If you have leftover pandoro from Christmas, this is the perfect way to use it! This homemade tiramisu is layered with mascarpone, whipped cream and cocoa powder to make a crowd-pleasing dessert.
This is the perfect post-Christmas dessert! Why post-Christmas you ask? Because how many pandori are you left with once the holidays are over? If you're like me, the answer is many! So what better way to use up a pandoro than to make a homemade tiramisu with it?!
This is a tiramisu recipe without eggs, and it's also the perfect dessert to feed a crowd!
What is Pandoro?
It's a traditional Italian dessert that originated in Verona served at Chirstmas time. This is a good pandoro to use. It is a moist, sweet bread-like cake that is baked in a tall star-shaped pan that gives it its distinct shape. It literally means golden bread (pan d’oro), because it’s made with egg yolks with gives it that deep golden yellow color.
Pandoro traditionally doesn't have any filling like candied fruit (unlike panettone), but there are other versions of pandoro that are filled with cream, chocolate chips etc. This recipe uses the very traditional pandoro with no filling.
How to Make Pandoro Tiramisu - Step by Step
Cut the pandoro - cut it in half vertically, and continue cutting into half inch thick pieces. The pieces will be very large at this point. Cut them down smaller so that they fit in the pan and cover the surface of the pan (photo 1)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip cream, sugar and vanilla extract together. Whip until thick but not yet holding peaks. Add mascarpone to the mixture, and continue whipping until the mascarpone is fully mixed in, and the cream is velvety and smooth in texture, and holding stiff peaks.
Pour cold coffee in shallow dish. Mix in the amaretto or rum. Dip half the pandoro pieces into the coffee, ensuring that they are covered in coffee, but not soaking wet (this will make the tiramisu too soggy). Add the pandoro pieces to the pan in a single layer (photo 2)
Top with half the mascarpone mixture and level out. Dust with cocoa powder (photo 3)
Dip the remaining pandoro pieces in the cold coffee and add this second layer of pandoro pieces to the pan. Top with remaining mascarpone/cream mixture (photo 4)
Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dust with cocoa powder before serving (photo 5)
Top Tips For Making Homemade Pandoro Tiramisu:
- This recipe is based off a 10x13 inch baking dish
- I used a 700g pandoro, but pandoro also comes in 1kg versions. Using a 1kg pandoro would work for this recipe, you may just get more slices than I did
- You can use an enamel baking dish, a glass dish, or a ceramic dish will work well too
- I used espresso from my Breville espresso machine, but coffee from a moka pot works well too.
- The tiramisu needs to be kept refrigerated at all times, give the mascarpone and cream content
- I recommend letting the tiramisu rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours in order to set, but letting it rest overnight would be even better.
- The tiramisu will last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More Italian Christmas Desserts You Might Like:
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Recipe
Pandoro Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 1 Pandoro 700g
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 cups mascarpone cheese room temperature
- ½ cup sugar or to taste
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon amaretto or rum
- 2 cups strong cold coffee I used espresso from my espresso machine
- cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Cut the pandoro - cut it in half vertically, and continue cutting into half inch thick pieces. The pieces will be very large at this point. Cut them down smaller so that they fit in the pan and cover the surface of the pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip cream, sugar and vanilla extract together. Whip until thick but not yet holding peaks. Add mascarpone to the mixture, and continue whipping until the mascarpone is fully mixed in, and the cream is velvety and smooth in texture, and holding stiff peaks.
- Pour cold coffee in shallow dish. Mix in the amaretto or rum. Dip half the pandoro pieces into the coffee, ensuring that they are covered in coffee, but not soaking wet (this will make the tiramisu too soggy). Add the pandoro pieces to the pan in a single layer.
- Top with half the mascarpone mixture and level out. Dust with cocoa powder.
- Dip the remaining pandoro pieces in the cold coffee and add this second layer of pandoro pieces to the pan. Top with remaining mascarpone/cream mixture.
- Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe is based off a 10x13 inch baking dish
- You can use an enamel baking dish, a glass dish, or a ceramic dish will work well too
- I used espresso from my Breville espresso machine, but coffee from a moka pot works well too.
- The tiramisu needs to be kept refrigerated at all times, give the mascarpone and cream content
- I recommend letting the tiramisu rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours in order to set, but letting it rest overnight would be even better.
- The tiramisu will last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Patricia P Mapley says
I am not a novice dessert maker. I made this for my husband's birthday. Disappointment is an understatement. I ended up throwing the whole thing away. It was bitter and the mascarpone and heavy cream mixture was awful and it set up like a rock. I can't even give it one star.
Pina says
I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out! Can’t think of why the mascarpone cream would harden, but apologies nonetheless.
Ann says
Fabulous, utterly delicious, easy to make.
I make this Tirimisu often. My family and everyone I serve it to loves it.