done. The toothpick should come out clean, with no sticky batter on it.
16. Place the cake pan on a wired rack to cool.
17. When cool enough to handle, gently unmold and place the cake on the rack to finish cooling.
18. When the cake has cooled completely, mark the cake with a serrated knife for cutting into 6 even pieces.
19. Slice vertically first.
20. Then slice from the center to make 12 pieces.
21. Separate the sponge fingers. Keep aside.
22. Get all the ingredients ready before you begin.
23. Heat ½ cup water till it comes to a vigorous boil.
24. Turn off the heat and add 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder.
25. Mix very well and keep aside.
Note: You can add ½ tablespoon of liquor like rum, Kahlua or marsala sweet wine once the coffee solution cools down.
26. In another bowl, take 200 grams mascarpone cheese. With a hand held whisk, whip the cheese till smooth. Do not over whip, as the cheese can curdle.
27. Add 6 tablespoons powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
28. Mix very well. Keep aside.
29. Take 200 ml cream in another bowl. Make sure the cream is cold or chilled before you whip it.
30. Using an electric beater or a stand mixer, whip cream.
31. Whip cream till you get stiff peaks in it.
32. Now add the whipped cream to the bowl containing the mascarpone cheese with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. If using vanilla essence, then only add ½ teaspoon.
33. Fold gently with a spatula.
34. Fold well, but take care not to knock the air out of the mixture.
35. Take each sponge finger and dip in the coffee syrup. Let them soak up the syrup and become moist, but make sure that the sponge fingers do not become soggy or they may crumble.
36. Layer the base of a glass pan or bowl with the coffee syrup soaked sponge fingers.
If you want, you can line the glass pan or bowl with a butter paper or parchment paper and then place the sponge fingers on it.
37. Now take half of the cream filling.
38. With a spatula spread it evenly on the sponge fingers.
39. Line with another layer of the coffee dipped sponge fingers.
40. Spread the remaining layer of the mascarpone cheese+cream filling and make it even with a spatula.
41. Now take a small sieve or tea strainer and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder in it. Sift directly on the last filling layer.
42. Dust evenly all over.
43. Seal the pan or bowl with a foil or lid and refrigerate tiramisu for at least 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
44. Here’s a photo of the tiramisu after getting set.
45. Now slice and serve the tiramisu.
46. Leftovers can be refrigerated. Tiramisu stays well for a couple of days in the fridge.
Prep Time:15minutes mins
Cook Time:30minutes mins
Total Time:45minutes mins
Ingredients
For Tiramisu Filling
- 200 grams mascarpone cheese
- 200 ml cream – 25 to 50% fat
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
For Eggless Sponge Cake
- 1 cup all purpose flour (maida) or 105 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 light pinch salt – OPTIONAL and only if using unsalted butter
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup Butter or 40 grams butter – salted or unsalted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 to 2 teaspoon cocoa powder for dusting