Tres Leches Tiramisu
Give tiramisu the tres leches treatment.
Serves12 to 16
Prep45 minutes
I’ll be honest: I’m not much of a cake person. But there are a few exceptions: Whole Foods’ Berry Chantilly cake and tres leches, which both vie for first place. That is, unless you consider tiramisu a cake, in which case it’s a three-way tie. The thing they all have in common? They’re impossibly tender.
So I decided to make one of my favorite desserts, tres leches, even easier by making it a no-bake, tiramisu-style fantasy. The filling is impossibly airy and creamy, the lady fingers are dunked in a cinnamon and rum-spiked mixture of evaporated and sweetened condensed milk, and it tastes like tres leches perfection. What more could I ask for?
Why You’ll Love It
- There’s no baking involved! All the flavor of the classic Mexican dessert, but with store-bought ladyfinger cookies instead of cake.
- It’s extra fluffy and light. Thanks to the whipped egg whites, the creamy layers stay super dreamy and airy.
Key Ingredients in Tres Leches Tiramisu
- Ladyfingers. Store-bought ladyfinger cookies are perfect for soaking up syrup and make this dessert that much easier.
- Milk. A combination of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream are the classic three milks used in traditional tres leches.
- Cinnamon. Dunk the cookies in a cinnamon-flavored milk mixture to add warmth.
- Rum (optional). A few tablespoons of rum give the dessert a subtle spiced kick.
- Mascarpone. A component of classic tiramisu, the creamy sweet cheese adds structure to the cream filling.
How to Make Tres Leches Tiramisu
- Make the dunking mixture. Whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, rum, and kosher salt.
- Make the cream filling. Whip sugar and egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip egg yolks with sweetened condensed milk until pale and doubled in size. Add mascarpone cheese, vanilla, and kosher salt to the whipped yolk mixture and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream and egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
- Assemble the tiramisu. One at a time, dunk ladyfingers in the cinnamon dunking mixture and arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish. Spread with a layer of cream. Top with a second layer of dipped ladyfingers, then spread with the remaining cream and chill. Right before serving, the tiramisu gets a final dusting of cinnamon. Top slices with maraschino cherries or sliced strawberries.
If You’re Making Tres Leches Tiramisu, a Few Tips
- Cut the cookies as needed to fit the baking dish; they’re fairly easy to slice with a paring knife.
- Play up classic tiramisu flavors more with a little cocoa dusted on top or a few tablespoons of coffee in the dunking mixture.
More Tiramisu Recipes to Try
Tres Leches Tiramisu Recipe
Give tiramisu the tres leches treatment.
Prep time 45 minutes
Serves 12 to 16
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
(12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1
(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons
dark rum (optional)
- 6
large eggs, preferably pasteurized
- 1/4 cup
granulated sugar
- 16 ounces
mascarpone cheese
- 2 teaspoons
vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup
cold heavy cream
- 40 to 45
crisp (savoiardi) ladyfingers (about 13.1 ounces total)
Maraschino cherries or sliced fresh strawberries, for garnish
Instructions
Place 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of the sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons dark rum (if desired) in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
Separate 6 large eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer) and the yolks in a small bowl.
Add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar to the egg whites. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, being sure to scrape the bowl clean.
Place the egg yolks in the now-empty bowl. Add the remaining sweetened condensed milk and beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until very pale yellow and doubled in volume, scraping the bottom halfway through, 5 to 8 minutes total.
Add 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl, being sure to scrape the bowl clean.
Place 1 cup cold heavy cream in the now-empty bowl and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, scraping down the bowl and attachment halfway through, 3 to 4 minutes total.
Add the whipped cream to the egg yolk-mascarpone mixture and fold with a flexible spatula until just combined. Add the whipped egg white mixture a little bit at a time and fold until just combined.
Working with 1 ladyfinger at a time, quickly dip in the evaporated milk mixture and place in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Repeat, nestling them tightly together and breaking ladyfingers as needed to fit, until the bottom of the baking dish is covered, about 20 ladyfingers.
Transfer half of the cream mixture (about 4 cups) over the ladyfingers and spread into an even layer. Repeat with a second layer of soaked ladyfingers. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the remaining evaporated milk mixture over the ladyfingers. Top with the remaining cream mixture and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate so the ladyfingers can soften and the cream mixture can firm up, at least 12 or up to 24 hours.
Right before serving, sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Garnish with maraschino cherries or sliced strawberries. Use a big serving spoon to scoop, or use a knife to cut into squares to serve.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The tiramisu can be made up to 24 hours ahead.
Storage: Leftover tiramisu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Over time, the ladyfingers will continue to soften.