Pumpkin Tiramisu

Ingredients used

• ladyfingers - or sponge fingers, they are a classic ingredient for tiramisu, they can be found in most supermarkets in the baking section
• strong black coffee - for dipping the ladyfingers in, otherwise they don't soften up and are pretty bland. Just use your regular coffee here, and cool it down completely
• pumpkin spice syrup - for mixing with the coffee
• pumpkin pie spice - adds tons of flavour to the filling
• pumpkin puree - canned one is just fine, although if you have fresh pumpkin puree, you can certainly use that one
• mascarpone - another classic ingredient for making tiramisu
• cream - I used double cream, which is the popular cream in the UK, good alternatives are heavy cream or whipped cream in the US
• icing sugar - or confectioners' sugar in the US
• cocoa powder - for dusting over the filling

Easy swaps

Mascarpone is traditionally used in making tiramisu, but if you don't have any, cream cheese is a great alternative and it can be used in the exact same way.

For a stronger coffee taste, you can swap the cocoa powder for powdered instant coffee for sprinkling over the pumpkin filling.

If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, add a tablespoon of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of mixed spice.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

• start by making the pumpkin filling: in a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks
• add the mascarpone and beat again
• sift in the icing sugar, add the canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and beat to incorporate - and that's the filling done

• to assemble the tiramisu, mix the pumpkin spice syrup with the cold black coffee
• line a square baking tray ( mine is 20 cm/ 8 inches in diameter) with kitchen foil, and dip each ladyfinger in the syrup coffee for 2-3 seconds
• arrange the ladyfingers in a layer, covering the bottom of the tray entirely
• spread half of the pumpkin filling over the ladyfingers, then dust with sifted cocoa powder
• repeat the process, one more layer of ladyfingers, then filling, then cocoa powder
• refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight before serving

Expert tips

The coffee must be cold before mixing it with the pumpkin spice syrup and dipping the ladyfingers in. If the coffee is still hot or even warm, the ladyfingers will crumble or be too soft and messy for assembling the tiramisu.

It is crucial to line the baking tray with either clingfilm or non-stick paper, so that the tiramisu is easier to remove from the tray and slice.

I highly recommend chilling the tiramisu in the fridge for at least 6 hours, the sponge fingers will have time to soften up, and soak up all the flavours, which are intensified by the cold filling.

If you don't have a square baking tray, you can use any other dish that has these measurements. Or, alternatively, you can use a round cake tin and assemble it like I did with my Charlotte Cake, another fabulous no-bake dessert.