“Vegan” = no animal products.
Shawn Maurer writes: I found your website yesterday after I assembled my first Tiramisu. My Tiramisu is vegan and since it doesn't look like you have a vegan recipe, I thought I'd send it your way. It turned out quite yummy, though as I haven't had non-vegan Tiramisu, I can't comment on the authenticity of the flavor. Parts of the recipe were inspired by an online vegan sponge-cake recipe and the Joy of Cooking, which are referenced.
(Sponge cake recipe at http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1593069 credited to Candace Naomi Sakuda of Honolulu, Hawaii.)
This recipe has been veganized from the Joy of Cooking animal-based recipe. The Joy of Cooking's substitution of cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream for mascarpone cheese (near the pasta section) makes a vegan version possible, since soy versions of the necessary ingredients are available at whole-food type chain stores and health food stores. Online vegan Tiramisu recipes call for non-dairy whipped topping or soy yogurt instead of the fake mascarpone. Such recipes should work but won't be as rich.
The recipe contains neither cholesterol nor hydrogenated oils and uses minimally-processed sugar and whole wheat flour.
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR, 2 cups
- NATURAL CANE SUGAR, 1 cup
- BAKING SODA, 3 teaspoons
- ENER-G OR OTHER EGG REPLACER (corn or potato starch or tapioca flour should substitute ok), 1 teaspoon
- VANILLA EXTRACT, 1 teaspoon
- VEGETABLE OIL, 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
- WATER, 1-1/3 cups
"Mascarpone" Layer
- SOY CREAM CHEESE, 8 ounces
- SOY SOUR CREAM, 1/2 cup
- SOY COFFEE CREAMER, 3/4 cup
- AMARETTO(or other coffee liquor), 1/4 cup
- NATURAL CANE SUGAR, 1/3 cup
- VANILLA EXTRACT, 1 tablespoon
- VEGETABLE OIL, 1/4 cup
Coffee/Liquor Dip
- ESPRESSO, 1 cup
- AMARETTO (or other coffee liquor), 3 tablespoons
- NATURAL CANE SUGAR, 3 tablespoons
- BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, 5 ounces
Directions
- First make the sponge cake. Set oven to 375 F.
- Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and egg replacer together in glass 9-inch round or 8x8-inch cake pan.
- Add vanilla, oil and water to the dry ingredients. Mix until lumps are mostly gone then bake for 45 minutes.
- As sponge cake is cooking, prepare "mascarpone" layer.
- Blend together all ingredients until well-mixed and somewhat aerated and store in fridge.
- This is good time to grate the chocolate as well. I use Scharffen Berger bittersweet 70% cacao. Store grated chocolate in the fridge as well.
- To make the coffee/liquor dip, make 1 cup of espresso or strong coffee.
- Add the amaretto and sugar and stir while the espresso is still hot.
- Store this also in the fridge to cool down the coffee. Added benefit: the cook gets to drink any excess espresso.
- When the cake is done cooking, let it cool.
- When cool (and not any sooner), remove from the pan and cut into 1-inch x 1-inch x 3-inch strips.
- Lay the strips on a cookie sheet and bake 10-15 minutes at 400 F.
- Then, after the cake strips are cooled, assemble as you would any Tiramisu.
- Dip the cake strips in the coffee/liquor dip and lay in a bread pan.
- Pour some "mascarpone" layer over the top, sprinkle liberally with grated chocolate, and repeat.
- Garnish with cocoa powder if you like. Let sit overnight and then yum!
