Your Favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte Flavors in an Easy Holiday Dessert
Tiramisu, with its combo of espresso, ladyfingers, mascarpone and optional Marsala, gets an update with everyone’s favorite pumpkin spice flavors. Layered up in a trifle bowl makes it easy to make and easy to serve. Perfect for a crowd and for a buffet table. And, it is best made a day or two ahead, leaving you free the day of your party to attend to other last minute duties. And by the way, even though there are edible pumpkins and lighter colored Butterkin squash shown in our image, we highly recommend that you use canned pumpkin for its consistently perfect texture. You can watch a video of me making this dessert at Better.tv.
- 1, 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch salt
- 1¼ cups mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup Marsala or rum, optional
- 3, 3-ounce packages of 3-inch soft ladyfingers, separated
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1 tablespoon regular or confectioners' sugar
- Semisweet or milk chocolate shavings
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Instant espresso powder
- For the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree with the brown sugar, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk in the mascarpone. Whip the cream with an electric mixer or a large balloon whisk just until soft peaks form. Fold about a quarter of the cream into the pumpkin mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining cream until smooth and homogenous.
- For Assembly: Whisk together the boiling water and instant espresso powder in a mixing bowl until dissolved. Whisk in the sugar, and optional Marsala (larger amount if you want this really boozy), until sugar is dissolved. Arrange ladyfingers, rounded side down, in bottom of trifle bowl, covering entire bottom, (tear as needed to fit in a single layer). Brush with about ½ cup of the espresso mixture, saturating ladyfingers evenly and well. Spread a layer of pumpkin filling on top the ladyfingers, taking care to keep the sides neat and even. Repeat with ladyfingers, espresso mixture and pumpkin filling until all are used up, ending with a layer of ladyfingers brushed with espresso mixture (you may have a few ladyfingers leftover). DO-AHEAD STEP: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight and up to 2 days.
- For the Topping: Beat the cream and sugar with an electric mixer or large balloon whisk just until soft peaks form. Dollop the whipped cream over the trifle, garnish with shaved chocolate and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice and instant espresso powder right before serving.
Bakepedia Tips
- Our footed glass trifle dish measures 8-inches across and 5-inches deep. Yours might be slightly smaller or larger, in which case your number of layers might vary.
- I use Vermont Creamery brand mascarpone. It is consistently a great, thick texture.
- The ladyfingers we used are just shy of 3-inches long and packaged in 3-ounce packages (24 ladyfingers per package). I located them in bakery department of a supermarket. Placing them bottom side up (rounded side down) in trifle dish allows for better absorption of espresso mixture.
- When you whip cream for both the filling and the topping, make sure to whip it softly or the texture of the finished dish will be compromised.
- You can certainly scoop the filling in, or use a pastry bag fitted with a plain ½-inch round tip. Start with a single ring of piped filling against the glass and continue in a concentric spiral toward the middle for a neater look. Rustic or precise; your choice.
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