Tiramisu cheesecake blends the rich yet subtle flavors of tiramisu with the texture of cheesecake for the best of both worlds. Flavors of espresso, cocoa powder and mascarpone cheese combined with a smooth texture take this cheesecake to the next level. It's creamy, delicious and deeply satisfying.
Have you seen all my cheesecake recipes? There's everything from a baked Thin Mints cheesecake to a no bake strawberry crunch cheesecake. It's fair to say I love cheesecake. Really, truly love cheesecake. I also love Tiramisu. I just don't love making Tiramisu and usually only make it for family and friends whose favorite dessert is Tiramisu. Cheesecakes so much easier for me to make, so this is my compromise. All the amazing flavors of Tiramisu with the texture and ease of a cheesecake.
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Ingredients for the crust
- Graham crackers
- Salted butter
- White sugar
- Espress powder
See recipe card for quantities.
Ingredients for the filling
- Cream cheese
- White sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Brewed espresso or coffee
- Espresso powder
See recipe card for quantities.
Ingredients for the topping
- Mascarpone cheese
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for decorating the tiramisu cheesecake
Step 1: Bake the cheesecake, allow to cool completely and then chill for a minimum of 6 hours but preferably overnight.
Step 2: Remove the springform sides. Make the mascarpone whipped cream and spread it over the chilled cheesecake.
Step 3: Dust with cocoa powder. Dusting is done most easily with a sifting tool or any kind of shaker.
Substitutions
- Gluten free - you can substitute two cups of gluten free graham cracker for the regular graham crackers. However, different crackers have different fat content, so make sure to do the 'squeeze test'. Once you've finished mixing the crust, pick up a handful and squeeze it tight. If it mostly stays together in your hand, it's perfect. If it crumbles and won't stay together, add another tablespoon of melted butter and test again. If it is super wet and is loose, add more crushed crackers.
- Espresso and espresso powder - you can substitute strongly brewed coffee for the espresso and additional coffee grinds for the espresso powder. If you don't make any type of coffee at home, you can buy instant coffee. Brew a cup of instant coffee and use additional instant coffee grinds to substitute for the espresso powder.
- Mascarpone cheese - we use mascarpone cheese in the topping because of the specific sweet flavor of that cheese, so there really isn't a good substitute as we already have the flavor of cream cheese in the cheesecake. If you can't find mascarpone cheese (try Trader's Joes or by the fancier cheeses in the deli section), then I would suggest leaving it out and making the whipped cream topping without it.
Variations
The main flavors of Tiramisu are coffee, mascarpone and cocoa powder. Ladyfingers are next, but they don't have a ton of flavor in themselves. However, you can substitute 1 cup of ground ladyfingers for half of the graham crackers in the crust without making any other changes to the crust recipe. Or, you could also put ladyfingers in the cheesecake; however, I do think that takes away from some of the lovely cheesecake texture. To add ladyfingers inside the cheesecake, first make the filling. Then add two cups of filling to the crust. Brew a double shot of espresso and add it to a small rectangular container with short sides. Do a very quick dip of each side of the ladyfinger and add the ladyfinger in a single layer on top of the first layer of filling. Add rest of the filling on top and bake as directed.
Equipment
A stand or hand mixer is helpful for making cheesecakes.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days.
Next Level Tips
- New to making cheesecakes? Tiramisu cheesecake is a great starter cheesecake for those who find decorating cheesecakes intimidating. The top of most tiramisu is flat and dusted with cocoa powder, so I've carried that design over to this cheesecake. Anyone (even you!) can make a fancy decorated cheesecake, and I hope that you'll trust me and make one of my other cheesecakes that look fancier. My pistachio cheesecake even has a great link for beginning piping techniques. But if you're new, this one is a perfect place to start, and I'm happy you're here.
- Always use room temperature cream cheese and room temperature eggs for cheesecakes. For this tiramisu cheesecake, use room temperature mascarpone for the whipped topping too.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven without touching it for two hours. Then, move the springform pan to a cooling rack and allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator. Then, refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours; however, overnight is best.
- It's best to make cheesecakes at least the day before you need them. At a minimum, they should refrigerate overnight. But, cheesecakes are even better on the third day! They are fully cooled and the flavors have had time to meld. Don't believe me? Try it next time. Day 1 = bake cheesecake. Day 2 = try cheesecake and enjoy. Day 3 = try cheesecake and really enjoy!
FAQ for baking cheesecakes
No, but I always recommend par-baking the crust. By par-baking the crust, it helps set the crust so that the crust is nice and crisp and not soggy. A crisp crust has a better texture and is a better contrast to the creamy cheesecake filling. Also, a crisp crust also allows you to easily move the cheesecake off of the springform pan and onto a cake board, a cake taker or a serving plate. A crumbly crust is a mess to move and no one wants that!
The reason we pack the graham cracker crust tightly, but not too tightly, into the springform pan and par-bake the crust is so that we can easily remove the bottom of the springform pan without the crust crumbling. After the rim of the springform pan is off, take a cake lifter (or metal pizza peel or a very large spatula) and gently slide it in between cheesecake crust and bottom of springform pan. Don't lift the cheesecake up in the air (especially if the whole crust is not supported). Rather, use the cake lifter to slide the cheesecake off of the springform bottom onto the serving plate. You can buy a cheap cake lifter at a Hobby Lobby type store in the baking section or online. If you're using a large metal spatula, run it under the entire outer edge first before using it to slide the cheesecake.
The very best way to avoid cheesecake cracks is to bake at a lower temperature and use the moat method. In short, the moat method is where you place your springform pan inside of a cake pan and then put the cake pan in a roasting pan with water. This avoids leaky aluminum foil and protects the springform pan from direct heat. I also describe the moat method in more detail, with photos, in my post about pumpkin spice cheesecake.
FAQ for Tiramisu Cheesecake
Yes, coffee liquor is often used in Tiramisu. If you want to add some coffee liquor to the cheesecake filling, you can add 2 tablespoons at the same time that you add the espresso and vanilla.
My very favorite cocoa powder is Valrhona brand. You can find it on Amazon, at Whole Foods in the bulk section and some specially stores. After that, I recommend the brands that start with a G: Guittard and Ghirardelli. Usually you can find one of the G brands in a regular grocery store.
Related
Looking for a no bake cheesecake instead? Try these:
Tiramisu Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 Stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
The crust
- 13 full graham cracker sheets
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
The filling
- 4 blocks cream cheese (8 ounces per block) room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons espresso cooled
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
The topping
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add the graham crackers to the food processor and grind until the crackers are mostly fine crumbs. You should have about 2 cups of crushed graham crackers.
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 1 teaspoon of espresso powder together in a small bowl until well combined and all the cracker crumbs are coated with butter.
- Add the graham cracker mixture to the springform pan. Even out the crust and pack it down with a small pastry roller or the bottom of a measuring cup with medium pressure. It should be packed firmly but not too hard.
- Bake for 6 minutes and set aside to cool.
Make the filling
- Brew the espresso (or coffee). Put 2 tablespoons of the brewed coffee in a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder. Stir and allow to cool.
- Place the room temperature cream cheese into the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until creamy and all lumps are gone. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add the white sugar to the cream cheese in the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Next, add the brewed espresso with the espresso powder and the vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add the eggs to the mixing bowl one at a time. Mix on low speed until each egg is combined before adding the next egg. Between eggs, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Bake and cool the cheesecake
- Add the filling to the springform pan. Place the springform pan in a larger cake pan. Fill a roasting pan with one inch of water. Carefully add the cake pan with springform pan into roasting pan. [Or, alternatively, if you're not using the moat method, add the springform pan wrapped very well in aluminum foil into roasting pan water bath.]
- Bake at 325° for about 60 minutes until the center is mostly set. Then, turn off the oven and open the oven door to start the cooling process. Leave it alone for two hours. After two hours, remove the springform pan from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack until it's room temperature.
- When the cheesecake is at room temperature, run a knife around the edges to loosen the cheesecake from the sides. Then, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours but preferably overnight or longer.
- After 6 hours, or preferably the next day, remove the rim. Also, remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the springform pan if so desired.
Make the mascarpone whipped cream and decorate
- Add the room temperature mascarpone, one cup of heavy whipping cream and ½ cup powdered sugar to the mixing bowl. Use the whisk attachment if you have one. Mix on medium high to high until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped mascarpone cheese on top of the chilled cheesecake. You can also pipe it on in fun designs.
- Use a shaker or sifter to add a layer of cocoa powder. It can be a light dusting or you can completely cover the cheesecake with a light layer of cocoa powder.
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