Double chocolate tiramisu; light and fluffy mascarpone cream dessert with layers of soft chocolate-soaked sponge fingers.
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A tiramisu without coffee? Yup.
Continuing the British tradition of blaspheming Italian dishes into something (tasty but) insultingly unrecognisable from the original, I bring you the double chocolate tiramisu.
A few months ago I called for some recipe requests from my lovely YouTube subscribers. Someone asked for a take on tiramisu that didn’t involve any coffee, for those who don’t partake in the world’s favourite addiction. After a bit of consideration, here we are.
Prefer a video recipe to reading? You can watch the full recipe video here!
This recipe has been through several imaginary interpretations. I thought of going ALL OUT chocolate, with chocolate cream, chocolate ganache, chocolate sponge, the works. However, all of it seemed to take away from the essence of what tiramisu really is.
It’s a dessert that’s famously light, cold, creamy, and refreshing. Nothing about layers upon layers of chocolate, however delicious and carefully crafted, seemed to reflect that.
Instead I looked to the original for inspiration. The alcohol-free, raw egg original.
I’ve kept the mascarpone cream element pretty much untouched compared to classic Italian versions. A combination of fluffy eggs, a little sugar, and fresh soft cheese. Similarly, I kept the traditional savoiardi sponge fingers rather than getting creative and replacing them with some cocoa-heavy alternative.
Ultimately, this double chocolate tiramisu is a very close relative of the original. The only differences you’ll notice are a deep cocoa flavour in the soaked sponges in place of bitter espresso, and a bold dark chocolate topping where there usually exists a light dusting of cocoa powder.
You’ll get a satisfying chocolate fix without losing any of that typical tiramisu lightness. It’s as cooling and refreshing as ever, just without the coffee hit.
Love a twist on tiramisu? Why not try my Birramisu recipe?
This easy no bake dessert is also pretty easy to whip up. Though you’ll need a few bowls and a few minutes of whisking, there are no extra fiddly steps added to the recipe to bring that double chocolate element.
As long as you can beat some eggs to fluffiness, and have the patience to layer up this desserts elements inside a glass dish or dishes, you’ll have a delicious double chocolate tiramisu. Meltingly smooth and fluffy mascarpone cream, soft chocolate-soaked sponge fingers, and shattering shards of rich dark chocolate.
Serve it in a large rectangular dish (doubling the recipe if feeding more than 6-8 people), or in some cute individual glasses. Enjoy it on a warm afternoon, after a heavy dinner, or even as a treat at breakfast time. This double chocolate tiramisu is a delight at any time of day. Plus, you can make it hours or even days ahead of any event, BBQ, or dinner party you have planned to minimise the stress of cooking.
In this double chocolate tiramisu I used Willie’s Cacao Venezuelan black cooking chocolate block (after receiving it as a lovely gift from them). The chocolate has a bold and almost coffee-like flavour that really melds well with the rich creaminess of the mascarpone in this recipe.
If you’d like to try some of their cooking chocolate for yourself, you can find it here.
I really hope you’ll love this double chocolate tiramisu as much as we have, and thanks as always for stopping by.
Want to save this double chocolate tiramisu for later? You can pin the image below:
To make this double chocolate tiramisu, simply follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
For the sponge soak:
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder or hot chocolate powder
- 1 tbsp caster or granulated sugar (if using straight cocoa powder)
- 250ml (1 cup) hot water
For the mascarpone cream:
- 2 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
- 50g (¼ cup) caster or granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 250g (9oz) mascarpone cheese
To assemble:
- 100g-150g (4oz -5oz) savoiardi sponge fingers
- Dark chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, to decorate
Instructions
For the sponge soak:
- In a mug, stir together your cocoa and sugar (if using).
- Gradually add the hot water, stirring continuously until you have a smooth liquid hot chocolate.
- Pour the mixture into a wide bowl or saucer to cool slightly. Set aside.
For the mascarpone cream:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and airy. This should only take 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk the mascarpone into the egg yolk sugar mixture for 1 minute, or until creamy and fluffy. Set aside.
- Using a clean whisk and separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until holding soft white peaks.
- Gently stir the fluffy egg whites into the mascarpone mixture until you have a smooth and light cream. Try not to stir TOO much, as you risk knocking out too much of the air.
To assemble:
- Once you have prepared your mascarpone cream, and your sponge soak has cooled, it’s time to assemble!
- Look out a rectangular dish, trifle bowl, or individual glasses (like I did!).
- Spoon a little mascarpone cream into the base of your serving dish(es).
- Soak just enough savoiardi in your sponge soak to evenly cover your layer of cream. Only a few seconds of soaking is needed, and don’t worry if you have to break the savoiardi into smaller pieces to fit!
- Repeat this layering process until you’ve used up all of your mascarpone cream. Any leftover savoiardi and sponge soak make a tasty sweet snack in the meantime.
- Place your filled dish(es) in the fridge to chill and set for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. By this time the cream should be thickened and the sponge fingers softened.
- Top your tiramisu with chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa powder and serve cold.
- Enjoy!
BE A MAVERICK: why not add your favourite cream or chocolate liqueur to the sponge soak?
This double chocolate tiramisu will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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