CAKE RUSK TIRAMISU

By: Amna, Heirloom community member

Amna, residing in Lahore, Pakistan, is both a food photographer and recipe creator. She manages an Instagram food blog called “Thecupaffairbyamna”. Within this recipe, Amna presents her rendition of tiramisu, which incorporates traditional cake rusks, a twice baked cake savored for it’s crisp, but delicate bite.

Tiramisu, a traditional Italian, no-bake dessert, is typically composed of layers of ladyfingers dipped in coffee before being encased in a mixture of mascarpone and gently sweetened whipped cream.

Amna shared her take on a tiramisu dish by omitting the pricey, imported ladyfingers and mascarpone cream cheese. This recipe was passed on to her by a friend’s mother, who substituted ladyfingers for cake rusks, and cream cheese for mascarpone, as those ingredients are readily accessible in Pakistan. She conducted a small experiment in the kitchen, and to her surprise, the concoction of cake rusks, cream cheese folded in whipped cream, and cocoa powder on top turned out to be quite delicious.

Ingredients

8-10 Cake Rusks, or slices of cake
2 tablespoons Instant Coffee
1 cup Hot Water
200 grams of Cream Cheese, softened/room temperature
300 grams of Heavy Whipping Cream
⅓ cup Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar (adjust accordingly)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cocoa Powder (for dusting, as required)

Serves: 5

Step-by-step recipes

STEP 1

Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until just simmering. Do not over boil.

STEP 2

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a separate, heat-safe bowl. Pour the hot cream over chocolate.

STEP 3

Allow the chocolate and cream mixture to sit for a minute. The cream will slowly start to heat the chocolate and soften it. Stir well until thoroughly combined.