America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 28, 2012

Time

55 minutes, plus 5 hours freezing

Yield

Serves 8 to 10

Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients

2 ½ cups brewed coffee, black, room temperature1 ½ tablespoons instant espresso powder 6 tablespoons dark rum 14 ounces (397 grams) ladyfingers (42 to 60 cookies)4 pints coffee ice cream ¼ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) mini chocolate chips 8 ounces (227 grams/1 cup) mascarpone cheese ¾ cup heavy cream, chilled¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar Unsweetened cocoa powder

Before You Begin

Our version of the classic Italian trifle fills a ring of coffee-soaked ladyfingers with coffee-chip ice cream and crowns it with whipped cream enriched by mascarpone cheese. Topped with a light dusting of cocoa, this frozen cake is as elegant as it is easy to assemble. A large tube pan with a removable bottom works best here. If your tube pan doesn’t have a removable bottom, it may be necessary to soak the bottom of the pan in a large bowl of hot water for 30 seconds to help the frozen cake release from the pan.

Instructions

    for the soaked ladyfingers

  1. Stir coffee, espresso powder, and 5 tablespoons rum in large bowl until espresso dissolves; set aside. Working with 1 cookie at a time, quickly dunk ladyfingers in coffee mixture and transfer to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet; let sit 5 minutes.
  2. to assemble

  3. Grease tube pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper (see Tip). Lightly coat parchment with cooking spray. Line prepared pan with soaked ladyfingers, packing gently to ensure there are no spaces between cookies; freeze until firm, about 1 hour (see Step by Step). When cookies are firm, scoop ice cream into large bowl and mash with wooden spoon until softened; fold in chocolate chips. Transfer softened ice cream to cookie-lined pan, smooth top, and wrap with plastic. Freeze until ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
  4. to serve

  5. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat mascarpone, cream, sugar, and remaining tablespoon rum until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently invert pan to turn cake out onto serving platter and discard parchment. Using a rubber spatula, top cake with 1 cup mascarpone mixture and dust lightly and evenly with cocoa. Serve with remaining mascarpone mixture.
Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Marie Piraino.

Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

55 minutes, plus 5 hours freezing

Yield

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

2 ½ cups brewed coffee, black, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons dark rum
14 ounces (397 grams) ladyfingers (42 to 60 cookies)
4 pints coffee ice cream
¼ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) mini chocolate chips
8 ounces (227 grams/1 cup) mascarpone cheese
¾ cup heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups brewed coffee, black, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons dark rum
14 ounces (397 grams) ladyfingers (42 to 60 cookies)
4 pints coffee ice cream
¼ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) mini chocolate chips
8 ounces (227 grams/1 cup) mascarpone cheese
¾ cup heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups brewed coffee, black, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons dark rum
14 ounces (397 grams) ladyfingers (42 to 60 cookies)
4 pints coffee ice cream
¼ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) mini chocolate chips
8 ounces (227 grams/1 cup) mascarpone cheese
¾ cup heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

To assemble our Tiramisù Ice Cream Cake, we found we had to soften the ice cream before spreading it over the ladyfingers. To make this process easier, we scooped the hard ice cream into a large mixing bowl, then used a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon to break the scoops into a smooth consistency that was easily spreadable.

We had to be careful when purchasing ladyfingers for our Tiramisù Ice Cream Cake. Avoid fresh ladyfingers. Their soft, cakelike texture becomes mushy when soaked, so they won’t work in this recipe or in other layered cookie and custard dishes.

Before You Begin

Our version of the classic Italian trifle fills a ring of coffee-soaked ladyfingers with coffee-chip ice cream and crowns it with whipped cream enriched by mascarpone cheese. Topped with a light dusting of cocoa, this frozen cake is as elegant as it is easy to assemble. A large tube pan with a removable bottom works best here. If your tube pan doesn’t have a removable bottom, it may be necessary to soak the bottom of the pan in a large bowl of hot water for 30 seconds to help the frozen cake release from the pan.

Instructions

    for the soaked ladyfingers

  1. Stir coffee, espresso powder, and 5 tablespoons rum in large bowl until espresso dissolves; set aside. Working with 1 cookie at a time, quickly dunk ladyfingers in coffee mixture and transfer to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet; let sit 5 minutes.
  2. to assemble

  3. Grease tube pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper (see Tip). Lightly coat parchment with cooking spray. Line prepared pan with soaked ladyfingers, packing gently to ensure there are no spaces between cookies; freeze until firm, about 1 hour (see Step by Step). When cookies are firm, scoop ice cream into large bowl and mash with wooden spoon until softened; fold in chocolate chips. Transfer softened ice cream to cookie-lined pan, smooth top, and wrap with plastic. Freeze until ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
  4. to serve

  5. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat mascarpone, cream, sugar, and remaining tablespoon rum until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently invert pan to turn cake out onto serving platter and discard parchment. Using a rubber spatula, top cake with 1 cup mascarpone mixture and dust lightly and evenly with cocoa. Serve with remaining mascarpone mixture.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.