Marsala wine is sometimes served in traditional tiramisu.
Tiramisu cheesecake is inspired by the Italian dessert, usually made with gingerbread, cream and espresso. Unlike classic tiramisu, this cheesecake version is usually baked in the oven. It also usually contains cream cheese, in addition to the traditional mascarpone cheese. Some recipes use sponge cake as a base for the cheesecake, while others do not.
Tiramisu Italian dessert can be topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.
Many tiramisu cheesecake recipes replace the egg cream, or Zabaglione, with a base of cream cheese. This mixture usually contains eggs, cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. Mascarpone is a soft, thick cheese that is usually made with sour cream. Some cooks also season the cheesecake base with coffee. If mascarpone cheese is not available, a cook can substitute sour cream.
Tiramisu cheesecake is inspired by the classic Italian dessert tiramisu.
In traditional tiramisu, crispy biscuits or wafer-shaped cookies are dipped in a mixture of sugar, Marsala wine, and espresso. Italian biscuits, called savoiardi, are crunchy and not soft like those commonly used in the United States. These wafers are then covered with cream to form the dessert. Soaking the cookies during preparation gives them a fluffy texture.
Unlike this dish, the tiramisu cheesecake does not have layers of gingerbreads, instead using the soaked wafers as a base for the cake. Wine can be completely omitted from the recipe. Another option is to skip the soaking step and instead grind the biscuits or wafers into crumbs for a cookie-like crust. To make this, wafer crumbs are combined with melted butter and ground coffee or espresso, then pressed to the bottom of a baking sheet.
Traditional tiramisu is usually left in the refrigerator overnight so the cookies melt into the cream. The dessert is usually raw, although some cooks may heat the cream while preparing it. Usually, however, a tiramisu cheesecake is baked to set the cream cheese base. After baking, the cheesecake must cool completely before serving.
Tiramisu cheesecake is usually topped with cocoa powder or chocolate chips. Cocoa powder is usually spread over the entire surface of the cake. Some recipes call for drizzling the cooled cake with chocolate syrup. Another option is to spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the cake and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
Cheesecake can be prepared and baked on a flexible baking sheet with removable sides. Some recipes call for the use of a rectangular or square pan, which produces cheesecake bars instead of triangular slices. Spreading parchment paper or foil over the bottom and sides of the pan will usually make it easier to remove the finished cheesecake.