A creamy vegan dessert of espresso-soaked sponge surrounded by lightly sweetened coconut whipped cream with a bit of Marsala.
I guess there is not that much to say about Tiramisu, am I right? If there is not going to be any pasta (or PIZZA, why not actually?) on the Christmas table, I just had to have an Italian dessert. My family lived on Tiramisu all summer and it seemed like nobody is over it...
So let's dive straight in and show you how to make a vegan one. The good part here is that you can actually use the sponge recipe from the Orange and persimmon roll cake. And the sponge is super easy and super quick to make (10 minutes in the oven).
These two desserts are designed to be made together as you can make a double batch of both the sponge and vegan whip cream. You'll only have to divide it - and for the Tiramisu, you'll add some coffee and a bit of alcohol, for the other one you'll use fruit and lemon juice.
So why not make both? It's Christmas, remember? :)
Just a few (important) things to keep in mind:
SPONGE tips: the sponge batter needs to be super loose and not dense at all, that's why there is a small amount of oil in it and the almond milk is mixed with water. That's what makes your sponge fluffy, moist and super easy to roll. The cake cools in the rolled-up shape. To roll the sponge, prepare a wet kitchen towel. When the sponge is cooked, take it out of the tray and directly put it on the towel. Take the parchment paper off and roll it in the towel. Let it sit at room temperature to cool naturally. See more steps in my Orange and persimmon roll cake.
WHIPPED CREAM: now this is a complex topic as it really depends on where you live and what your health store can provide in terms of vegan whipped creams. If you're in the USA, it will be super easy to find almond or any vegan whipped cream but where I live I find it quite challenging. But I found that Mega Image Delhaize Coconut whip cream works wonderful (just don't forget to cool it before and remember you will only use the thick part, not the liquid one).
Vegan Tiramisu
Vegan and plant-based
Makes 5-7
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge
check the Orange and persimmons roll cake recipe and make 1/3 of all quantities. Follow the steps in the instruction section.
2-3 shots espresso, chilled
Tiramisu Whipped Cream
1 cup cashew nuts, soaked overnight
2 full can coconut milk (or any kind of vegan whipped cream)
1 espresso shot
1/2 tsp ground instant coffee
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp Amaretto/ Marsala (or skip this if you want to serve it to kids)
Instructions
To make the coconut whipped cream, remove the cans of coconut cream from the fridge and be careful not to shake them. Scoop out only the hard cream that has risen to the top into the bowl of an electric mixer, leaving the water/milk behind. Keep for future uses. Start at slow speed, then gradually increase speed until your cream is whipped and nice.
Make the cashew cream by mixing cashews, espresso shot, instant coffee, agave nectar. If you choose to, add vanilla extract and alcohol as well. Blend well until super smooth and put aside. If your cream needs more liquid, add a few tablespoons from the coconut milk.
Mix together the whipped cream with the cashew cream.
If you bought a ready to use whipped cream, just fold in the cashew cream.
Start layering your tiramisu jars. Using your hands, break down pieces of the sponge and put on the bottom of the glass. Then add 1-2 tsp espresso shots. Add a layer of the tiramisu cream and repeat, finishing with a layer of cream. Top with cacao and serve.
Enjoy!
