We’ve taken the classic Tiramisu and transformed it into a bright, fruity dessert. Strawberry-infused ladyfingers layered with a velvety mascarpone custard make this dessert the perfect combination of light and sweet. This gourmet treat is surprisingly simple and tastes as incredible as it looks.
In love with Tiramisu like we are? Try our classic Decadent Tiramisu or our Chocolate Tiramisu.
Why Our Recipe
- This easy, no-bake dessert looks complicated, but takes only 30 minutes to prepare!
- We use real mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers for a gourmet taste.
- This pretty, pink dessert is perfect for brunch, a romantic dinner, a fun summer party, Valentine’s Day, and a Galentine’s party.
This dessert is the perfect balance of decadent and gourmet, with indulgent flavor that’s lightened up with fresh strawberries. This is like the grown-up, sophisticated version of strawberry shortcake. Strawberries and Cream Tiramisu has the same simple flavors you love, but it’s upgraded with the light, delicate ladyfingers and thick, creamy mascarpone custard.
Ingredient Notes
- Ladyfingers: Sometimes hard to find, but typically in the fancier cookie aisle, the Italian foods section of your supermarket, or they can easily be found online.
- Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. Bottled lemon juice can be used, but it doesn’t have as bright of a flavor.
- Heavy Cream: You’ll need full-fat heavy cream—none of that milk or half-and-half business, or you’ll end up with a runny custard.
- Mascarpone Cheese: You can typically find this in the specialty cheese section by fresh mozzarella and burrata.
- Powdered Sugar:This is optional, for dusting the top of the tiramisu.
Ladyfinger Substitutes
You should be able to find ladyfingers in most grocery stores, but we have come across a few stores that don’t keep them in stock. If you can’t find them, you can always order them online. Substitution options include sponge cake, pound cake, or biscotti.
Mascarpone
Traditional tiramisu must use mascarpone (ma-scar-poe-nay) which is found either in the same section as you find cream cheese, or in the specialty cheese section. It’s a soft cheese sold in a small tub.
If you have trouble finding it, you can substitute it with cream cheese. The flavor and consistency will be affected if you do this as cream cheese has a stronger flavor and isn’t quite as soft. Whichever you use, make sure that it is full-fat. Using a low-fat mascarpone or cream cheese can result in a runnier custard.
Presentation Ideas
Tiramisu is going to taste delicious no matter how you serve it, but there are a few options for serving that you may want to consider depending on how casual or fancy or individual you want to make it.
Classic Slices – Make it in an 8×8 or 9×9-inch dish and slice it up like cake or brownies. Use a sharp knife for clean edges and a spatula to lift each piece out smoothly. Perfect for that classic tiramisu look!
Freeform on a Platter – Want a more rustic, no-fuss look? Assemble your layers directly on a serving platter instead of a dish. When it’s chilled, just slice and scoop sections to serve. It’s elegant, but in that effortless kind of way. You could even make it into a shape like a heart for a special occasion.
Individual Cups – Layer tiramisu in plastic cups, ramekins, mini glass jars, or even small cocottes for an easy, grab-and-go dessert. It looks cute and makes serving a breeze!
To Decorate – Keep it classic by using a fine mesh sieve to give it a light dusting of powdered sugar. Top with fresh strawberries for a pretty and simple presentation.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
We don’t recommend that you freeze this recipe as the cream will separate when thawing.
More dessert recipes…
QuotI tried this recipe for Valentine’s Day and everyone loved it. I cannot recomend it enough it’s simple light and flavorful. I’m sure I will be making this cake often. It’s a new favorite of mine.e goes here
– Lucia
Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Planning to make it for Memorial Day event tomorrow and have a few questions:
1) Do you have any suggestsion on how to adapt the recipe to incorporate blueberries with the strawberries (for flavor and color!)? (I could just add the blueberries on top, but might like to add them in with the strawberries.)
2) How far in advance can this be made? Our picnic event is at noon.
3) The strawberries on the inside in your photo look pretty firm and nicely sliced. But the mashing process seems as though it would have made them “mushier.” Can you comment on that??
Thanks for your reply. Even if you don’t see this or can’t respond for tomrrow, I’ll sitll appreciate your response.
EDIT: Ah, in looking more closely, I see that an extra pound of strawberries is used for the layering and garnish … so I think we can skip question #3.
You can definitely just add in pops of blueberries alongside the sliced strawberries. Don’t try and mash them or cut them as the colors will bleed. Just keep them whole. You can make it the night before or morning of. Hope I got to it in time!
Hi, Rachel!
Thanks for your reply. You replied quickly, and thank you!
I made the the cream mixture and the syrup the night prior and then assembled everything on Memorial Day. I think my blueberries were a tad tart, but they added nice color and pretty nice flavor. I decorated the top with blueberries and strawberries to make a flag design. Though my creativity was good, my execution with the decorating was a little less strong. And with the dish being in a square 8″ x 8″ pan and a flag being rectangular, I had to improvise a little. But everyone thought the dessert tasted great, and they liked how it was decorated.
I’ve made original tiramisu previously, and I liked the brand of lady fingers I used for that recipe better than the brand I used for this recipe. It’s been too many years to remember which brand I used previously, however. Are you permitted to mention the brand that you like for this recipe?
Thanks again for sharing this recipe, Rachel. I’d definitely make it again!
INCREDIBLE! Accidentally made strawberry reduction…..habit. Still turned out amazing and was a big hit with everyone in my family. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I made this with my grandson who had to taste test everything first its so easy to make with clear instructions the whole family enjoyed ….so a massive thank you gor sharing this receipe
I tried this recipe for Valentine’s Day and everyone loved it. I cannot recomend it enough it’s simple light and flavorful. I’m sure I will be making this cake often. It’s a new favorite of mine.
When you refer to as ‘strawberry mash’ do you mean the strawberry solids or the syrup? Cause you mentioned to cool them separately. I’m confused as to what you meant to add 1 cup of strawberry mash to the cream layer. Is it the syrup part or the solids?
Great question! It would be the strawberry solids that you add to the cream layer.
What if you’d like to add Strawberry Liquor, could you tell me how to do that? It really does look mouth watering. Thank you for the recipe.
You absolutely could! You would want to add it into the strawberry syrup and do so according to preference. Then dip the ladyfingers in that yummy strawberry syrup/liquor and make the best tiramisu ever!
This looks delicious! I want to make it soon!!
Looks like a great recipe but is there/will there be a video? I learned to cook by watching my grandma, who never used recipes. I have difficulty following them and do much better with a visual. If I watch you make something once I can make it myself from memory. Is that weird, or what? 😉
We just barely started being able to produce videos again. No video for this one yet, but we do have an upcoming video for the chocolate version that should help you get most of the way!
Can I use cool whip and marscapone
You certainly can!