Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake
Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake is a no-bake, frozen version of everyone’s favorite Italian dessert. Layers of Savoiardi biscuits soaked in an espresso-Marsala syrup are layered with homemade Mascarpone Ice Cream for a luscious frozen dessert.
About this recipe
I love Tiramisu, and I bet you do too. What’s not to love? Coffee-Marsala-soaked-biscuits are layered with creamy, airy Mascarpone cream filling.
A hit of bitter cocoa on top is the perfect foil for all the creamy sweetness below. It’s a wonderful dessert.
I love any excuse to make (or eat) homemade ice cream. I especially like to make ice cream with dairy products other than cream; for example, cream cheese, buttermilk, or creme fraiche.
How to keep frozen tiramisu from getting icy:
When you make a frozen dessert, ice cream, sorbet, whatever, if the mix has too much water you’ll get an icy end-product. Sugar helps keep the mix from freezing solid, and so does alcohol.
My first test for this recipe just used cold coffee with a little sugar and Marsala. The liquid was freezing solid and the cake was icy.
So I nixed the idea of using coffee and decided to use espresso powder instead. I started with a heavy syrup made from equal parts water and sugar and added a full 1/4 cup of instant espresso powder. I tripled the amount of Marsala in the syrup.
If you tasted the syrup all by itself it would be too strong! Because flavors are muted in frozen foods, a stronger syrup is needed for a full-flavored frozen dessert.
The lady fingers in the recipe have a soft bite and good flavor. They’re the perfect contrast to the creamy Mascarpone Ice Cream and bitter cocoa.
Now that you’ve made this recipe what should you do with all the extra egg whites? Check out this collection of recipes that use extra whites for some great ideas.
If you love this recipe as much as I do please consider giving a 5 star review.
Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Mascarpone Ice Cream
- 12 oz whole milk (1 ½ cups)
- 8 oz granulated sugar (1 cup)
- ½ vanilla bean (or 1 tblsp vanilla extract)
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 16 oz Mascarpone Cheese
Assembly
- 6 oz water (¾ cup)
- 6 oz granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- ¼ cup instant espresso powder
- 6 oz Marsala wine (¾ cup)
- 28 each Italian Lady Fingers
- Cocoa Powder
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream
- Combine 12 oz whole milk, 8 oz granulated sugar½ vanilla bean and ⅛ teaspoon table salt in a small saucepan. Heat the milk mixture over medium high heat until scalding hot. Whisk 6 large egg yolks in a mixing bowl.
- When the milk mixture is scalding hot, pour it into the bowl with the yolks and whisk to combine. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the custard coats the back of a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl. Add 16 oz Mascarpone Cheese. Gently whisk until the Mascarpone is melted into the base. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until very cold. At least 4-5 hours or overnight. Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker.
Assembly
- While the ice cream is running in the machine, assemble your other ingredients.
- Heat 6 oz water, 6 oz granulated sugar¼ cup instant espresso powder in a small pan until the sugar and espresso powder are dissolved. Remove from the heat and mix in 6 oz Marsala wine.
- Dip the lady fingers, a couple at a time, into the coffee mixture, give them a few seconds to absorb some of the liquid. Fit the biscuits in 2 rows of 7 into the bottom of a 9"x9" square baking pan.
- As soon as the ice cream is finished running, scoop 1/2 the ice cream over the biscuits and smooth to an even layer. Repeat with remaining biscuits and ice cream. Smooth the top and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Freeze several hours or overnight until the ice cream is frozen solid. Before serving, sprinkle the top with a layer of cocoa powder. The Tiramisu tastes best if left to soften at room temperature for 10 minutes or so before serving.
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You should probably put the total time to 6 hours instead of 55 minutes.
Hi Jimmy. Thanks for your input. If you count the freezing time, yes 6 hours would be more accurate. I figured most folks understand that an ice cream recipes need freezer time so I set the time as the active time needed to put the recipe together. My recipe program doesn’t separate out active and total time so I have to choose which to show.
WOW!! This is putting all my favorite flavors together. I have no will power when it comes to ice cream — NONE!! Tiramisu is a family favorite so this recipe would go over big time!! I’m pinning!! Have a great weekend.
You and me both, Marisa! No will power over ice cream in our house, either!