Ube tiramisu is the no bake ube cake you’ve been waiting for. And unlike other tiramisu recipes, this recipe doesn’t contain eggs and only needs 7 ingredients, which makes it so easy to make! With its vibrant purple color and creamy dreamy texture, it’s destined to be the star of your celebrations.
(Love ube? Make sure to bookmark this delicious list of ube dessert recipes.)
It was just a matter of time before an ube tiramisu recipe made an appearance here on The Unlikely Baker. My goal is to have an ube cake recipe for all your needs!
Want the traditional ube cake recipe from our childhood? Try my reader-favorite moist ube cake with ube buttercream.
Looking for an ube cake recipe without ube halaya? You’d love my ube chiffon cake.
Craving for a rich and decadent dessert? My ube cheesecake recipe is perfect.
And now, if you’re looking for a no bake, ube refrigerated cake, I’m happy to share ube tiramisu (or ube-misu, as Red likes to call it).
No baking, no cooking, just assemble, chill and enjoy.
What is ube tiramisu
As the name suggests, ube tiramisu is a take on tiramisu, a layered cake made of ladyfinger cookies dipped in espresso and Marsala wine, and a mascarpone mixture.
Unlike tiramisu, this recipe doesn’t have coffee or alcohol. Instead, I use ube syrup, similar to the one I use to make ube bars.
And instead of raw egg yolks and sugar beaten then combined with raw whipped egg whites and mascarpone cheese, I made the recipe very simple by removing the eggs, like I did with my eggless tiramisu recipe (I promise you won’t miss them).
The mascarpone mixture here simply consists of mascarpone cheese, ube halaya and ube whipped cream.
(Love all kinds of tiramisu? Try chai tiramisu – another delicious variation.)
Why you’ll love it
- Simple and easy to make. No ovens, no stoves. Just whisking and chilling. The hardest part in this recipe is the waiting.
- No caffeine or booze. So everybody can enjoy a slice!
- Vibrant purple. This cake doesn’t need decoration, but you can definitely top it with more whipped cream or toasted coconut if you like. It would look stunning whatever you do.
- Delicious. Most important of all, it is so good! Ube jam with mascarpone cheese is a fantastic flavor combination.
How to make
You won’t believe how easy this cake comes together. You’ll only need 7 ingredients, and that includes water!
Ingredients and tools
A few things to note:
- Heavy cream — heavy cream is cream that has at least 36% milk fat. In a pinch, whipping cream will also work (30-35% milk fat).
- Mascarpone cheese — I recommend using full-fat mascarpone cheese for best results.
- Ube jam or ube halaya — I always use homemade ube halaya for my ube recipes but you can also use your favorite jam from the store. The important thing is to use ube jam that you enjoy eating on its own.
- Ladyfinger cookies — also called savoiardi. It’s very similar to broas in the Philippines.
- Mixer — I recommend using an electric mixer for the smoothest ube mascarpone mixture.
- Baking dish — you will need a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s deep enough for 2 layers of ladyfingers, plus mascarpone.
Step-by-step photos
Combine heavy cream, sugar and ube extract in a bowl.
Whip until combined.
Add mascarpone cheese and ube jam.
Continue whipping until stiff and incorporated. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine ube extract with warm water.
Stir until incorporated.
Dip both sides of each ladyfinger cookie in your ube syrup.
Place on the bottom of your baking dish. Cut the cookies if needed to fit your dish exactly.
Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the cookies. Repeat with another layer of cookies and ube mascarpone cream.
Chill 6-8 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
Expert tips
Easy, right? Here are more tips to make the process that much easier.
- Choosing ube jam — not all ube jam is the same and the jam you use will make or break your ube dessert. I always make my own ube halaya but you can also just buy from the store. The important thing is to use ube jam that you enjoy eating on its own.
- Working with ube jam — it’s easier to incorporate ube jam if it’s room temperature. So take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you plan on using it.
- Sizing ladyfingers — to ensure you’re getting into every nook and cranny of your baking dish, go ahead and cut your ladyfingers to fit. You want the base of your dish fully covered with cookies.
- Dipping ladyfingers — instead of dunking the cookie in ube syrup, just lightly dip each side. A quick second is really all it takes. Longer than that and your cookie will absorb too much liquid too quickly and fall apart. You can also choose to brush each side with your ube mixture instead of dipping it.
- Beating mixture — your ube mascarpone cream mixture will curdle if you over-beat it. So watch carefully and stop once it’s fully incorporated and thickens / stiffens considerably.
- Allow time to chill — tiramisu cake needs time to chill and set. Chilling also allows the ladyfingers to absorb more of that delicious ube mixture.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use cream cheese if you can’t find mascarpone but you won’t get the same silky texture and distinct flavor from mascarpone cheese. This article has great tips on how to substitute mascarpone cheese using a combination of cream cheese, whipped cream and sour cream.
If you can’t find ladyfingers, you can use sponge cake or angel food cake. You can use them as is or you can dry them in the oven (preheat to 250F and place slices of cake on a pan) so they don’t get too mushy once assembled.
You can also use Filipino broas.
Yes, up to 2 days ahead of when you’re planning to serve it. Tiramisu needs to set so give the cake at least 6 hours (better overnight) in the fridge.
You can also choose to freeze tiramisu.
After you’ve placed the last layer of ube mascarpone cream, place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of it.
Then tightly wrap your baking dish in plastic wrap and with aluminum foil. You can double up on the wraps if you like.
Frozen tiramisu should keep for at least a month.
To thaw, bring down to the fridge the night before, or place on your counter at least 30 minutes before you plan on serving it.
We don’t often have leftovers! But the best way to store them is in an airtight container in the fridge. It should be good for another couple of days; after that it will get too soggy.
Other ube recipe ideas
Craving for ube but not in the mood for dessert? Try these:
Did you make Filipino ube tiramisu? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Happy no-baking!
Ube Tiramisu
Ingredients
Ube Mascarpone Cream
- 1½ cups heavy cream chilled
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 tsp ube extract
- 11 oz mascarpone cheese
- 14 oz ube jam or ube halaya room temperature
Ube Syrup
- 2 tbsp ube extract
- 1 cup warm water
Assembly
- ladyfinger or savoiardi cookies enough to fill your baking dish
Instructions
- Combine heavy cream, sugar and ube extract in a bowl. Whip until combined.1½ cups heavy cream, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, 3 tsp ube extract
- Add mascarpone cheese and ube jam. Continue whipping until stiff and incorporated. Set aside.11 oz mascarpone cheese, 14 oz ube jam or ube halaya
- In another bowl, combine ube extract with warm water. Stir until incorporated.2 tbsp ube extract, 1 cup warm water
- Dip both sides of each ladyfinger cookie in your ube syrup.ladyfinger or savoiardi cookies
- Place on the bottom of your baking dish. Cut the cookies if needed to fit your dish exactly.
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the cookies. Repeat with another layer of cookies and ube mascarpone cream.
- Chill 6-8 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
Video
Notes
- Yield depends on how big or small you slice your cake. Estimated nutrition information is based on 12 servings.
- Instead of dunking the cookie in ube syrup, just lightly dip each side. A quick second is really all it takes. Longer than that and your cookie will absorb too much liquid too quickly and fall apart. You can also choose to brush each side with your ube mixture instead of dipping it.
- Tiramisu needs time to chill and set. Chilling also allows the ladyfingers to absorb more of that delicious ube mixture.
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Gem
Made this for Easter and the whole family loved it! I used broas.
Jolina
Hi Gem, I’d love to try broas in this recipe too! Glad you and the family enjoyed it.
Olivia
This was such a beautiful, fun recipe to make. It was delicious too – perfect for my ube-loving kids!
Jolina
Happy to hear that Olivia!
Jen
Hi Jolina! Can I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone cheese?
Jolina
Hi Jen, yes you can use cream cheese if you can’t find mascarpone but note that you won’t get the same silky texture and distinct flavor from mascarpone cheese. See the post for more tips and FAQs. Enjoy!
Eey
1. Do u think I can use Nilla wafers?
2. Can i also dip the broas/ladyfingers in a coffee?
Jolina
Hi Eey, I haven’t tried but I think both will work. Looking forward to see how it goes!
Gen
This was so GOOD!! And very easy to make. Next time will use your ube halaya recipe 🙂
Jolina
Glad you liked it Gen!
Vida
Oh my! This looks so pretty in purple and so easy to make too. I can’t wait to make it!
Heather
I love the beautiful purple color of Ube. This looks so delicious.
Tara Pittman
I am drooling over this purple color. This dessert sounds so delicious.
Kathy
I’ve always wanted to try tiramisu. I think this looks so good. I’m going to save this so I can give it a try later.
Jamie
I have never tried to make an ube tiramisu. The color is so pretty and looks really delicious. I am so excited to make this for everyone!