This is a combination of two of my favourite desserts and I could not be more excited to share it with you - if banoffee pie and tiramisu had a lovechild, this would be it! Imagine the creamy texture and coffee, cocoa and booze-soaked flavours of tiramisu combined with the sweet, velvety caramel and fruity banana flavours so synonymous with banoffee pie… heaven in a bowl.
It is much simpler than it looks and requires no cooking time at all - making it the perfect no-bake dessert recipe. Like a traditional tiramisu, the secret is in the chilling time. Once you have prepped the layers, it is more or less an assembly job, ideal for entertaining and dinner parties. Trust me, this is the dessert you didn’t know you needed.
What you will need for this Banana Tiramisu:
Mascarpone - a creamy, thick Italian cheese with a high fat content (around 40%) and similar consistency to cream cheese. It is a key ingredient in tiramisu but also found in cheesecakes, tarts, as a filling between cakes and as an accompaniment to a host of puddings. It is also delicious in savoury recipes like my Cheesy Tomato Baked Gnocchi and Tomato and Mascarpone Orzo. Make sure it's at room temperature before making tiramisu.
Eggs - use free-range large eggs if you can. They must be stamped with the British Lion since they are served raw.
Caster sugar - I like to use caster sugar, but you could use granulated sugar if that is what you have.
Saviourdi lady fingers - these crisp, sweet vanilla-flavoured biscuits soften when immersed in liquid, absorbing the delicious coffee flavour (you may find the French version called ‘boudoir biscuits’ - these are fine to use too). They are also used to make ‘Charlotte’ cakes.
Strong coffee - it is important it is strong otherwise the coffee flavour won’t come through in the dessert. Make sure it has cooled slightly before dipping.
Marsala - this is a fortified wine produced in Italy. You get dry and sweet varieties - it is best to use the dry version in tiramisu as it still has a sweet flavour with nutty, brown sugar notes. You could swap for other alcohols/liqueurs (see FAQs).
Kahlúa - this is a coffee-flavoured liqueur made in Mexico using 100% Arabica coffee beans, rum and sugar. It has a lovely strong coffee flavour with notes of sweet vanilla and caramel.
Bananas - obviously key for the banoffee flavour, you want them to be nice and ripe but not as overripe as you would use for banana bread.
Caramel - this is key for the sweet, banoffee flavour. You could use dulce de leche if you prefer.
Flaky salt - don’t worry, this won’t make the tiramisu taste salty. A small pinch of salt cuts through the sweetness of the banana and caramel and heightens the other flavours. I like Maldon Flaky Sea Salt.
Cocoa powder - make sure you use the unsweetened variety (and definitely not hot chocolate powder!). You could also add a grating of good-quality dark chocolate, if wished.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Tiramisu (which literally translates as ‘pick me up’) is one of Italy’s most famous desserts. Traditional tiramisu recipes include alternate layers of savoiardi lady fingers soaked in coffee and liqueur, and a sweet egg, sugar and mascarpone cream, finished with a dusting of cocoa. More modern recipes lighten the mascarpone layer by adding whipped cream and/or whisked egg whites - some also add a grating of good-quality dark chocolate in between the layers and on top. This recipe takes inspiration from the classic version, but adds a little twist by fusing with the flavours of banoffee pie for a dessert mash up like no other. I was tempted to call it a Banoffee Tiramisu…
For those of you unfamiliar with the dessert, you are in for a treat. Banoffee pie is a classic British dessert made from layers of thick caramel sauce, sliced bananas and whipped cream on a buttery biscuit base. Often it is topped with curls of good-quality dark chocolate - I love how the intensity balances out the sweetness of the other layers.
Although caramel and dulce de leche look and taste similar, they are made in different ways. Homemade caramel is made by simmering sugar with water until it caramelises, before adding cream and, often, butter to make a thick, sweet and creamy sauce. Dulce de leche is made by heating up milk with sugar very slowly, simmering until it caramelises. It is very popular in Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the Philippines.
More FAQs
You can do, but I wanted to make a simpler version and, since you are already whisking the egg yolks and whites, it is much easier to use a tin of caramel (or dulce de leche).
You can use several different alcohols/liqueurs in tiramisu. If you like nutty flavours, Frangelico (hazelnut-flavoured liqueur) and Amaretto (almond-flavour liqueur) are a must-try. Rum and brandy also work very well.
Of course. If you don’t feel confident piping, you can top with a dusting of sieved cocoa powder, curls of good-quality dark chocolate or blitzed biscuit crumbs (in a nod to the buttery biscuit base found in banoffee pie) for a bit of texture.
More FAQs: making ahead
I prefer to make my tiramisu the day before, then cover and chill it overnight in the fridge. This allows time for the layers to set and flavours to infuse, giving it a better texture and enhanced flavour (basically making it even more delicious). However, if you are pushed for time, it can be ready in 6 hours (the leftovers will be even better the next day though).
Although it is best served the day after making, once the flavours have developed, it must be consumed within 3 days due to the eggs. I have never had a problem with it lasting that long…
You may also enjoy:
Baileys Tiramisu Pancakes
Banana Bread Bars
Banana Tiramisu
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Caramelised Banana Brûlée - inspired by Annabel Karmel
Dark Chocolate and Malt Tiramisu
Last Minute Banana Pudding - inspired by Gizzi Erskine
Pistachio Tiramisu
Tiramisu Cookies
Tiramisu Ice Cream Mochi Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake
Banana Tiramisu
Imagine the creamy texture and coffee, cocoa and booze-soaked flavours of tiramisu combined with the sweet, velvety caramel and fruity banana flavours so synonymous with banoffee pie… heaven in a bowl. This is the dessert you didn't know you needed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Pudding
Ingredients
3 large eggs, separated
100g caster sugar
500g mascarpone, at room temperature
200g savoiardi lady fingers
150ml strong coffee, cooled to room temperature
50ml Marsala
25ml Kahlúa
3 small ripe bananas
1 x 397g can caramel
Generous pinch of flaky salt
2 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- Place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl with the caster sugar and whisk using an electric whisk for about 5 minutes - or until thick and pale.
- Add the mascarpone and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg whites using an electric whisk until you have soft peaks.
- Fold in ⅓ of the mascarpone-egg yolk mixture until combined. Next, very gently fold in another ⅓, trying to keep in as much air as possible. Continue to gently fold the remaining ⅓ as before, ensuring you don’t lose too much air. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together the coffee, Marsala and Kahlúa. Set aside.
- Pour the caramel into a mixing bowl, add a generous pinch of flaky salt and stir gently to loosen. Set aside.
- Slice the bananas into rounds approx. 3mm thick. Set on a plate.
- Begin to layer up your tiramisu - bear in mind the size, shape and depth of the dish you are using and how many layers you want to make (you need to ensure that the amount of caramel, banana and mascarpone mixture you use for each layer will leave you enough for the next).
- One at a time, dip the savoiardi biscuits into the coffee and alcohol mixture for a few seconds on each side - it needs to be just long enough to absorb some of the mixture, but not too long that it becomes soggy and disintegrates.
- Arrange in a flat layer of soaked Savioardi into the bottom of a medium-sized serving dish. Spread a layer of the caramel on top to cover.
- Next, add the sliced banana coins in a flat layer. Top with a layer of the mascarpone mixture and spread using the back of a spoon, palette knife or spatula until smooth. Sieve over a little cocoa powder to cover.
- Repeat this process, finishing with a smooth layer of mascarpone mixture, but for the final layer I omit the cocoa powder dusting and decorate with caramel as a nod to the banoffee flavours inside. If you want to have the same decoration as my photos, simply put the remaining caramel into a disposable piping bag and snip a little off the end (you could also use a sandwich bag).
- Starting at the top left corner of the serving dish, apply gentle pressure to the piping bag as you draw vertical lines from the top of the dish to the bottom, leaving a thin line of caramel atop the mascarpone. Continued this across the entire mascarpone layer, leaving a gap of about 1 cm (0.5 inch) between each line of caramel.
- Next, take a toothpick, and working horizontally, gently drag it from left to right through the lines of caramel, alternating direction (left to right, then right to left, and so on). You could also do swirls for a more marble-like effect.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
Notes
You can use a wide, shallow dish or a deeper dish with a smaller circumference - the only difference will be the amount of layers that you achieve.
Please note: this recipe contains raw eggs so is not suitable for vulnerable groups (young children, pregnant women, the elderly or anyone with a compromised immune system).
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