A traditional Italian dessert with a boozy twist! This Baileys Tiramisu contains espresso-soaked ladyfingers that have been spiked with Baileys Irish Cream as well as a supremely fluffy Baileys mascarpone filling!
Although I’ve never been a big fan of alcoholic beverages, I do have a few exceptions. Unsurprisingly, I tend to gravitate toward the much sweeter, less potent liqueurs that taste nothing like alcohol. One of which is Baileys Irish Cream! To me, it tastes more like a fancier chocolate milk that has a fuller depth of flavor. It’s one of the few liqueurs that I actually enjoy on its own (or “on the rocks”, as they say), and it tastes delicious in desserts.
One dessert that I can’t seem to get enough of this time of year is Tiramisu. Although I’m certain it’s perfectly fine to enjoy this Italian classic any time of the year, for some reason, it just SCREAMS “Happy Holidays” to me. So to celebrate two of my favorite things–Baileys Irish Cream and Tiramisu–I decided to combine these two iconic sweets into one festive dessert!
Heavenly doesn’t even begin to describe all of the exquisite flavors and euphoric textures going on in this va-va-voom bombshell of a dessert. It’s light, fluffy, incredibly creamy, and infused with the perfect amount of Irish Cream. This Baileys Tiramisu is guaranteed to make you the favorite at your upcoming New Year’s Eve gathering.
To make things even better, this tiramisu is ten times easier to make than most other recipes–I promise! In fact, it only takes about 30 minutes to throw together and requires very few ingredients. You also don’t have to mess around with raw eggs or pesky cooking instructions.
To start things off, you’ll make up the Baileys coffee syrup. Just stir some strongly-brewed coffee and sugar together over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Instead of coffee, I usually just dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder in hot water. It’s much quicker since you don’t have to brew a entire pot of coffee. Once a few tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream are stirred in, you’re ready to move on to the mascarpone filling.
For the mascarpone filling, you’ll start by whipping up some heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Then you’ll combine some mascarpone cheese with some sugar, vanilla, and Baileys Irish Cream. I ended up adding 3/4 cup Irish Cream, but you can add less if you like. As someone who’s hypersensitive to alcohol, I can definitely say that the Irish Cream flavor is not overpowering at all even though the whole dessert contains a full cup.
Once you’ve folded your whipped cream into your mascarpone cheese mixture, it’s time to assemble the tiramisu. One at a time, take your ladyfingers and quickly dip them in the syrup, then place them side-by-side along the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Depending on the size of your ladyfingers, you might have to cut them. I suggest cutting them AFTER they’ve been dipped in the syrup since they soften and become easier to cut without breaking.
After you’ve got the first layer of ladyfingers down, spread half of the mascarpone cream filling evenly over the ladyfingers. Place another layer of syrup-soaked ladyfingers on top of the filling, then spread HALF of the remaining filling evenly on top. The second half of the remaining filling goes into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and piped into even rows along the top. This step is totally optional, but it definitely adds an impressive look to your tiramisu. Once it’s fully assembled, chill the tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Just before serving, dust the surface of the tiramisu with some cocoa powder. I recommend doing this step RIGHT before serving because once the cocoa powder hits the moisture from the filling, it isn’t long before it starts to darken. The color of cocoa powder is much more vibrant when it’s dry.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it freezes incredibly well. So if you have some leftover (which rarely ever happens with this dessert), you can slice the rest into individual squares, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat one, just take one out, unwrap it, place it on a plate, and allow it to thaw out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Honestly, can you think of a better dessert to ring in the new year than this Baileys Tiramisu?
…
I didn’t think so.
Baileys Tiramisu
Ingredients
Coffee Syrup:
- ⅔ cup strongly-brewed coffee*
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Irish Cream
Mascarpone Filling:
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Irish Cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (7 oz) package Savoiardi ladyfingers (about 24)
- Cocoa Powder for dusting
Instructions
Make the Coffee Syrup:
- Combine the coffee and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the Irish Cream. Set aside to cool completely.
Make the Filling:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl, return bowl to the mixer, and replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment.
- To the mixer, add the mascarpone cheese, sugar, Irish Cream and vanilla. Beat on high until combined. Add about a cup of the whipped cream and continue beating until incorporated. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.
Assemble Tiramisu:
- One at a time, quickly dip the ladyfingers in the coffee syrup until soaked but not soggy; arrange in an even layer along the bottom of an 8-inch square dish. (Line the ladyfingers up in two straight rows of six.**) Spread half of the the mascarpone filling on top of the ladyfingers. Place another layer of coffee syrup-soaked ladyfingers on top of the filling.
- Spread half of the remaining filling on top of the ladyfingers. Transfer remaining filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or a gallon ziplock bag with the corner cut off), and pipe the filling evenly over the tiramisu.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. Just before serving, place cocoa powder in a fine mesh sieve and shake a light dusting over the surface. Cut into squares and serve.