Salted Caramel Tiramisu | Creamy, Easy & No-Bake
Nervous about making tiramisu? Don't be! This amazing Salted Caramel Tiramisu couldn't be easier - it’s ready in 30 minutes, and tastes even more decadent than the real Italian tiramisu!
Ingredients
FOR THE TIRAMISU
- 2 cups espresso (cooled)
- 500 g mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
- 42 ladyfingers
- 4 eggs (separated, room temperature)
- ½ cup white sugar (for mascarpone cream)
- 1 TBSP white sugar (for egg whites)
- 4 TBSP Brandy (or Marsala wine, coffee liqueur - Kahlúa or Tia Maria, dark rum, Amaretto, Baileys Irish Cream)
- 3-4 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce (plus more for serving)
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 6 TBSP (85 g) butter
- ⅔ cup (155 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
CARAMEL SAUCE
- Add the sugar to a small stainless steel or cast iron pan (do not use nonstick! it will crystalize) on low to medium heat. When the sugar starts to melt on the sides, bring it in with a silicone spatula, so the sugar doesn't touch the edges. Stir until completely melted and caramelized. The darker the caramel sauce, the deeper and stronger the flavor will be. I like a deep caramel flavor for my sauce.
- When the color is just right add the butter and stir constantly until fully incorporated.
- Stir in 1/3 of the heavy cream first and mix well. Then, add the rest and boil for one minute.
- Turn off the heat and finish with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Mascarpone Cream Mixture
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks with the sugar on medium speed until the egg mixture becomes fluffy and has a light yellow color, about 4-5 minutes (ribbon stage). Then add the mascarpone cheese and whisk on medium speed until the cheese is fully incorporated.
- Add 2 tablespoons of brandy and 1 1/2 tablespoons of coffee, and mix for a few seconds.
- Separately, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on high speed until soft peaks form. Then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and whisk until stiff peaks.
- Add 1/3 of the egg whites into the mascarpone cream mixture and mix well. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the mascarpone cream with a silicone spatula, using a down and up folding motion. Try to preserve as much air as possible.
Coffee Mixture
- In a shallow bowl (for dipping the ladyfingers), mix the freshly brewed coffee with 2 tablespoons of brandy (or any liqueur of your choice).
Assembling the Salted Caramel Tiramisu
- Spread 3-4 tablespoons of the mascarpone cream mixture on the bottom of the pan. Quickly dip one sponge finger at a time, sugary side down, no more than 1-2 seconds, into the coffee mixture, but only on one side. Dip biscuit until the coffee slightly comes up the sides of the sponge finger, but doesn't cover the top. You can feel the biscuit starting to soak up the coffee. Place the ladyfinger in the baking pan.
- Keep repeating until you have covered the entire bottom of the pan. In my 8x12 inch pan (20x30 cm), I fit 21 sponge fingers in one layer (1 is cut in half and fitted at the end of the rows to fill the gap). Arrange the ladyfingers close to each other so the mascarpone cream doesn't ooze out between them. You should have a solid, even layer.
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the bottom layer of ladyfingers. Then drizzle 1/2 cup (or more) of the salty caramel over the cream. Finish the first layer with a generous dusting of cocoa powder.
- Repeat the process with the second layer of ladyfingers, gently pressing them down into the cream. Generously drizzle with the remaining 1/2 cup of salted caramel sauce and finish with cocoa powder.
- Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, or best overnight.
Serving
- When slicing the cake, make sure to wipe the knife between each cut.
- Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder, drizzle a few tablespoons of the salted caramel sauce, and finish with some sea salt flakes (optional).
Notes
- For a pop of color, you can also decorate your Salted Caramel Tiramisu with some chocolate curls or different fruits, such as berries (dusted with powder sugar), maraschino cherries, sliced bananas, (blood) orange, or mandarin slices.