Rich and Creamy Vegan Tiramisu

By the Gracious Vegan

Faces light up when you announce that dessert is tiramisu! This version will please tiramisu lovers and may create some new ones. The cashew cream gives dairy-based mascarpone cheese a run for its money. No sacrifices with this vegan version. 

Makes 10 servings

Cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray one 9” round pan or one 8” square pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the following ingredients. Set aside.

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the following ingredients.

• 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons water

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 4.5 teaspoons (1.5 Tablespoons) cider or white vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk to combine. It's okay for a few small lumps to remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top feels set, the edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan, remove the parchments, and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

“Mascarpone.”  Blend the following ingredients together in a blender until a very smooth, thick texture is achieved. Chill.

• 2 cups cashews, soaked in cold water at least 2 hours (or pour boiling water over them, cover, and let them soak 20 minutes); even if you have a high-speed blender, I recommend soaking the cashews for this recipe

• 3/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup agave syrup

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (What is Nutritional Yeast?)

• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

• 1 teaspoon white miso (What is Miso?)

Espresso Soak. Stir the following ingredients together in a bowl or measuring cup.

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup amaretto liqueur

• 3 Tablespoons instant espresso powder

Chocolate shavings. Use a vegetable peeler and shave the side of the chocolate bar until you have a pile of chocolate shavings.

• 1.5-ounce vegan dark chocolate bar

Assembly. You can make your tiramisu in one large glass or ceramic dish. Or you can make individual servings in ice-cream or other glass dishes, or even make free-form mini-tiramisu’s and serve them on a platter - lovely for a dessert buffet. 

Start with a layer of cake, then spoon some espresso soak onto the cake and let it seep in. Then layer on some mascarpone and then chocolate shavings. Repeating the layers at least once makes the dessert look beautiful. End with mascarpone and chocolate shavings.

Timing: hands-on time 40 minutes, total time 2-3 hours

Nutritional information per serving: 419 calories, 18g fat, 4g sat. fat, 54g carbs, 44mg sodium, 3mg fiber, 6g protein

Gluten-free if you adapt the cake recipe and use gluten-free flour

Thank you to King Arthur Baking for the vanilla cake recipe.