Tiramisu Cheesecake
When you can’t decide between tiramisu and cheesecake for dessert, this exquisite Tiramisu Cheesecake is the best of both worlds.
Inspired by the Cheesecake Factory’s Tiramisu Cheesecake recipe, a creamy vanilla, and coffee cheesecake is baked over coffee-soaked ladyfingers before being topped with mascarpone whipped cream! Have I got your attention??
Why You’ll Love this Tiramisu Cheesecake Recipe
- If you love classic tiramisu, you’ll find the same flavors and creaminess in this cheesecake.
- It has a slightly longer lifespan than traditional tiramisu.
- This tiramisu dessert is rich, delicious, and will serve a crowd!
We’ve got a mixed bag of palates in our household. Some are coffee lovers, whereas the hubby does not drink coffee or enjoy coffee desserts. When tiramisu is on a restaurant menu, I can almost always count on two of our children ordering it. I’m on team coffee desserts and on team cheesecake, so this melding of desserts into a tiramisu cheesecake caught my attention.
This “mash-up” of two desserts gained fame when the Cheesecake Factory’s Tiramisu Cheesecake hit their menu. When one can’t decide between two favorite desserts, isn’t it perfect to find two in one???
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tiramisu?
Translated into English, the Italian word tiramisu means “pick me up” or “cheer me up” referring to the joie de vivre every bite brings. An Italian layered dessert, the components include coffee-soaked ladyfingers, Italian zabaglione custard of eggs, sugar and alcohol, mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder.
What Does Tiramisu Taste Like?
Tiramisu is sweet and creamy with a touch of bitterness from the cocoa powder and espresso, which provides balance.
Is Tiramisu Bad for You?
Most tiramisu desserts are full of saturated fats from the eggs, mascarpone, cream cheese, and in this recipe, the heavy cream. These can contribute to higher bad cholesterol, or LDL, levels.
It can often contain raw eggs, which puts those who indulge at a small risk for salmonella, a foodborne illness that is linked to undercooked or raw eggs.
As a rare indulgence, it’s OK to have a slice of tiramisu or tiramisu cheesecake. Just don’t eat the whole batch yourself.
Tips for Making a Tiramisu Cheesecake
There’s an art to making a cheesecake, especially if you want it super creamy. Here are my top tips for making the best cheesecakes and how to tweak this Tiramisu cheesecake recipe so it’s just right for you.
- Let’s get down to cheesecake basics. PRO-Tip: First, have all your ingredients at room temperature. This means setting out your cream cheese and eggs a couple of hours before you plan to start mixing.
- The cream cheese will blend more smoothly when the chill is off and it’s quite soft. Similarly, the eggs will incorporate best when not fresh out of the refrigerator.
- PRO-Tip: Next, use the paddle attachment for blending. If you use the whisk attachment, air will be incorporated into the cheesecake, preventing it from being the classic, dense cheesecake consistency.
- Third, add your eggs one at a time, and mix just until each is incorporated. Again, over mixing could add air to the batter.
- PRO-Tip: Bake your cheesecake in a bain-marie, or water bath. The steamy environment helps minimize the possibility of the cheesecake cracking.
- Wrap your cheesecake pan with a couple of layers of heavy-duty foil before placing it into the ban-marie (I use a roasting pan). This helps minimize any leakage of the water into the cheesecake.
- Using 1 tablespoon espresso, instead of coffee, would impart a bit more coffee flavor. But I’m thinking some espresso powder dissolved in the cream would also give that extra coffee oomph.
- There’s also the option to use a second layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers right over the baked cheesecake before adding the mascarpone topping. This adds another coffee element to this cheesecake inspired by the Cheesecake Factory’s Tiramisu Cheesecake.
Ingredient Notes for Copycat Cheesecake Factory Tiramisu Cheesecake
- Soft Ladyfingers – Look in the bakery department of major grocery store chains for these. The hard savoiardi ladyfingers will not work well.
- Brewed Coffee – May use espresso for even more coffee intensity
- Cream cheese – must be at room temperature. I recommend using Philadelphia brand.
- Sugar – White, granulated sugar
- Eggs – Room temperature, large eggs
- Cornstarch – Helps minimize cracking and may even contribute to cutting cleaner slices.
- Heavy Cream – Adds fat, making the cheesecake extra creamy
- Instant Coffee or Espresso Powder – Adds the classic coffee element to this tiramisu recipe
- Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract, never imitation
- Mascarpone Cheese – A traditional tiramisu ingredient used in the topping.
- Cocoa Powder – Regular cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
More Tiramisu Recipes You’ll Love:
- Mocha Toffee Fudge Cupcakes from Back for Seconds
- Triple Chocolate Mocha Brownies from Wonky Wonderful
- Chocolate Tiramisu
- Classic Tiramisu
- Berry Tiramisu
- Homemade Kahlua
- Tiramisu Parfaits
- Tiramisu for Two
- More Dessert Recipes
Tiramisu Cheesecake
A delicious cheesecake twist with the amazing flavors of tiramisu!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- A package of soft ladyfingers, about 12 will be used
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee
For the Cheesecake:
- 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1⅓ cups sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
For the Tiramisu Topping:
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 8 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
- Cocoa powder, to garnish
Instructions
- Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with two layers of aluminum foil. Set aside.
- Lay the ladyfingers in the bottom of the springform pan. Cut extra ladyfingers into pieces to help fill the gaps.
- Use a pastry brush to brush on the coffee and coat the ladyfingers well.
- Make the cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat the cream cheese with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat until combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing each until incorporated. Mix in the cornstarch.
- Mix together the cream and the coffee or espresso powder. Add to bowl and mix until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Once smooth, pour the batter over the ladyfingers.
- Place the cheesecake into a roasting pan and pour hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake for 70 minutes, then cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
- Tiramisu Topping:
- Beat the heavy cream to soft peaks.
- Add sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add mascarpone cheese and mix just until blended. Spread over cooled cheesecake with an offset spatula, reserving some to pipe on top to garnish, if desired.
- Chill overnight. Dust with cocoa powder before serving, if desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the blog, All That Jas, via Hugs and Cookies XOXO
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 715Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 33gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 224mgSodium: 361mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 0gSugar: 36gProtein: 9g
13 Comments on “Tiramisu Cheesecake”
Oh my, this looks delicious, and I love the idea of ladyfingers as the crust!
You had me at tiramisu! Such a dreamy cheesecake!
Another awesome dessert Liz…the layers are perfectly done…I would love a big slice of this tiramisu cheesecake. Thanks for the recipe. I hope you are having a fabulous week!
September is a huge birthday month for us. Can’t wait to surprise the boys with this beauty!
Love cheesecake. And Tiramisu. So with this dish, I don’t have to decide between them. Neat, neat idea — such a terrific recipe. Thanks!
Lady’s finger in Tiramisu you surely got my attention…how beautifully you have explained each tips and tricks… love it
Lizzy what lovely and amazing Tiramisu. I love it ! xo
The tiramisu cheesecake sounds wonderful. Love the idea.
WOW! Two great cakes in one – cheesecake and Tiramisu. Love it!
Yes please! That is utterly gorgeous and Tiramisu is our favorite dessert <3
Spectacular! Please count me in on Team Coffee too:@)
Who doesn’t love this Italian classic? I surely DO! This looks so dreamy, beautiful and tempting.
Tiramisu is like a magic word around here. It’s a family favorite. We just had Tiramisu ice cream and we’d all happily welcome this awesome cheesecake! Yum! ~Valentina