You heard it here first folks, gingerbread houses are out and tiramisu cabins are in for 2024. An actually edible gorgeous dessert table centerpiece? Sign us up!
This tiramisu went wildly viral on instagram last week with over 9M views and here’s how to make it!
Ladyfingers can be tricky to find in stores (though Italian specialty markets will always have them!) I buy them on amazon here.
A long, wooden board makes a beautiful base for this cabin. You’ll notice the recipe calls for cream cheese instead of mascarpone- this is to make the filling more stable so the layers are easily stackable. I also don’t add raw eggs because I’m a food safety nut.
You can easily swap out the chai concentrate for baileys, kahlua or just a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste.
Make this up to 48 hours prior to your event but not longer than that!
Recipe (serves 12-16):
4 packages ladyfingers (you need ~100 total to account for breakage)
1lb cream cheese
1lb confectioners sugar
1/4 c chai concentrate (I love Dona)
16oz heavy cream
optional: zest of one orange
1/2c espresso
1/2c sugar
2c hot water
Whip cream to stiff peaks, set aside.
Whip together cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth, light and fluffy. Slowly add in chai concentrate and combine until smooth.
Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, set aside.
Combine espresso, sugar and hot water and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Set out a platter that is at least 16x8”
One at a time, dip your ladyfingers QUICKLY (don’t. fully soak them or the house will not be stable) and line them up, long sides next to each other on your platter. The base of the cabin will be 12 ladyfingers wide.
Pipe filling over the top of the base of the cabin, about 1/2” thick. Repeat the dunking process with the ladyfingers but this time lay four ladyfingers at the edge of the rectangle in the opposite direction. You will have 3 rows of 4 ladyfingers. Top with more cream.
Repeat again, but with the original orientation of ladyfingers. Continue this process two more times, alternating the direction of the ladyfingers each time until your cabin is 5 ladyfinger layers tall (a total of 9 layers with 5 layers of ladyfingers and 4 layers of cream).
The next layer will will have cream piped just down the center and three rows of only two ladyfingers next to each other. Repeat again but with only one ladyfinger going down the center of the cabin.
For the roof, pipe the last of the cream over the top triangle of the ladyfinger and lay UNDUNKED ladyfingers on top, alternating which side has the long ladyfinger and which side has broken ones to create the gabled roof effect.
Allow to set in fridge for at least one hour before serving. Serve within 48 hours of preparation.