web analytics

Strawberry Cheesecake Tiramisu

Strawberry Cheesecake Tiramisu

I happen to think that tiramisu is a great summertime dessert because it require any cooking and it is served cold. It is also great for entertaining because it can – and should -be made well in advance of when you want to serve it. The only drawback to a tiramisu as a summertime dessert is that it doesn’t make use of any of the luscious berries that are at their peak in the summer. You could say why not save the berries for another day? Today, however, I decided to simply incorporate berries into a tiramisu.

Strawberry Cheesecake Tiramisu is not a typical tiramisu. It does use coffee-dipped ladyfingers, but instead of a mascarpone cream, it uses a cream cheese-based cream to glue everything together. Since cream cheese is heavier than mascarpone, this makes the whole dessert a little bit more dense. That may sound like a bad thing, but in this case it serves to hold everything together and also makes the dessert taste a bit like strawberry cheesecake!

As a little experiment, I’ve posted a video of me making this dessert on YouTube so you all can see me prepare it. I tried to be brief, so the recipe below is actually a little bit more specific than the recipe as presented in the video. Still, it was fun to make and if you all like it, I’m planning to do some more (side note: I’ll be using a different camera in the future).

This dish tastes great, particularly after it has been in the fridge overnight and everything has really come together. I used berries from my local farmer’s market and they were super sweet, so the dessert didn’t need any added sweetened. If your berries aren’t, consider adding about a 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar to the cheesecake cream. Also, you’ll notice that I only dipped the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture for a second or two in the video. Mine were very absorbent, but if yours are drier, give them an extra couple of seconds to soak up the flavor, but be sure to get them out before they get too soft.

Strawberry Cheesecake Tiramisu
8-oz Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (optional)
3 tsp vanilla extract, divided
1 cup strong coffee, cold
2 tbsp Irish Cream liquor, such as Bailey’s
approx. 3 dozen ladyfingers
4 cups fresh strawberries, diced

In a large bowl, cream together Philadelphia cream cheese, heavy cream and 2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth and creamy (beat in confectioners’ sugar if strawberries aren’t sweet enough).
In a small, shallow bowl, whisk together coffee, Bailey’s and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
Dip each ladyfinger into coffee mixture one by one, letting each soak for 2-3 seconds in the coffee mixture, and place in a single layer on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.
Top ladyfingers with half of the cream cheese mixture, spreading it into an even layer. Top this layer with about 2 cups of strawberries. Add another layer of soaked ladyfingers, followed with layers of the remaining strawberries and the remaining cream cheese mixture.
Chill for at least 1 hour (preferably 4-6, if you have time) until ready to serve.
Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator for several days

Share this article

13 Comments
  • Stephanie
    April 26, 2010

    Great job!!! I love the video!! Btw, you have a lovely kitchen!

  • Cecily T
    April 26, 2010

    This is a silly question, but could you tell me some brands of lady fingers? I’m never sure exactly where to look for them.

  • roxan
    April 26, 2010

    Mmm, that looks so good! I bet this is good with any fresh berry 🙂

  • Linda
    April 26, 2010

    Cecily, Trader Joe’s has a good one but it can be seasonal to find. Whole Foods has a good one too and is usually available year round. It varies from store to store. Sometimes I find them in the baking area and sometimes with the cookies. I highly recommend either brand if you have one of these stores in your area.

    Coffee and strawberries don’t come to mind quickly but I trust your recipes. I haven’t found a bad one yet. Thanks for a great idea!!

  • Carlie
    April 26, 2010

    Great video! Seeing you prepare the recipe so seamlessly gives me a little more courage to try it myself! I always thought that Tiramisu was more difficult to make. But this recipe looks great, and a refreshing spring and summer treat =)

  • Doris
    April 26, 2010

    I am so glad when I found this site. I found it very delicious..haha..i mean the food. Things are easy to follow now. This is really cool!

  • mesapara4
    April 27, 2010

    Love the video, so much easier to understand. Thank you!

  • Daydreamer Desserts
    April 27, 2010

    This sounds amazing, I can’t wait to try it out!

  • Longevity Explored
    April 27, 2010

    I keep coming back here and everything makes my mouth melt every single time…

  • This recipe looks wonderful. Being a chocolate lover, I wonder what it would taste like with some chocolate too? I love strawberries and chocolate.

  • Katrin
    May 2, 2010

    Tried it out this weekend. I substituted the Cream Cheese with Ricotta. Tasted very nice! Thanks for the inspiration!

  • Nicole
    May 2, 2010

    Katrin – That sounds like a great idea for this dessert!

  • Kristina
    March 24, 2011

    Would this recipe taste alright without the coffee? I know someone that absolutely loves strawberries and cream cheese, but HATES coffee. Would it be possible to skip the bailies and the coffee and just quickly dip the lady fingers in a white dessert wine to soften them?

What do you think?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *