Indulgent Pesach tiramisu (Gluten-free and DELICIOUS!)

A showstopping Pesach dessert recipe! Indulge in this gorgeous gluten-free tiramisu – layers of coffee-soaked sponge, rich mascarpone, and a thick layer of cocoa. Bliss!

Pesach sponge cake. Three words to sink the heart. My Mum stopped making them years ago, because they never fail to disappoint. Dry and crumbly, or weirdly damp, with an unmistakable flavour of egg and matza meal. No thanks, I think I’ll pass.

However, there is a way to make a Pesach sponge cake not only edible, but actually enticing, delectable, and indulgent. Ladies & gentlemen, Tiramisu!

Gluten-free tiramisu

This matza-meal-free hazelnut sponge is already pretty good. But soak it in black coffee, add a rich mascarpone cream and a generous dredging of cocoa powder, and now we’re talking! Gluten-free, Pesach Tiramisu – what a revelation!

Things I love about this gluten-free tiramisu recipe:

1. The cake layer is super easy to make. The sponge takes quite a lot of whisking – don’t attempt this without a electric whisk of some sort – but only has 4 ingredients and is simplicity itself.
2. Ditto the mascarpone cream. Whisk, fold, dollop, and away you go.
3. If you make your tiramisu in a glass dish, the layers look luscious – like something out of a magazine.
4. Despite it being a doddle to assemble, people will be dead impressed that you made it. Bask in your tiramisu glory!
5. It’s gluten-free, so a great dessert recipe to have handy for your friends with special diets.
6. It’s TOTALLY DELICIOUS! Billowy mascarpone cream, rich coffee-soaked sponge, delicious chocolate. Mmmmmmmmm.

Gluten-free tiramisu – ingredients

I’m delighted to say that although it’s completely gluten free, this delicious dessert doesn’t use any weird ingredients. You might have to get the mascarpone and maybe potato flour (potato starch) specially, but the rest of the ingredients are probably things you already have at home. To make this fabulous gluten-free tiramisu recipe yourself you will need:

• Potato flour – also known (especially in the USA) as potato starch
• Ground hazelnuts for a rich and nutty flavour
• Sugar to sweeten
• Eggs – for light and fluffy cake layers
• Mascarpone – the traditional rich cream used in tiramisu
• Whipping cream – to add volume
• Vanilla – just a smidge!
• Coffee – you can use freshly brewed coffee or just make up some instant coffee, but it should be quite strong, either way
• Cocoa powder – for dredging a thick and delicious chocolatey layer

Just chillin’

This tiramisu does benefit from an overnight stay in the fridge between assembly and consumption, which requires more than a little willpower, sorry. If you make it last thing at night, as I did, then at least it stands a chance of surviving till the the morning. And I defy anyone to eat tiramisu for breakfast. You have to draw the line somewhere.

We had it after lunch instead. Sensibly, I’d had a small main course, so was able to indulge in a huge serving (clever me!). My daughter Kipper was very taken with the creamy, chocolatey bits, but not so keen on the coffee flavour. I may try making a fruit version, soaking the cake in a fruity syrup and adding layers of fresh berries. The possibilities are endless.

Gorgeous gluten-free dessert

As well as serving up this triumph of a dessert during Pesach, this is a great recipe to stash away for when you need a showstopper of a gluten-free dessert. Each spoonful of gooey, coffee-infused cake and slurpilicious cocoa-drenched mascarpone is just heavenly.

Make one of these. You’ll be glad you did. 

Serves 8 (in theory).

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📖 Recipe

Gluten-free tiramisu (for Pesach)

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A showstopping Passover dessert! Indulge in this gorgeous gluten-free tiramisu – layers of coffee-soaked sponge, rich mascarpone, and a thick layer of cocoa. Bliss!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Calories 398 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the sponge

• 30 g potato flour (potato starch)
• 50 g ground hazelnuts
• 3 eggs
• 75 g caster sugar

To assemble

• 250 g mascarpone
• 25 g caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300 ml whipping cream
• 250-300 ml cold strong coffee
• 1-2 tablespoon cocoa powder

Instructions

 

To make the sponge

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 23 x 33cm (9 x 13 inches) swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
• 30 g (¼ cup) potato flour (potato starch), 50 g (½ cup) ground hazelnuts
  Put the potato flour and ground hazelnuts into a food processor or mini-chopper and pulse several times to produce a fine powder. Set aside.
• 3 eggs
  Separate the eggs. Put the whites into a clean bowl and whisk to stiff peaks. Set aside.
• 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
  In a separate bowl, combine the yolks and sugar and whisk until pale and thick. Whisk in the flour/hazelnut mixture and mix thoroughly.
• Add a large spoonful of egg white to the yolk mixture and mix in well to loosen the mixture. Then carefully fold in the rest of the whisked egg whites using a metal spoon, taking care not to knock out too much of the air.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, and use a spatula to spread it to the edges/corners and level the surface. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for around 20 minutes, until lightly coloured and springy to the touch.
• Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and carefully peel off the baking parchment, then allow the cake to cool completely.

To assemble

• 250 g (9 oz) mascarpone, 25 g (1⅔ tablespoon) caster sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 300 ml (1¼ cups) whipping cream
  In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone with the sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
• Cut the cooled sponge in half – each half will be a layer in your tiramisu. Ideally, you will have a dish into which a half of the cake fits, snugly, in a single layer. Otherwise, cut the sponge and arrange in the bottom of your dish.
• 250-300 ml (1-1½ cups) cold strong coffee
  Spoon half the coffee over the sponge, allowing it to soak in.
• 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder
  Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the sponge and spread out in an even layer. Sieve half the cocoa powder over the mascarpone in a thick, even layer.
• Repeat with the remaining cake, coffee, and mascarpone cream. Finish with a generous layer of cocoa powder.
• Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least a few hours and ideally overnight.
• Serve, and enjoy!

Notes

I used decaffeinated coffee, to make this dessert more child-friendly.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-free tiramisu (for Pesach)

Amount per Serving

Calories

398

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

33

g

51

%

Saturated Fat

 

18

g

113

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

144

mg

48

%

Sodium

 

58

mg

3

%

Potassium

 

114

mg

3

%

Carbohydrates

 

19

g

6

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

13

g

14

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

1078

IU

22

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

90

mg

9

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword chocolate, coffee, cream

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More delicious Passover dessert recipes

Other delicious Pesach friendly desserts include delicious lemon and almond cake and rich and chocolatey Duke of Cambridge matza cake.

Or take a look at this list of the best family-approved Pesach cakes and desserts!