Fancy a fast, no-fail dessert? Here's an easy peasy tiramisu

We’ve all been in that situation where a fast, no-fail dessert is needed and I’m thrilled to report this tiramisu recipe has never let me down. I’ve pulled this one out of the bag countless times and it always gets you across the finish line– with (hopefully) high praise.

One of the upsides to this dessert is that there is zero baking involved, just some elbow grease, and you can rely on good quality marscapone and coffee to do the rest. With the elimination of egg and inclusion of condensed milk, this sweet silky cream married with the bitter coffee is a triumphant finale to any meal. Depending on your audience, you can add a splash of your favourite liqueur to the cream mixture to knock it up a level.

If you’re very organised, this dessert can be made the day before you need it, to allow the flavours to mingle. It can be assembled and served in a large baking dish or, if you have time, individual servings look dazzling dressed up in some mix and match glasses.

Here's what you'll need and how to make it:
Serves 4

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500g marscapone cheese
180g condensed milk
Dash of vanilla extract
12 sponge fingers
Unsweetened cocoa powder
180ml good quality strong coffee (room temperature)

Method
To make the cream, whisk the marscapone, vanilla and condensed milk in a bowl until smooth. You can add a splash of your favorite tipple at this point – and place in fridge until needed.

Break the sponge fingers in half and soak in the coffee for a few seconds and then place in the bottom of your glasses.

Spoon the sweetened cream on top of these and return to the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.

When serving, simply dust with cocoa powder and if you’re feeling fancy, top with spoon of whipped cream and grated dark chocolate.

Shane Smith is a professional pastry chef