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This Tiramisu Cheesecake is a super easy, no-bake cheesecake recipe that tastes just like tiramisu! The combination of espresso, Kahlua and mascarpone cheese is to die for!
An Italian Twist on Classic Cheesecake
So you may or may not have noticed that I love my tiramisu. I have a recipe for traditional tiramisu, tiramisu cupcakes, a brookie tiramisu, a pumpkin tiramisu layer cake and now this cheesecake. I even have a tiramisu related recipe in the cookbook! I fully intend to tiramisu all the things. It’s just so good!
And I had a lot of fun putting this cheesecake together. Initially, I wanted it to be a fully baked cheesecake but it wasn’t turning out quite like I wanted so I switched gears and went with this almost no bake version. The small amount of baking comes in the form of the crust and while I would normally say that you could forgo the baking I really do think it’s necessary in this case.
Let’s discuss.
How to Make Tiramisu Cheesecake
This gorgeous tiramisu dessert only takes a few steps to make. Here’s how to do it:
Make the Cheesecake Crust
Initially I made the crust with crushed up ladyfingers. It makes sense, right? But when you grind up ladyfingers they are quite soft and very light. I didn’t feel like it resulted in the firmer crust I wanted.
So instead I went with vanilla wafer cookies. The flavor is still great (one of my favorite crusts) and it did bake into a nicer crust. And as I said, the baking really is necessary. Baking a crust helps it hold together better when you cut into it later and for this cheesecake I really recommend it. The crust is topped with ladyfingers that are dipped in Kahlúa and espresso and some of the liquid soaks into the crust while firming up in the fridge. It softens the crust a bit so if you don’t bake it to begin with it’ll be even softer.
Add Ladyfingers
On top of the the crust, you have the ladyfingers which are dipped in espresso and Kahlúa. If you would prefer this cheesecake to be non-alcoholic you could leave out the Kahlúa and add additional water and espresso, but I always love the flavor of the Kahlúa.
Make the Mascarpone Cheesecake Filling
Next is the mascarpone and cream cheese filling. I used a mixture of both cheeses to help with the firmness and texture of the cheesecake. Mascarpone has a tendency to be a little softer so the cream cheese helps balance it out and keep it a little firmer and less fussy. It still has that signature mascarpone flavor that I totally love though!
Top with Whipped Cream and Cocoa Powder
To finish off the cheesecake, I used a Kahlúa and espresso whipped cream. I used what was left of the Kahlúa mixture that I dipped the ladyfingers into, but if you don’t have any left you can make a little more. The whipped cream is piped onto the cheesecake using the Ateco 808 piping tip. Starting from the outside, you pipe shells in several full circles all the way around the cheesecake and in to the center. A sprinkle of cocoa powder finishes it off perfectly!
The hardest part of making this cheesecake is waiting for it to firm up! I couldn’t wait to dig in and it definitely didn’t disappoint. All my tiramisu dreams came true in the form of this cheesecake! So good!
Watch How To Make It
You might also like these tiramisu desserts:
Mini Tiramisu Trifles
Classic Tiramisu
Tiramisu Cupcakes
Pumpkin Tiramisu Layer Cake
Oreo Brookie Tiramisu
Tiramisu Cookie Cups
Tiramisu Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Tiramisu Cheesecake is a super easy no-bake recipe and tastes just like tiramisu cake! The combination of espresso, Kahlua and mascarpone cheese is to die for!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 1/4 cup (167g) vanilla wafer crumbs
- 1/4 cup (56g) salted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 tbsp (20g) sugar
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 16 oz (452) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
KAHLUA MIXTURE*
- 3 tbsp (45ml) warm water
- 2 tbsp (30ml) instant espresso powder
- 1 cup (240ml) Kahlua
- 12 ladyfingers
KAHLUA WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Kahlua mixture (remaining from above), cold
- 10 tbsp (73g) powdered sugar
- Cocoa, optional
Instructions
CRUST
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients until well combined and press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
FILLING
1. To make the filling, mix the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and sugar together on medium-low speed until combined. Do not mix on high speed or overmix or the mascarpone cheese can begin to separate. Set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. Slowly fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese mixture. Set aside.
4. Combine the warm water and espresso powder for the Kahlua mixture in a small bowl. Add the Kahlua and stir to combine.
5. Dip the ladyfingers into the Kahlua mixture one at a time, then add to the springform pan, on top of the crust.
6. Spread the mascarpone cheese mixture evenly over the ladyfingers.
7. Set the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill and firm, 5-6 hours or overnight. Set remaining Kahlua mixture in the fridge for later.
8. When the cheesecake is firm, make the Kahlua whipped cream. Add the heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of the remaining Kahlua mixture and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
9. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the sides, if needed.
10. Add the Kahlua whipped cream to the top of the cheesecake. You can simply spread it on top or pipe it in a similar pattern as I did. I used the Ateco 844 tip.
11. Sprinkle a little cocoa over the top of the cheesecake, if desired.
12. Refrigerate the cheesecake until ready to serve.
Notes
For a non-alcoholic espresso mixture to replace the Kahlua mixture, replace with this:
1 cup hot water
4 tbsp instant espresso powder
4 tbsp sugar
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 508
- Sugar: 26.3 g
- Sodium: 149.8 mg
- Fat: 34.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.3 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 119.1 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
Have you tried Marsala instead of vanilla in the filling?
I haven’t.
Hi. I would love to try this recipe but I hesitate. Why? You ask. Because I tried another recipe with mascarpone and it was great. Then after a couple months I tried it again. The recipe says “room temperature ” for the mascarpone so I left it out on the countertop . It still felt cool to the touch but I used it. It separated curtled . 32oz of marscapone went down the garbage disposal. So how do I prevent this? I believe the first time I made it I didn’t realize it should be room temp and I used it right out of the frig and all was well. Please let me know your method of using mars alone in your recipe as I would love to try it without fear of wasting all the ingredience because the mascarpone.
Mascarpone can certainly be tricky to work with. And “room temperature” can even vary based on how warm or cool you keep your home and the time of year. That said, as long as the mascarpone is workable, you can use it will it’s still cool. That might even be better so that you’re sure it’s not too warm, which can cause issues sometimes. The main thing is you want it soft enough to not leave you with chunks in your cheesecake. The other thing is mixing. Mascarpone is very sensitive to over mixing and doesn’t come back well once over mixed. I believe combining it with the cream cheese is the only time it’s really mixed in this recipe. As long as it’s soft enough to combine quickly and easily without leaving chunks, you shouldn’t need to over mix it. The rest is just folding in the whipped cream, which should be fine and gentle on the cheese. I hope that helps!
Hey is there any substitute for Kahlua? Also for the tiramisu cupcakes?
Here’s a substitute you can try. Adjust the amounts as needed for the different recipes.
3/4 cup (180ml) hot water
3 tbsp (45ml) instant espresso powder
3 tbsp (39g) sugar
Does this freeze well if properly wrapped or vacuum sealed?
Not totally sure without trying, but would think it’d be ok.
This recipe was fantastic! The flavors were amazing and it was simple to make. I will absolutely be making this again! Thank you!!
Hiya I wanted to know for the crumb base other then the vanilla wafer biscuit what else can be used as we don’t have that here in then U.K. Can’t wait to try this looks absolutely delicious
Can you please tell me if you are using the soft lady fingers or the hard biscuit type? thank you!
I used the firm lady fingers.
Hi, Lindsay, I made this cheesecake for my family and we all loved it!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!! I needed some advice tho, I made the non-alcoholic version of this cheesecake, so when I made the non-alcoholic mixture I used instant coffee and water rather than espresso, and when I added it to the icing it watered down (to watery). even though I made sure I didn’t over mix the icing in the process and the coffee mixture was chilled overnight. so I ended up making another icing with cheese cream and half & half and sugar and it came our great but I really would like to try your fluffy icing, what would you suppose went wrong? I’m going to make it again soon for another family dinner. Thank you in advance
When you say icing, do you mean the whipped cream on top? You don’t want to over mix the cheesecake filling with the mascarpone cheese, but the whipped cream – go ahead and whip it like crazy until it’s stiff. If you still have trouble, just reduce the amount of coffee/espresso you add.
Hi, I read the above comment about the lady fingers, but still wondering what you think works best in this recipe. The hard lady fingers or the soft ones. Is there a brand you prefer? If using the harder ones I’m wondering if they soften up enough. Thx!
I’m not sure that one is necessarily better than the other. I used the softer ones at the time I made this because I had them on hand. The firmer ones would also be great. You’d just want to be sure to let the cheesecake sit long enough for them to soften. If you’re concerned about it though, I used the softer ones and it was great! 🙂
I’ve made this twice now and it’s delicious. I had trouble finding traditional lady fingers the second time, but came across a substitute that we actually liked better. My local store didn’t have fresh lady fingers in the bakery but they had lady finger biscotti cookies in the international food aisle. These are slightly crispy with a light sprinkling of sugar on top. They held up better in the cheesecake because of the crispness but the flavor was exactly the same. My sister had also just brought me chocolate-covered coffee beans from Costa Rica so these made an extra special garnish. The Kahlua whipped cream is ridiculously good. Thank you for the recipe — it was an immediate favorite.
So glad you enjoyed it!
What would you recommend for an alternative to marscapone? I can’t seem to find it in the grocery stores. I was able to get the lady fingers on Amazon.
You could use cream cheese. It won’t have quite the same flavor, but it’ll be fine.
Hi Lindsay! Could I use fresh brewed espresso rather than the espresso powder and hot water? I’m planning on making this for Easter dinner. Thanks in advance for your advice!
It wouldn’t hurt it, I just like to use the powder and water because I can control how strong it is (I make it stronger).
Thanks for responding! I actually went out and bought espresso powder, yesterday. I’m definitely wanting a stronger espresso flavor, so I’m glad I did! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Happy Easter!
Hi Lindsay. I’m in love with your book and had to come check out your blog. I am in charge of desserts for a post-baby shower with a happy hour theme. The new mom loves Tiramisu so this will be perfect. I like the boozy desserts since it goes with the happy hour theme. I would like to make a couple more to offer some different choices. What would you recommend? Thanks so much for sharing your goodness. It’s people like you who make people like us look good. 🙂
Sorry for the delay in response. I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the book! If you still need some recommendations, please let me know.
Lindsay , I would !I’ve to make your tiramisu cheese cake for church potluck , would you have a recipe for non alcoholic kalua. Thank you for any help.
Please see the note I added to the recipe for a non-alcoholic version. Thanks!
Hi! This looks amazing! Can u tell me what brand of vanilla wafer cookies you used? And also, what can I substitute Kahlua? Bcoz I dont consume alcohol ????
Sure! I use these vanilla wafers. And to swap out the Kahlua mixture, use this mixture instead:
1 cup hot water
4 tbsp instant espresso powder
4 tbsp sugar
Thank you!! Will surely make this soon. More power to your blog!
Do you think it will still be ok if I used 16oz of cream cheese and only 8 oz of marscarpone?
Sure, it’ll turn out fine. It won’t won’t have as strong of a mascarpone flavor.