Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu

Is there anything more luscious than tiramisu? This is such an easy dessert to throw together, but it tastes like you put wayyyy more care into it than you really did. A sneaky lady, that tiramisu. While I do love a classic tiramisu, I wanted to make a version as an ode to autumn, and the Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu was born.

Rather than dipping the lady fingers in espresso, these are dipped in a concentrated chai tea. It’s sweet, yet spicy, incredibly fragrant, and makes you feel all warm and cozy inside. The lady fingers are nestled in between a thick and luxurious pumpkin mascarpone cream with a skosh of dark rum. I used a local rum from Maggie’s Farm Distillery, one of Adam’s favorites. The pumpkin flavor is subtle, yet noticeable, and it provides a nice warm color to the cream layer.

I’d been wanting to make this for quite some time, but was not able to find any canned pumpkin on the grocery store shelves because they weren’t stocking yet! I walked to three different grocery stores searching high and low, and totally struck out.

Eventually, I called Trader Joe’s, who said they were getting a shipment in that same week. Hallelujah! I waited in line outside of the store (because, COVID) for almost 20 minutes to get in the store solely for a few cans of pumpkin. The things I do for my desserts…

This Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu is a scoopable version – you will not get a clean slice with a knife. What this really means is that it’s perfect to dive into with a spoon when that midnight craving hits.

Tips

1. Make sure your mascarpone mixture ingredients are cold, straight from the fridge. This is what will make your cream light and fluffy, which is crucial.
2. Don’t over-saturate your lady fingers! You’ll likely feel like you aren’t dipping for long enough, but the lady fingers are very airy and delicate. A quick roll through the liquid is plenty.
3. Don’t dust the top of your tiramisu until you’re ready to serve, otherwise, it will turn saturated and blah.
4. Wipe off the sides of your dish after you dust the top for clean edges (unless you don’t care about presentation, and then we can’t be friends)

If you’re looking for other pumpkin recipes, check out my Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust.

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Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu

Chai-dipped lady fingers layered with a sweet pumpkin mascarpone mixture, topped with a mix of cinnamon and cocoa powder. A tiramisu perfect for autumn!

Prep Time30 mins

Active Time30 mins

Rest time1 d

Total Time1 d 1 hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chai, chai tea, lady fingers, mascarpone, pumpkin, rum, tiramisu

Yield: 8

Equipment

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
• 5 x 9 inch loaf pan

Materials

• 3 chai tea bags or 2 T loose leaf chai tea
• 8 oz mascarpone cold
• ¼ cup white sugar 50g
• 2 egg yolks cold
• 1 T dark rum
• 2 T heavy whipping cream cold
• ⅓ cup pumpkin puree 75g
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 12 lady fingers
• 1 T cocoa
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Steep tea in 1 cup of boiling hot water and allow it to sit until cool. If using loose leaf tea, strain before dipping your lady fingers.
• Once the tea is cool, make the pumpkin mascarpone. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, beat the mascarpone, sugar, egg yolks, rum, heavy cream, pumpkin puree, and vanilla on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Get your lady fingers, tea, and loaf pan ready for assembly. Dip one lady finger into the tea and rotate quickly to saturate, then gently lay in the loaf pan. Repeat the process until the bottom of the pan is covered.
• Cover the first layer of lady fingers with half of the mascarpone mixture, then repeat the dipping and layering process of the lady fingers. Add the remaining mascarpone and smooth into a very clean and flat layer.
• Cover the tiramisu with cling wrap, pressing the cling wrap directly to the mascarpone and allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
• Before serving, remove the cling wrap and combine the cocoa powder and cinnamon. Sift the mixture over the top to cover completely, then wipe down the edges of the pan with a damp paper towel to create clean edges.
• Scoop and plate into bowls to serve.

Notes

Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days.