Description
A light and creamy chai tiramisu made with a cardamom mascarpone cream, masala chai soaked ladyfingers, and cinnamon cocoa powder dusting on top
Ingredients
Cardamom mascarpone cream:
- 16 oz Mascarpone cheese (450g), cold from the fridge - I recommend Galbani
- 4 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup granulated or caster sugar (133g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled (360g)
Assembly:
- 30-36 ladyfingers*
- 1 1/2 cup strong masala chai brewed in water, room temperature (360g)*
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder + 1/4 tsp cardamom and 1/4 tsp cinnamon to dust
- Optional: crushed freeze dried strawberries for garnish
Instructions
Cardamom mascarpone cream
- Whisk the mascarpone cheese on medium speed for 30-60 seconds until creamy. Scrape the bowl and set aside
- In a separate heat-proof bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt. Boil 1-2" of water in a saucepan and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Place the bowl with egg yolks and sugar on top of the saucepan such that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. This is a double boiler. Whisk on medium-high speed for exactly 2 minutes, then remove from heat. The mixture will be light and fluffy. Do not overmix or overheat as it can become grainy
- Pour the egg yolk and sugar mixture onto the mascarpone cheese. Add cardamom, then whisk on medium speed just until combined, scraping the bowl halfway (do not overmix as the mixture can become grainy)
- In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until it reaches medium stiff peaks (just starts to hold shape). Do not overmix
- Add the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture in 2-3 additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula and taking care not to knock out the air. You will have a creamy, light mixture
Assembly and serving:
- If you haven't already, make your masala chai. Add masala chai tea bags or tea leaves to boiling water in a pot and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes, then let the mixture cool down.
- Pour the chai into a wide bowl, and make sure it is not hot. Dip each ladyfinger quickly into the chai (I do a quick dip on each side) and add a layer of soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of a 8x9.5" rectangular dish*
- Spread on half of the mascarpone cream evenly
- Repeat with another layer of soaked ladyfingers
- Top with the remaining mascarpone cream
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight
- When ready to serve, mix the cocoa powder with cinnamon and cardamom, and dust evenly on top of the tiramisu using a small fine mesh sieve. Optionally, grind or crush freeze dried strawberries and dust on top. Cut into slices and serve!
Notes
- Ladyfingers: Also known as savoiardi / sponge fingers, these are long oval shaped biscuits made from a sponge cake batter, which become like cake when dipped in the coffee. They are available in grocery stores and on Amazon, but you can also make them at home
- Chai: You can use masala chai teabags or loose tea, but make it twice as strong as you usually would. I make mine with 4-6 teabags in 1.5 cups of water, simmered for 5 minutes. If you only have pure chai (not masala), add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, cardamom and ginger
- Cooking eggs: This recipe ensures eggs are not used raw by using a double boiler. However, if you have pasteurized eggs and prefer to cut down the time, you can skip the double boiler and whisk on the countertop
- Serving dish: I use a 8x9.5" rectangular dish, but you can also use a 7x11" dish, a 9x9" dish, individual cups or even circular / oval dishes of similar size. Just trim the ladyfingers to fit accordingly
- Make ahead & storing: You can make this tiramisu up to 1 day in advance, keep it covered in the refrigerator, and dust with cocoa powder when you are ready to serve. Any longer and it will start to get soggy. To store, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (although it is best in the first 2-3 days)
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: South Asian