No-Bake Strawberry Tiramisu Cake (video)
Calling all tiramisu dessert lovers – I present to you the most delicate, no bake strawberry tiramisu cake recipe! You will fall in love with this strawberry tiramisu-inspired creation! It’s made with delicate ladyfinger cookies, which are soaked in strawberry puree and layered with the fluffiest pastry cream and mascarpone tiramisu filling! The top is garnished with sliced strawberries for a simple and elegant finish. You’ll fall in love from the very first bite! Also, try my ‘Raspberry Tiramisu Cake’!
My Strawberry Cake Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions and watch me put this strawberry tiramisu cake together! Want to receive notifications when a new recipe goes live? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel! and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for No-Bake Strawberry Cake
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to put together this delicious, no-bake strawberry tiramisu cake!
- Strawberries: you can use fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries for filling the cake. However, you’ll need fresh strawberries for garnishing the top.
- Lady Finger Cookies: use firm, crispy lady finger cookies for best results. These will hold up the best. I get mine online on Amazon HERE (affiliate link).
- Heavy Cream: use well-chilled heavy cream for making the tiramisu cake filling.
- Mascarpone Cheese: soften the cheese for about 15 minutes prior to using. Do not let it soften too much as this can cause the cheese to separate! Cream cheese will also work well for this recipe.
- Egg Yolks: for making the vanilla custard filling. This recipe has no raw eggs!
- White Granulated Sugar: for making the strawberry filling and for the custard filling.
- Cornstarch & All-Purpose Flour: I use two types of thickeners to stabilize the cream so there’s no chance of it failing!
- Milk: use whole milk for the best tasting custard filling.
Vanilla Pastry Cream Filling
This strawberry tiramisu cake recipe is light as air and literally melts in your mouth thanks to the incredible filling! I love to use home made pastry cream for the filling. It’s super easy to make and so delicious! The cream is then chilled and combined with cream cheese or mascarpone, and whipped cream. Even though this recipe doesn’t have coffee like traditional tiramisu, you’ll still get the flavor of the tiramisu filling.
Watch me make my simple vanilla pastry cream in this ‘Back to Cake Basics’ video recipe. It’s an in-depth guide for making perfect pastry cream for the tiramisu filling.
How to Make a Strawberry Tiramisu Cake
You’ll love how easy this cake is to put together! Here’s how I make it:
- Prepare the custard base for the filling first. This custard needs to cool before you can use it. Place into the refrigerator to cool it faster, or even make it the night before.
- Combine the pastry cream with mascarpone cheese and whipped cream.
- Prepare the strawberry puree. This is what I dip the ladyfinger cookies into instead of the traditional coffee syrup! Place the strawberries and sugar into a blender or food processor and puree!
- To assemble the cake, use a 9-inch spring form pan. Create the outer ring of ladyfingers first – dip the cookies into the strawberry puree on one side only, then place around the edge of the pan. Create the first layer of the cake the same way. Cut the cookies into smaller pieces if needed to fit. Top the first layer of ladyfingers with a generous amount of custard filling.
- Continue to dip the cookies into the strawberry puree and layer them with the creamy filling.
- Refrigerate the cake overnight, until it’s set completely.
- When you’re ready to serve the cake, garnish the top with sliced strawberries. If desired, use a pastry brush and brush strawberry glaze over the top, too.
More Tiramisu Cake Tips!
This no bake cake is the perfect way to use up some summer berries! If you’re making this cake during the off-season, frozen strawberries will also work well. Just thaw them out first!
- I also recommend using firm/crunchy ladyfingers for this recipe; avoid the soft and cakey ones. Firm lady fingers will hold up better and serve as sturdy cake layers for this no-bake dessert!
- When making this cake, I recommend letting it set in the refrigerator overnight to allow the tiramisu filling to set properly. This recipe will work well even if made a few days in advance. Just wait to add the sliced strawberry garnish until you’re ready to serve; the strawberries will dry out if left on the cake overnight.
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this strawberry tiramisu cake? Make sure to check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Strawberries & Cream Swiss Roll Cake – the best-ever strawberry cake with delicate sponge cake, strawberries and mascarpone whipped cream filling!
- Raspberry Tiramisu Cake – The most delicious raspberry cake ever, with creamy tiramisu filling, raspberry liqueur and fresh raspberries!
- Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake – simple and elegant strawberry cake with vanilla cake layers, whipped cream and loads of berries!
- Easy Lemon Tiramisu – creamy, fluffy, and lemony tiramisu with lemon curd, mascarpone, and limoncello!
Enjoyed this recipe? Please share and save it to Pinterest!
Supplies & Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- I love my classic Cuisinart food processor – simple and very effective!
- Use this spring form pan from my favorite brand to hold this strawberry cake together.
- I always use my KitchenAid handheld mixer for smaller tasks like mixing in the cream cheese.
No-Bake Strawberry Tiramisu Cake Recipe (video)
Ingredients
For Custard Filling:
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
- 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
For Strawberry Puree:
- 3 to 4 cups strawberries
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 60 to 80 ladyfinger cookies
- 2 cups strawberries, for garnish
Instructions
Preparing the Vanilla Custard:
- Prepare the custard first to allow for cooling time. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar for a minute. In a separate ramekin, combine the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk the mixture vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until it’s pale in color and ribbons off of the whisk.
- Into a separate saucepan, add the milk and flour. Heat the milk over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the milk is steaming hot but not boiling. Slowly temper the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture – add a little bit at a time and whisk well after each addition until all the milk is added.
- Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan. Cook it over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 4 to 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and take on a pudding-like consistency. Remove it from heat and add the butter. Whisk in the butter until it’s completely melted. Cover the custard with plastic wrap touching the surface and place into the refrigerator to chill.
- TIP: to cool the custard down quickly, spread it in a thinner layer over a larger baking dish.
Making the Filling:
- Once the custard is cooled, finish preparing the filling. Add the softened mascarpone cheese and whisk until the cheese is well incorporated into the custard. Pour in the chilled heavy cream and whisk the mixture on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and forms soft peaks.
- For the strawberry puree, place the strawberries and sugar into a food processor or blender and pulse into a fine puree.
Assembling the Cake:
- To assemble the cake, use a 9-inch spring form pan. Create the outer ring of ladyfingers first – dip the cookies into the puree on one side only, then place around the edge of the pan. Create the first layer of the cake the same way. Cut the cookies into smaller pieces if needed to fit. Top the first layer of ladyfingers with a generous amount of custard filling.
- For the remaining layers, dip the cookies all the way into the puree for a second. Add alternating layers of cookies and custard filling. Top the cake with a layer of custard.
- Place the cake into the refrigerator and chill overnight, or for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, use a cake lifter or large spatulas to transfer the cake onto a stand. Tie a ribbon around the cake for presentation. Garnish the top with sliced strawberries when ready to serve.
I just love your videos and enthusiasm for anything that you make! thank you for all you do!
Thank you for all the support!! 🙂
Where do you buy ladyfingers? I cant find it in the store
Some Safeway stores carry them. I usually get mine at a local Italian specialty store, or any European store.
Planning to make this this weekend, in both cake form and small individual trifle cups (for church bake sale). I just wanted to ask – is this cream fairly similar to the one in your White Chocolate Mousse Crepe Cake? Maybe I’m not a big fan of custard in general, but I wasn’t really feelin’ it when I made that, thought it was just all right (although husband liked it), and made another cake recently with a custard based cream and also wish I’d done something else. Maybe it’s not as Slavic for my tastebuds or something?.. Anyway, is there maybe another cream you think would go good here – maybe with condensed milk (not sure if that would hold up well in this cake)? Or do you really recommend this cream? I could try it out.
Hi! Yes, you can definitely switch out the custard filling for the whipped cream frosting. I think it would taste amazing! Enjoy the cake! 🙂 Here’s the link to that recipe: https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/whipped-cream-frosting/
Awesome, thanks for replying so quickly! Can’t wait to see how it turns out 🙂
How far in advance can you make this cake?
Hi! 2 days in advance would be great! 🙂
Hi! Im planning on making this for Easter but im worried it wont have enough strawberry flavor throughout. Can i place sliced strawberries in each layer?
Hi! This would be great for Easter. Sure, the more strawberries, the better! Enjoy 🙂
Just made this for Easter and it was a show stopper not to metion everyone said it was outstanding! No one believed me when i rold them how easy it was to make! Will definitely be making this again! I served it with extra strawberry puree on the side but otherwise followed the recipe to a tee! Thank you for this recipe!
Awesome!! So glad to hear that it was a hit with everyone! 🙂
Just made this cake. For some reason the custard separated after 4 minutes on high (after adding the cream). I assembled it anyway hoping it’s going to turn out ok. What could be wrong? I kept the cream in a freezer for a few minutes to get extra chill.
Hi Diana! I’m so sorry that your cream separated! 🙁 It may have over-mixed, depending on how strong your mixer is. The filling won’t be super stiff, just fluffy. Once it reaches that stage, don’t mix for longer. Hope you still enjoy the cake! 🙂
Hi dear…I love al your videos and presentations…I’m planning on trying this for my sister’s birthday.. does it transfer well…and will it still be stable during the car trip…or should I assemble it just before serving???thank you dear and keep up the enthusiasm ?
Hi! I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂 For transporting it, I recommend keeping the cake in the springform pan, then removing it from the pan once you’re ready to serve. Enjoy! 🙂
Hello! I wonder how to transport this cake from springform cake pan to serving plate? I afraid it may fall apart.
Hi! Once the cake is set, you can slide two flat spatulas on either side and then lift and transfer. Or, a safer way to do it is to line the bottom of the springform with parchment paper. Once the cake is set, you can just use the paper to slide it onto a stand. Enjoy!
My sister in-law made this before and it was such an amazing cake with so many flavors! I loved it so much! Can wait to try to make it myself!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 It’s one of my favorites and so easy to make!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made the cake last weekend, and everyone loved it! It looks amazing and the cream turned out so smooth and light.
It was also my second time making custard and I was happy to find steps to be quite easy and the result delicious.
Looking forward to trying more recipes from your channel!
Hi! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 It’s one of my favorites!
Hi. I made this cake and the custard cream was runny,so I decided to add gelatin,I used 18%cream is that what you used?…I have a feeling that I’ll be running to the store tomorrow morning to buy a cake…
Hi Mirela! So sorry your cake isn’t turning out for you. Did you let the custard cream chill in the refrigerator? It should thicken as it cools. I only use heavy cream as listed in the recipe, which is about 33% fat content. The higher fat content yields a thicker and fluffier cream. Hope you’re still able to enjoy it!
I made this for my son’s 11th birthday and everyone loved it. It came together well (I wasn’t sure I believed the ‘easy’ rating, but, while there are a lot of steps, it was easy). I added some glaze to the strawberries on top, but otherwise, made it as listed. Other recipes I looked at had many more egg yolks and 2 or 3 times the amount of marscapone, but the filling on this seemed really good. Will make again!
Hi! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe for your son’s birthday! 🙂 Glad to hear that it was a hit! 🙂
Hii
The Cake looks great and i would like to make it for a Birthday in 2 Weeks..Do you think it’possible to make a large with 30 servings by just multiplying everything x3 ?
Thanks alot!
Hi! It’s such a delicious! I’m sure everyone will enjoy it! Yes, you can simply increase the recipe. The custard base for the filling will take a little bit longer to cook. You’ll need to use a large spring form pan, or assemble the dessert in a casserole dish of some kind.
I tried it, and its a very good recipe.
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! 🙂 Thank you for leaving a review!
This cake looks beautiful. I’m going to make it on Sunday for my Mom’s 70th birthday. It looks easy enough to make but I just have one question. Your video doesn’t show you removing the cake from the bottom of the springform pan and transferring onto the cake stand. I’m just wondering if the cake will be sturdy enough to move with a large spatula. Just a little nervous about it falling apart being that it’s just custard holding it together.
Hi Lisa! This cake is going to be perfect for a birthday party! Happy birthday to your mom! 🙂
If you want to move the cake from the spring form, I recommend letting the cake set overnight first. It will become more stable. I would use 2 large spatulas – just slide the spatulas underneath on either side, then lift and move to your cake stand. Check out my tutorial here: https://youtu.be/009cPjKfubc?t=493
This looks gorgeous! I’ve always had success with your recipes and can’t wait to try this one! I was thinking of adding some of that strawberry purée into the custard for a more even strawberry flavour. I’m wondering if the acidity would impact the milk solids – any thoughts?
Hi! This is one of my favorites! 🙂 If you do want to add it, I would fold it in at the very end so there’s less chance the dairy will separate. Enjoy!
Hi Tatyana
I have made this cake several times and it is always a hit! My whole family just loves it.
My son is a coffee lover and wants to me make a traditional tiramisu for his birthday cake…but I want to make it in this presentation. It’s just so pretty.
My plan is to swap out the strawberries and strawberry purée and dip the ladyfingers in coffee/kalua and then to dust the top with cocoa powder.
Do you have any other suggestions or recommendations to make this as a traditional tiramisu?
Thanks so much!!
Hi Lisa! I’m so glad you’ve been loving this cake. It’s one of my favorites, too!
This will work great with your idea of using coffee and Kahlua. I would assemble it the same way otherwise. Enjoy!
How many grams of butter are equal to half a cup of butter?
Hi Tanya. Half cup of butter is 113 grams.
Most of my recipes have metric conversions. If you go to the printable recipe card, right above the ingredients, you’ll see a button for ‘Metric’. This will automatically give you the metric measurements. Hope that helps!
In the video, I noticed that the custard was loose after mixing the cheese and whipping cream with the pastry cream when you used it in the layering. Does it thicken as the cake is chilled? I’m looking forward to preparing this cake for my family. As all your recipes, watching your videos is helpful.
Hi! Yes, once the cake is refrigerated, the filling will thicken nicely. I recommend refrigerating overnight for best results. Hope it’s a huge hit with the family!