This tiramisu cheesecake is packed with espresso. It has an Oreo and ladyfinger crust filled with a brown sugar espresso cheesecake. On top are ladyfingers soaked in espresso and piped whipped cream cheese. This tastes like a non-alcoholic tiramisu in cheesecake form! If you love espresso, you will love this.
Oreo Lady Finger Crust
This crust uses both Oreo cookies and ladyfingers. Use a food processor to blend the Oreos and ladyfingers into a fine crumb. Then, add extra espresso powder and melted butter.
Use a fork to blend it together. It should stick together slightly like wet sand. Spread the crumbs over the 9 inch spring form pan. First, use your hands to press the crust up half the side of the pan and over the bottom. Then, use a measuring cup to really compact the crust.
Next, bake the crust for 10 minutes. Baking the crust before adding the batter, prevents a soggy crust.
How To Easily Remove Cheesecake From Pan
First, spray the 9 inch spring form pan with baking non-stick spray. Place a 9 inch parchment circle on the bottom of the pan. Then, spray the pan again with the baking spray.
After the cheesecake is done chilling, pop the ring off the cheesecake. Tilt the cheesecake on its side to take off the bottom part of the pan and remove the parchment circle. It should come right off.
Tips To Make Espresso Cheesecake
Here are all of my best tips to make a cheesecake with no cracks.
- Room temperature ingredients- The cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and eggs should all be pulled out 2 hours before baking. Room temperature cream cheese is a lot easier to beat until smooth compared to cold cream cheese.
- Beat cream cheese and brown sugar- Use a mixer and beat the cream cheese on high for 1 minute. It should be fluffy. Add in the brown sugar and beat again for 1 minute. For best results, beat the brown sugar / cream cheese for 30 seconds and scrape bowl. Then, beat for another 30 seconds.
- Add in wet ingredients- Add the espresso (it should be luke warm), sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix on low at first, then turn to medium to medium-high and beat until very smooth. Scrape the bowl in between mixing. If there are any lumps, keep mixing until smooth.
- Add in eggs- The eggs should be added in one a time on low. At this point, you want as little air being mixed into the eggs as possible. As soon as the eggs are mixed in, take it off the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to make sure the eggs are all mixed in.
Then, pour the cheesecake batter into the crust and prepare a water bath.
Water Bath
I have 2 different water bath techniques for you. No matter which on you use, you need a large roasting pan and hot steaming water.
- The first method is my favorite. Take the spring form pan and place a 10 inch cake pan in. The cake pan will protect the cheesecake from any water coming in. Place the cake pan inside the roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan about halfway up the cake pan.
- Wrap the spring form pan with foil twice very tightly. It needs to be tight, to prevent water from coming in. Then, place spring form pan inside the roasting and fill halfway with hot water. I prefer the first method because sometimes water creeps inside the foil and it isn't air tight.
Chilling The Cheesecake
Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set and the middle has a very slight jiggle. Then, turn off the oven and crack open the door. Let the cheesecake slightly cool for 30 minutes. If you brought the cheesecake out of its moist environment it will cool too quickly and crack.
Next, cool cheesecake completely on a wire rack before covering and chilling it in the fridge. The cheesecake needs to cool for 6 hours or overnight. I always chill the cheesecakes overnight.
As the cheesecake chills, it will become more dense and the flavor will intensify. If you eat a warm cheesecake, it will be like soup. It will also not taste very good. So, be patient for it to chill.
Whipped Cream Cheese
A traditional tiramisu it has ladyfingers on it, a cream top and cocoa powder; which is exactly what this cheesecake has! The whipped cream cheese takes about 13 minutes to make, with 10 minutes being just letting the bowl get cold in the freezer. A cold bowl makes it SO much easier to whip up whipped cream.
First, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then, add in the vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy. Make sure to scrape the bowl!
Once the bowl is cold, beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Then, pour the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold it in. This process takes a few minutes until there are no cream cheese streaks remaining.
Decorating The Cheesecake
To decorate this tiramisu cheesecake, first soak the ladyfingers in espresso and place on top of the cheesecake. I have tried the cheesecake with and without the ladyfingers on top. If you want a stronger espresso flavor, use the ladyfingers. It also tastes great without it.
Then, pipe the whipped cream cheese on top. I used this tip.
Storing The Cheesecake
This tiramisu cheesecake needs to be stored in the fridge. It will last up to 5 days. Store the whole cheesecake in a cake carrier, or store individual slices in an airtight container.
Other Recipes To Try
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats and leave me review below if you made this cheesecake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Tiramisu Cheesecake
Ingredients
The Crust
- 14 Oreos crushed into fine crumbs
- 12 Ladyfingers crushed into fine crumbs
- 1 tsp Espresso powder
- ½ cup Unsalted butter melted
Espresso Cheesecake
- 32 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup Sour cream room temperature
- ⅓ cup Prepared Espresso room temperature
- ⅛ cup Heavy cream room temperature
- 4 Large eggs room temperature
Whipped Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Prepared espresso
- 9 Ladyfingers
- 8 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Heavy cream cold
- ¼ cup Cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
The Crust
- Crush Oreos and lady fingers in a food processor until fine crumbs. In a small bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, lady finger crumbs, espresso powder, and melted butter.
- Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a 9 inch spring form with non-stick spray. Place a 9 inch parchment circle on the bottom and spray again. Place crumbs in the bottom and up half the sides of the pan using your hands. Then, use a ¼ cup measuring cup to compact the crust.
- Bake crust for 10 minutes.
Espresso Cheesecake
- Once crust starts cooling, start cheesecake mixture. Using a mixer, beat cream cheese for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Beat in the brown sugar for another 1 minute. Scrape the bowl.
- Mix in vanilla, heavy cream, sour cream, and espresso. Scrape the bowl. Mix in eggs one at a time on low.
- Pour cheesecake batter into pan. Prepare a water bath.
- Water Bath Options:1. Place springform pan in a 10 inch cake pan. Place cake pan in a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan up half way up the cake pan with hot steaming water.2. Wrap springform pan in foil tightly twice. Place pan in the roasting pan. Fill half way up with hot steaming water.
- Bake cheesecake for 65-75 minutes. The cheesecake is done baking when the edges are set and the middle has a slight jiggle. If it is too jiggly, then bake for another 5 minutes and check again.
- Turn off the oven, crack open the door and let the cheesecake slowly cool for 30 minutes. Take cheesecake out of the oven and place on a wire rack. Let it cool completely before covering and chilling in the fridge for 6 hours over night.
Whipped Cream Cheese
- Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl. Add in vanilla and sifted powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined, turn to high and mix until smooth.
- Place metal bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then, pour heavy cream in the cold bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Pour whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the whipped cream. Fold gently until cream cheese is mixed in.
- Take the spring form pan and take the parchment paper off the crust. Soak the ladyfingers in espresso and place on top of the cheesecake. Pipe whipped cream cheese on top of the ladyfingers. Use a mesh strainer to drizzle cocoa powder on top. Keep cheesecake in the fridge until serving.
Steven says
I absolutely love this cheesecake! It is perfect, creamy, and delicious. I can not recommend it enough!
Sandra S says
My daughter requested a Tiramisu Cheesecake for her birthday and she shared this recipe with me. It was so delicious! Everything from the crisp tasty crust, the espresso infused creamy cheesecake, to the lady finger and whipped cream cheese topping was divine! I was a bit intimidated by the many steps but she did an excellent job detailing each step. It was a big hit!
Stephanie Rutherford says
Im so glad you loved this recipe!