Decadent New York Style cheesecake topped with gluten free ladyfingers dipped in Kahlua and espresso and finished with a Kahlua whipped cream dusted with cocoa powder.
What is there to say about this except it's Tiramisu and Cheesecake...all in one nice bundle! When I was finished making this I literally had hearts in my eyes and could not wait to cut into this masterpiece and devour every last bite.
This creation was actually inspired by my mother-in-law who loves, you guessed it, Tiramisu and Cheesecake. Her birthday was last month in August and I just couldn't decide which one to make so voila! I put them together and now I think I will always make it this way. And spoiler alert, she said it was the best damn tiramisu/cheesecake she's ever had.
I used my standard cheesecake recipe for this which sadly takes a little while. This is definitely a dessert you need to plan ahead for, but that extra love and time makes all the difference.
Ingredients:
for the cheesecake
6 eggs, room temperature
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream, room temperature
4 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
for the tiramisu topping
Kahlua Mixture:
3 tbsp warm water
2 tbsp instant espresso
1 cup Kahlua
about 12 gluten free ladyfingers
Kahlua Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
1/4 cup Kahlua mixture, cold
10 tbsp powdered sugar
Cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the inside of a springform pan and make sure you have a pan large enough for the springform to sit in.
2. Cut two large pieces of foil and lay them flat overlapping each other in a cross. Place your springform pan in the center and fold up the edges, sealing the springform to make sure absolutely no water gets in.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
4. Beat in the sugar, sour cream, corn starch, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until fully combined.
5. Scrape the sides as needed and beat in the eggs one at a time.
6. Pour into the prepared springform pan. Place the springform into a pan large enough for it to sit in.
7. Boil water and pour into the pan surrounding the springform. Water should reach about halfway up the springform and make sure no water splashes onto the cheesecake.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours and 15 minutes or until the top is lightly colored and the cake is set.
9. Turn off the oven and crack the door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the cooling oven for 2 hours.
10. Place cheesecake in the refrigerator still in its springform pan for at least 6 hours to overnight and be patient! Do not mess with it. Seriously.
For the Tiramisu Topping:
1. Once the cheesecake has completely set in its pan for the time allotted, mix the espresso into the warm water and stir until dissolved.
2. Mix in Kahlua.
3. Soak each lady finger for a few seconds into the mixture and then place each one on top of the cheesecake to cover.
4. In a standmixer, beat heavy whipping cream on medium high until stiff peaks form.
5. Add in 1/4 cup of Kahlua mixture and 10 tbsp powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.
6. Spread whipped cream over the top of the ladyfingers and remove springform sides.
7. Dust with cocoa powder and serve! Keep in the refrigerator to store.
