Tiramisu Cheesecake

This tiramisu cheesecake started with an argument in my kitchen.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Tiramisu Cheesecake
• What Goes Into Tiramisu Cheesecake
• Tiramisu Cheesecake
• How I Make Tiramisu Cheesecake At Home
• Storage And Reheating
• My Tips And Variations For Tiramisu Cheesecake
• Questions I Get About Tiramisu Cheesecake
• Recipes You May Like
• Final Thoughts On Tiramisu Cheesecake

Alex wanted cheesecake for his half birthday (yes, we celebrate half birthdays here). Sarah wanted tiramisu. Donald just wanted both of them to stop asking him to pick a side.

So I put them in the same pan. Honestly? Best decision I have made all year.

The bottom is a buttery graham crust. Then comes a plain baked cheesecake layer, soft and a little tangy. On top of that sit coffee soaked ladyfingers, and the whole thing gets covered in cold mascarpone cream and a dusting of cocoa.

It looks like a bakery dessert. It tastes better than one. And the best part is that you have to make it ahead, so all the work happens the day before your guests show up.

I have made this tiramisu cheesecake four times now, twice with coffee liqueur and twice without, and I will tell you exactly what I learned from each one.

If you like desserts that sit quietly in the fridge and get better overnight, you might also like my Biscoff banana pudding, which is the other dessert I always make a full day early.

Why You Will Like This Tiramisu Cheesecake

• No water bath needed. I skip it every time and the cheesecake still bakes evenly.
• Two desserts in one pan. Cheesecake people and tiramisu people both get what they want.
• Made ahead on purpose. It needs a long chill, so you cannot rush it even if you want to.
• Soft, cool, and creamy. The mascarpone topping is light, almost like a thick whipped cream.
• Real coffee taste. Espresso soaked ladyfingers and a spoon of espresso powder do all the work.
• Easy to slice. Cold cheesecake cuts clean, which means pretty plates with no effort.

What Goes Into Tiramisu Cheesecake

Everything here comes from a regular grocery store. I buy my mascarpone at the deli counter near us, but the tubs in the dairy aisle work just as well.

For the crumb crust:

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake layer:

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the mascarpone cream topping:

• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, cold

For the coffee ladyfingers layer:

• 8 ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi in Italian)
• ½ cup prepared espresso coffee, cooled
• 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, optional
• unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

A few notes from my own trial and error. Room temperature cream cheese matters more than anything else on this list, because cold cream cheese leaves little lumps you cannot beat out later. The mascarpone and heavy cream, on the other hand, need to be properly cold or the topping will loosen.

No ladyfingers at your store? Plain sponge cake cut into strips works. It soaks up more coffee, so dip it faster.

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How I Make Tiramisu Cheesecake At Home

I break this into four short sessions. Nothing here is hard, but the chilling times are not negotiable.

Start With The Crumb Crust

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

Stir the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press it firmly into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

I use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to pack it down. It takes ten seconds and gives you a much neater edge.

Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes, then set it aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

Bake The Cheesecake Layer

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until it is completely smooth.

Add the sugar and mix until it disappears into the cream cheese. This is the last step where I use my electric mixer.

Now switch to a whisk or spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring gently after each one. Beating air into the batter here is what causes cracks later, and I learned that the hard way on my first try.

Stir in the sour cream and vanilla.

Pour the batter over the cooled crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges look set and the middle still wobbles a little when you nudge the pan.

Turn the oven off, prop the door open slightly, and leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes. Then cool it completely on a rack and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Whip The Mascarpone Cream

Beat the cold mascarpone until smooth with no lumps.

Mix in the espresso powder and powdered sugar until the color is even. It should look like soft coffee ice cream at this point.

In a second bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium firm peaks. Not stiff. Medium.

Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone with a spatula, slowly, until it comes together. Then put the bowl back in the fridge while you handle the ladyfingers.

Dip The Ladyfingers And Layer Them

Stir the cooled espresso and the coffee liqueur together in a shallow bowl.

Dip each ladyfinger for one second per side. One second. I let mine sit for a slow count of three the first time and half of them fell apart in my hand.

Let the extra coffee drip off, then arrange the ladyfingers over the chilled cheesecake. Break a few pieces to fill the gaps around the round edge.

Chill, Dust, And Serve

Spread the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers with a spoon, or pipe it if you want the swirled look.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, though overnight is better.

Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder right before you slice it. Do it earlier and the cocoa sinks into the cream and goes patchy.

Storage And Reheating

Keep this dessert cold and covered. It is a fridge dessert from start to finish, and it never gets reheated.

Store leftovers in the springform pan with foil over the top, or move slices to an airtight container. It holds well for 4 days, and I think day two tastes the best because the coffee has settled into the cheesecake.

You can freeze it too. Freeze slices on a tray first, wrap them individually, then keep them for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add fresh cocoa before serving.

One small warning. The cocoa on top will darken and look damp after a day. It still tastes fine, so I just sift a little more over the slices.

My Tips And Variations For Tiramisu Cheesecake

Here is the thing about this dessert. The recipe is forgiving, but the timing is not.

• Start it the day before. Really. Eight hours of chilling sounds long until you try to cut a warm cheesecake.
• Run a thin knife around the pan edge as soon as the cheesecake comes out of the oven. That small step prevents most cracks.
• Wipe your knife with a hot cloth between slices for clean edges.
• Skip the liqueur for a family dessert. My kids eat this version and nobody misses it.
• Want it stronger? Add a second teaspoon of espresso powder to the mascarpone.
• Serve it with a spoonful of homemade blackberry compote if you like a little fruit against the coffee.
• Piping extra swirls on top? My stabilized whipped cream holds its shape for days in the fridge.

The pitfall to watch for is overbeaten batter. If your cheesecake puffs up like a soufflé in the oven, too much air went in. It will still taste good, but it will sink and crack as it cools.

Questions I Get About Tiramisu Cheesecake

Can Tiramisu Cheesecake Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yes, and you really should. I make mine a full day before serving. The cheesecake firms up, the coffee soaks through the ladyfingers, and the mascarpone cream sets into soft slices. You can bake the cheesecake layer up to two days early and assemble the rest the next morning. Just wait on the cocoa until the last minute.

How Long Does Tiramisu Cheesecake Need To Chill?

Plan on 7 hours of chilling total. That means 2 hours after the cheesecake layer bakes and cools, plus at least 3 hours after you add the mascarpone cream, with cooling time in between. Overnight is easier and gives you a cleaner slice. If you cut into it early, the topping slides instead of holding its shape.

Can You Make Tiramisu Cheesecake Without Coffee Liqueur?

Absolutely. I leave it out whenever the kids are eating it, and the coffee taste is still strong. Use the full ½ cup of espresso on its own. If you want a little extra depth without alcohol, stir a teaspoon of vanilla into the coffee soak instead. Nobody at my table has ever noticed the difference.

How Do You Keep Tiramisu Cheesecake From Cracking?

Three things fixed this for me. Stir the eggs in by hand rather than beating them, so you keep air out of the batter. Pull the cheesecake while the center still jiggles, since it keeps setting as it cools. And cool it slowly in the turned off oven with the door cracked open, because sudden temperature changes cause most cracks. A little cocoa hides the rest anyway.

Recipes You May Like

• Creamy Croissant Bread Pudding is my other make ahead dessert for company, and it uses up day old bread.
• Creamy Bavarian Cream Pie has that same cool, soft texture if you love no fuss chilled desserts.
• Rich Millionaire Shortbread Bars travel well, which makes them my pick for school events and potlucks.

Final Thoughts On Tiramisu Cheesecake

So that is my tiramisu cheesecake. A pressed graham crust, a gentle baked cheesecake, coffee soaked ladyfingers, and cold mascarpone cream on top.

Bake it, chill it, assemble it, chill it again. That is the whole plan.

I love this one because it takes the pressure off. Everything happens the day before, so when people arrive I only have to open the fridge and sift a little cocoa.

Alex still calls it his cheesecake. Sarah still calls it tiramisu. I let them argue about it while I cut the slices.

Give it a try this weekend and tell me how it goes in the comments. And save it to Pinterest so you can find it again when you need a dessert that makes you look like you tried very hard.