A delicious refrigerator cake ready to enjoy in just an hour, this Classic Tiramisu is a sophisticated no-bake dessert for entertaining.

I first shared this Tiramisu Icebox Cake on my friend’s blog, Amanda’s Cookin’.

Tiramisu Recipe

One of my favorite desserts to share with my daughter when we eat at Italian restaurants is a classic tiramisu.

While I’m usually someone to appreciate a delicious twist on a classic, I’ll admit that I have been known to get noticeably annoyed when at the end of a meal the tiramisu arrives and it’s the chef’s “interpretation” of my beloved treat. (Although, my daughter is my saving grace – she’s just excited for an excuse to consume coffee-spiked chocolate, no matter what form.)

Recently, after looking forward to a delicious tiramisu for two days only to have everything spoiled by the arrival of a tiramisu mousse cake, I decided to take matters into my own hands and whipped up this easy tiramisu the minute we got home (and was enjoying it all to myself shortly after getting Ella to bed).

Now, there are two ways to prepare a classic tiramisu and I would argue that either are acceptable (and preferable to coffee-flavored mousse): making sponge cake for the cake layers, or using lady finger cookies for the cake layers.

Since it was already late at night and I wanted to satisfy my cravings as soon as possible, I opted to use lady finger biscuits. The amaretto and coffee do a delicious job of softening them so you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between them and a labour-intensive (at least for 7pm at night) sponge cake.

I guess I now can be accused of bringing my own interpretation to this classic dessert, but I’m not sorry in the slightest. And if you make this and try it for yourself, I bet you’ll forgive my shortcut!

This classic tiramisu is spongy, rich and sophisticated dessert that belies the recipe’s simplicity.

Like any good tiramisu, you can taste each individual layer of this recipe – from the sweet almond and coffee flavor of the cake layer, to the tart yet sweet and creamy marscapone and finally the coffee-spiked cocoa powder. The bitter ingredients used in this recipe are perfectly balanced out by the sweetness of the amaretto and the marscapone layer, and it is less bitter than a cup of black coffee. (For my fellow bitter-haters out there.)

This no-bake dessert is a quick recipe before entertaining and goes deliciously with a cup of coffee. If you’ve never had a slice of classic tiramisu, you are in for a real treat!

Ingredients to Make Tiramisu

2-packages (16oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2-4 Tablespoons coffee cream
1 cup icing sugar
200g lady finger cookies
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 Tablespoon Amaretto liquor
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Note: to use marscapone cheese in this recipe, use 8oz, reduce the cream cheese by half and remove the cream and ricotta.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful:

Measuring cups and spoons
Casserole dish
Kettle
Sifter
Mixer

How to Make a Classic Tiramisu

Set a kettle to boil.

Place 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder in a bowl wide enough to dip your lady fingers into and add the boiling water when ready. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, coffee cream and icing sugar, adding more cream as needed to get a smooth texture that can be spread with an offset spatula or spoon. Set aside.

Line a casserole dish with parchment paper.

When the coffee has cooled to touch, add the Amaretto and dip each lady finger one by one into the coffee and make an even layer on the bottom of the casserole dish.

Take several spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture (about half) and place it overtop of the lady fingers. Carefully spread into an even layer using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.

Use a sifter to gently add a layer of cocoa powder (half of the amount called for).

Repeat with another biscuit layer, another cream cheese layer, and a final cocoa powder dusting.

Set in the fridge to firm up, at least an hour or overnight.

Pin this Amaretto Tiramisu recipe:

Grab your free printable for our classic Tiramisu recipe:

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Sugar, Spice and Glitter.

Classic Tiramisu

Ingredients

2-packages (16oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2-4 Tablespoons coffee cream
1 cup icing sugar
200g lady finger cookies
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 Tablespoon Amaretto liquor
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

Set a kettle to boil.
Place 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder in a bowl wide enough to dip your lady fingers into and add the boiling water when ready. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, coffee cream and icing sugar, adding more cream as needed to get a smooth texture that can be spread with an offset spatula or spoon. Set aside.
Line a casserole dish with parchment paper.
When the coffee has cooled to touch, add the Amaretto and dip each lady finger one by one into the coffee and make an even layer on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Take several spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture (about half) and place it overtop of the lady fingers. Carefully spread into an even layer using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
Use a sifter to gently add a layer of cocoa powder (half of the amount called for).
Repeat with another biscuit layer, another cream cheese layer, and a final cocoa powder dusting.
Set in the fridge to firm up, at least an hour or overnight.

This classic tiramisu recipe is a delicious no-bake dessert to enjoy with a cup of coffee – or Amaretto-spiked cocktail!

For more delicious no-bake dessert recipes, check out our 10-Minute S’mores Cake or our No Bake Triple Chocolate Cocoa Pebble Crunch Cheesecake.

Classic Tiramisu