Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert with global appeal. It’s fun to make and delicious to eat, with its airy and smooth texture and subtle flavors. Together, all of it melts in the mouth and is like a celebration on the tongue. So it’s a great idea if you’re looking for a birthday surprise for wife. But most tiramisu recipes call for eggs, and the dish traditionally includes eggs. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy tiramisu if you don't eat eggs. Simply follow this detailed guide to making the perfect eggless tiramisu and you’re sure to be impressed.
Ingredients:
For the tiramisu filling:
- 200 gm mascarpone cheese
- 200 ml cream
- 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 the eggless sponge cake:
- 105 gm all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 light pinch salt – only if using unsalted butter
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup water
- 40 gm butter – salted or unsalted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder for dusting
OR
- 2 packs lady finger biscuits
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C.
- Grease a pan with butter and set aside.
- First, prepare the cake batter. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add salt too, if using unsalted butter. Mix and set aside.
- In a pan, add the butter, condensed milk, sugar and water on medium heat. Stir until everything has mixed well. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the flour mixture and vanilla extract to it. Whisk well. If the batter is too thick, you can add a few spoons of hot water.
- Now pour the batter into the prepared pan and let it settle by tapping the sides. Bake for about 30 minutes. The exact time will depend on the machine you're using. You know it's done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.
- Slice the cake into fingers. Set aside.
- Boil the water, then turn off the heat and add the coffee powder. Set aside.
- In another bowl, add the mascarpone cheese. With a handheld mixture or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cheese until smooth. Add the sugar to this and whisk until well combined.
- Now add the whipped cream to the cheese mixture and the vanilla extract. Gently fold it in.
- Now you can assemble the tiramisu. Dip the sponge fingers in the coffee mixture. Once they are moist, layer the base of the pan with the fingers. Now spread the cheese mixture over it evenly. Then add another layer of fingers and more cheese mixture on top. Then dust cocoa powder on top evenly all over the surface.
- Refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Slice and serve cool.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- Leftover tiramisu can be stored in the fridge for about two days.
- You can also use ladyfingers instead of making a sponge cake and creating fingers. The reason it's suggested that you make a sponge cake yourself is so you know exactly what’s going into it, since many readymade lady fingers have egg in it too. To make sure you’re being truly eggless, simply make the sponge cake yourself.
- The mascarpone has to be at room temperature so that it can mix well with the other ingredients. It should be soft enough that it can be easily whipped with a whisk.
- If you don't have mascarpone, you can substitute with whipped hung curd, yogurt, a mixture of hung curd and paneer or with cream cheese.
- Use full fat cream or heavy whipping cream for this recipe. This is what gives the tiramisu it's richness and structure without the eggs.
- For the coffe, you can use instant coffee powder, strongly brewed coffee or even espresso instead. If you don't want too much caffeine, you can also use decaffeinated coffee.
- Instead of making one large tiramisu, you can assemble the dish into individual serving cups or glasses, for a more individual dessert.
This recipe, along with the eggs, also skips the alcohol. But you can choose to use alcohol. Simply dip the ladyfingers or sponge cake fingers in alcohol and layer as usual.