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Tiramisu with Cream Cheese is a delicious recipe to try the next time you serve an Italian dinner for your family!
(Post modified on 2/3/23.)
Although not exactly traditional to this classic Italian dessert due to the use of cream cheese instead of mascarpone, it’s very close to traditional. Filled with coffee-flavored custard cream and freshly whipped cream layered between ladyfinger cookies and topped with a heavy sprinkling of baking cocoa. So yummy.
View More Italian Desserts
- Hazelnut Chocolate Espresso Gelato
- Crispy Italian Pizzelle Cookies
- Elderberry Wine-Poached Pear Crostata
- Homemade Cannoli with Creamy Ricotta
For this recipe I used madeira wine rather than marsala wine–just because I had some in my cupboard and the two are very similar. You could also use rum or even brandy in this recipe. If you’d prefer not to use alcohol, you may substitute apple juice for it instead.
The most important tip I can offer for this recipe, is to allow the dessert to refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. Twenty-four hours would be even better. I found the longer this dessert aged, the better it was.
Ingredients for Tiramisu with Cream Cheese
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- large egg yolks
- granulated sugar
- whole milk
Cream Filling
- heavy whipping cream, divided
- vanilla extract, divided
- cream cheese, or mascarpone, softened
- butter, softened
- sour cream
- strong brewed coffee, cold
- madeira wine (or marsala wine, brandy, or rum)
- Savoiardi Ladyfingers
- baking cocoa powder
Instructions for this Recipe
Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Separate the eggs yolks from the egg whites.
Save the egg whites to make meringue or to mix into an egg omelette.
Make the Custard
In a medium saucepan, mix together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until well blended.
Whisk in whole milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue to boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prepare the Cream Filling
In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Place in a clean bowl and set aside until later.
Using the same mixing bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and butter, remaining heavy whipping cream, sour cream, and remaining vanilla extract for several seconds until thoroughly combined.
While this recipe uses cream cheese, please feel free to substitute in mascarpone cheese if you have access to it. But if you cannot find it in your stores, cream cheese works well.
Fold into the cooled custard and mix until smooth.
Assemble the Tiramisu
In a small bowl, combine the cooled coffee and madeira wine.
You may substitute marsala wine, rum, brandy, or even apple juice for the madeira wine.
Dip half of the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture and arrange them in the bottom of an oblong serving dish. I always worried that the coffee would make the cookies soggy, but that is not the case. They are quite sturdy and hold up well to soaking.
If you prefer less coffee flavor in your dish, you may use a pastry brush to spread half of the coffee mixture over the ladyfingers on both sides.
Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture over the soaked ladyfingers, spreading the filling to the edges. Top with half of the prepared whipping cream.
Repeat layers, lightly soaking the remaining ladyfingers and topping with custard and whipping cream. Spread to the edges of the dish.
Garnish by generously sprinkling baking cocoa to cover the top.
For the dusting, you’ll want to use a good quality baking cocoa, such as Ghirardelli, Hershey’s Special Dark, or a Dutch-process cocoa, which is less bitter because of the level of acidity and may also be darker.
Cover and chill until set, 12-24 hours. Serves 10-12.
As noted above, I found that the longer this dessert chills, the more flavorful it becomes.
See more Desserts Here. Browse Italian Recipes Here.
Tiramisu with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Custard
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cups whole milk
Cream Filling
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee cold
- 2 tablespoons Madeira Wine or Marsala wine, rum, or brandy
- 6 oz. Savoiardi ladyfinger cookies
- 3 tablespoons baking cocoa powder
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Separate the eggs yolks from the egg whites. Save the egg whites to make meringue or to mix into an egg omelette.
Making the Custard
- In a medium saucepan, mix together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until well blended.
- Whisk in whole milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue to boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prepare the Cream Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Place in a clean bowl and set aside until later.
- Using the same mixing bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and butter, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, and vanilla extract for several seconds until thoroughly combined.
- Fold into the cooled custard and mix until smooth.
Assemble the Tiramisu
- In a small bowl, combine the cooled coffee and Madeira wine. (You may substitute Masala wine, rum, or brandy, if desired.)
- Arrange half of the ladyfingers in the bottom of 9"x11" oblong baking dish. Using a pastry brush, spread half of the coffee mixture over the ladyfingers on both sides.Alternately, you may quickly dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture, but be careful or they will become soggy.
- Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture over the soaked ladyfingers, spreading the filling to the edges. Top with half of the prepared whipping cream.
- Repeat layers, soaking the remaining ladyfingers and topping with custard and whipping cream. Spread to the edges of the dish.
- Garnish by generously sprinkling baking cocoa to cover the top. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Serves 10-12.
Notes
