Tiramisu icebox cake is a simplified version of the classic, with just as much pizzazz! Rich, silky layers set between espresso-soaked ladyfingers all in one no-bake dessert. Swoon.
Why this recipe works
This tiramisu icebox cake is creamy, rich, and so decadent. It’s like biting into a fluffy spongy cloud with an after-bite of espresso. Just like a good tiramisu should be! However, it’s quick and made with easy, accessible ingredients. You can have this dessert prepped in 30 minutes, though you’ll want to account for a couple of hours of chill time afterward.
I have two all-time favorite desserts: creme brûlée and tiramisu. If either one is on the menu, you can guarantee I’m ordering it. I knew I wanted to make tiramisu for my friend’s birthday, who loves it just as much as I do. However, I didn’t have much time to work with, so out comes the icebox cake magic! Needless to say, this no-bake tiramisu was an absolute hit! Birthday girl and all the guests loved it.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
LADYFINGERS – Ladyfingers can sometimes be tricky to find. Be sure to check the baking aisle or the bakery at your local grocery store. If your store has an aisle with ethnic foods, you can find them near the Italian groceries. If you can’t seem to find them you can substitute with Madeira cake, which is similar to a sponge cake. Otherwise, there are lots of great recipes out there for homemade ladyfingers!
FILLING – We’re using a combination of mascarpone cheese and cream cheese in our Tiramisu filling. Adding cream cheese to the mix helps add structure to the dessert. To this mixture, we will also incorporate some whipped cream to keep the filling fluffy and airy. If you need a shortcut, you can use Cool Whip. We whipped 8 ounces of heavy cream to stiff peaks for this recipe.
ESPRESSO POWDER – If you don’t have espresso powder, you can substitute instant coffee granules. You can also brew 3 cups fresh, strong coffee to replace the instant espresso and water. If you have an espresso machine, make 3 cups of Americano!
How to Make Tiramisu Icebox Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Place boiling water in a bowl wide enough to dip your lady fingers into and stir in the instant espresso powder. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and powdered sugar mixing until you have a smooth texture that can be spread with an offset spatula or spoon.
- Fold in the whipped cream until completely combined. Set aside.
- When the coffee has cooled to the touch, add the Amaretto and stir.
- Dip each lady finger one by one into the coffee and make an even layer on the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. Lady fingers should be snug against each other. After the first row of lady fingers are in place, gently push the ends of the lady fingers from the center of the pan toward the edge of the pan just to make them a little shorter. They should be soft enough to do this, and it will allow enough room for the second row to fit.
TIP – When dipping the ladyfingers into the coffee, my general rule of thumb is no longer that 2 seconds in the coffee or they will get too soggy. Say out loud “dip, turn, remove” as you are dipping the ladyfingers. - Continue the process until the second row of lady fingers is complete.
- Drop half of the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls over the top of the lady finger layer. Carefully spread into an even layer using a rubber spatula or an offset spatula.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to gently dust half of the cocoa powder evenly across the top.
- Repeat with another ladyfinger layer, another cream cheese layer, and a final cocoa powder dusting.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge to firm up, at least an hour or overnight.
- Just before serving, you can dust a little more cocoa powder on top for presentation, but it’s optional.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
I highly recommend chilling your tiramisu icebox cake before serving it. If you’re in a hurry, a couple of hours in the fridge will do, however, for the absolute best flavor and texture, overnight in the fridge is best. This will allow the ladyfingers to properly soak up the surrounding layers so they’re soft and spongy (not crunchy!).
Yes, absolutely. I would suggest flash freezing the icebox cake before slicing it if you plan on freezing it, so it’s easy to grab a slice when you have the hankering. Once fairly solid go ahead and slice it into squares. Wrap each square a few times in plastic wrap and transfer to an air-tight container or large ziptop bag to freeze. You can freeze the slices for up to 4 months. You can also freeze the dish whole if preferred!
Yes, in fact, it’s even better the day after! You can prepare this icebox cake up to 2 days in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator.
Of course! There are a bunch of decaf espresso powders to choose from out there that will work just as well as their caffeinated counterparts.
Store leftovers in an air-tight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Serving Suggestions
Of course, tiramisu icebox cake makes one heck of a party dessert, but it’s also excellent alongside your morning coffee. A little sweetness to counteract the bitterness is right up my alley. Serve your cake chilled and enjoy!
It doesn’t feel right going without mentioning some other top runners in the tiramisu category. Tiramisu cheesecake and tiramisu trifle are amazing for parties, and if you want handheld portions, these individual tiramisus are the way to go.
More Icebox Cake Recipes
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Tiramisu Icebox Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 24 ounces boiling water 3 cups, 710 ml
- 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 16 ounces cream cheese 453g
- 12 ounces mascarpone 340g
- 6.3 ounces powdered sugar 180g, 1 1/2 cups
- 8 ounces whipped cream 2 cups, 237 ml
- 4 Tablespoons Amaretto liquor 59ml
- 14 ounces ladyfinger cookies 400g. two 7 ounce packages
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 20g
Before You Begin
- We whipped 8 ounces of heavy cream to stiff peaks for this recipe. If you need a shortcut, you can use Cool Whip.
- If you don’t have espresso powder, you can substitute instant coffee granules. You can also brew 3 cups fresh, strong coffee to replace the instant espresso and water. If you have an espresso machine, make 3 cups of Americano!
- You can prepare this icebox cake up to 2 days in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator.
- Feel free to substitute with decaf instant espresso powder if desired.
Instructions
- Place boiling water in a bowl wide enough to dip your lady fingers into and stir in the instant espresso powder. Set aside to cool.24 ounces boiling water, 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and powdered sugar mixing until you have a smooth texture that can be spread with an offset spatula or spoon.16 ounces cream cheese, 12 ounces mascarpone, 6.3 ounces powdered sugar
- Fold in the whipped cream until completely combined. Set aside.8 ounces whipped cream
- When the coffee has cooled to the touch, add the Amaretto and stir.4 Tablespoons Amaretto liquor
- TIP – When dipping the ladyfingers into the coffee, my general rule of thumb is no longer that 2 seconds in the coffee or they will get too soggy. Say out loud "dip, turn, remove" as you are dipping the ladyfingers.
- Dip each lady finger one by one into the coffee and make an even layer on the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. Lady fingers should be snug against each other.After the first row of lady fingers are in place, gently push the ends of the lady fingers from the center of the pan toward the edge of the pan just to make them a little shorter. They should be soft enough to do this, and it will allow enough room for the second row to fit.14 ounces ladyfinger cookies
- Continue the process until the second row of lady fingers is complete.
- Drop half of the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls over the top of the lady finger layer. Carefully spread into an even layer using a rubber spatula or an offset spatula.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to gently dust half of the cocoa powder evenly across the top.1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Repeat with another ladyfinger layer, another cream cheese layer, and a final cocoa powder dusting.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge to firm up, at least an hour or overnight.
- Just before serving, you can dust a little more cocoa powder on top for presentation, but it's optional.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- I highly recommend chilling your tiramisu icebox cake before serving it. If you’re in a hurry, a couple of hours in the fridge will do, however, for the absolute best flavor and texture, overnight in the fridge is best. This will allow the ladyfingers to properly soak up the surrounding layers so they’re soft and spongy (not crunchy!).
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Freezing – I would suggest flash freezing the icebox cake before slicing it if you plan on freezing it, so it’s easy to grab a slice when you have the hankering. Once fairly solid go ahead and slice it into squares. Wrap each square a few times in plastic wrap and transfer to an air-tight container or large ziptop bag to freeze. You can freeze the slices for up to 4 months. You can also freeze the dish whole if preferred!
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
Amanda Davis
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Geraldine A Mariani says
How to buy a ‘no bake’ recipe book?
Daniela says
I made this the other day with mascarpone, it was really good!! Going to make it again today :)
Christine Burns says
Can almond extract be used instead of amaretto liqueur?
Amanda Formaro says
I’ll be honest, without testing this I wouldn’t know the right quantities to substitute. When I do a search it says “Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for 2 tablespoons Amaretto.”
Karen Parker says
Is there a substitution for the lady fingers? I have always wanted to try tiramisu but have not been able to locate “lady fingers” cookies/biscuits.
Amanda Formaro says
Madiera cake if you can find it. If not, any other white or yellow sponge cake with work.
Cindy says
You can make your own lady fingers. I made my own using a recipe I found on Pinterest.
Judy says
What size pan is used for tiramisu icebox cake? Do you have to double recipe for 9 x 13?
Amanda Formaro says
One 9×13 pan should work fine!
Linda cencelewski says
What is icing sugar? Coffee cream??
Amanda Formaro says
Hi, Linda. Icing sugar is powdered sugar :) Hope that helps!
Linda c says
What is coffee cream?
Amanda Formaro says
My apologies, in the US it is known as half and half.
Amanda Formaro says
My apologies, in the US coffee cream is known as half and half.