I almost lost my marbles trying to perfect this recipe for homemade ladyfingers and after many attempts, the result is beautifully-light, spongy and perfect for soaking up espresso.

My Eggless Ladyfinger journey

You know how people say, “Third time lucky”? Well for me, this Homemade Eggless Ladyfingers recipe was more of a ninth-time lucky project!

To achieve a perfectly light egg-free ladyfinger (savoiardi) requires both the sponge to be lower in fat than a traditional cake, yet still moist enough to rise adequately in the oven.

After what’s felt like a mammoth task, I present you with my perfectly-delicious Eggless Ladyfinger recipe. They drink up espresso like no man’s business and remain super light inside our favourite desserts.

While they may no be piped into oblong “fingers” like their traditional eggy counterparts, I guarantee you’ll never know the difference when you eat your dessert. Neither will your friends and family.

Here’s how I make them.

How to make Eggless Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)

1. Mix up the batter for the Eggless Ladyfingers

With the combination of self-raising flour, potato starch and DIY buttermilk, our egg-free savoiardi will have both the lightness and sponginess of shop-bought ladyfingers.

2. Pour and bake

Spread the batter quite thinly onto a lined baking tin. It will seem like there’s no enough batter but it will rise to double the height in the oven. Be sure to use the correct size tin.

See notes in the recipe card below for tin dimensions.

3. Top with sugar

Like any good shop-bought ladyfingers, our sponge must have a crunchy sugar top. Only scatter the sponge with sugar once it’s cooled a little or the sugar will start to melt. I speak from experience!

Allow the eggless sponge fingers to cool

Be patient, this could take about an hour.

4. Cut and dry

No, I’m not talking about what you ask for at the hairdressers. Carefully lift the sponge out of the tin and cut it into rectangles (approx. 2.5cm x 8.5cm).

Okay, so this isn’t the typical shape of ladyfingers you buy from the shop but hey, this is homemade. Also, nobody will even see the shape once you blanket them in mascarpone cream and cocoa powder.

Gently peel the cut eggless ladyfingers from the baking parchment and lay them on a wire rack.

Now leave them there, uncovered for 24 hours. Yep, a whole day.

This last step is a crucial step in making good Eggless Ladyfingers that soak up lots of espresso! We want them to become stale and hard so they keep their shape and drink in all those delicious coffee flavours.

Video: Learn how to make amazing Eggless Tiramisu from scratch

How to make Eggless Tiramisu with Mascarpone

1. Make the eggless ladyfingers. Don’t forget the wait 24 hours after they’re cut. The drying time is essential!
2. Pour some strong espresso. I use instant Arabica coffee granules and boiling water. You can add some booze if you like. Allow to cool.
3. Whip up the mascarpone and sweetened condensed milk. Fold in whipped cream.
4. Dunk the dry eggless ladyfingers in the cold espresso and arrange them in a dish.
5. Top with mascarpone cream and a flurry of cocoa powder and cinnamon.
6. Repeat!
7. Pipe the final third of mascarpone cream on top. This is totally optional. Just spread it if you want something simpler.

8. Dust with more cocoa and cinnamon.

9. Cover and chill in the fridge for 24, 48, 72 hours… whatever. The longer the better. It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week.

Can I add alcohol to this Eggless Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers?

Be my guest! I normally would but not everyone in my family drinks so I thought I’d give it a miss this time.

If you like your eggless tiramisu boozy, add 3-4 tablespoons of marsala, Bailey’s, dark rum or whiskey to the cold espresso.

Can I make this Tiramisu in advance?

Yes! Please do. It tastes so much better after 72 hours in the fridge. 24-48 hours ahead of time are also fine. It will last for a week in the fridge (covered) since there are no raw eggs in the recipe.

Can I skip the cinnamon?

You sure can. If cinnamon isn’t your thing, just leave it out of the cocoa mixture. I do recommend using the best-quality cocoa powder you can afford. In this recipe, I’m using this Valrhona Cacao Powder.

Why do you use potato starch in the Eggless Ladyfingers recipe?

For a much lighter sponge. Too much and the sponge will turn gummy so be sure to weigh your ingredients with precision.

I have tried the recipe with cornstarch but find potato starch produces a better texture.

Shop my Eggless Tiramisu essentials!

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Eggless Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers (+ Video) recipe

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Eggless Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers (+ Video)

A creamy, dreamy eggless Tiramisu recipe. Make your own spongy ladyfingers with my easy step-by-step video. No eggs required!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword christmas, coffee, dessert, dinner party, eggless, pudding

Prep Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• 20 x 3.5 x 31.5 cm cake tin or traybake tin
• Deep ceramic or glass dish

Ingredients

For the sponge layer:

• 280 g self-raising flour
• 180 g caster sugar + 4 tbsp
• 330 ml full-fat milk at room temperature
• 2 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract not vanilla essence
• 30 g potato starch
• 70 ml any flavourless oil
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the coffee:

• 20 g instant Arabica coffee
• 650 ml boiling hot water

You will also need:

• 500 g mascarpone
• 600 g double cream divided
• 200 g sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

To make the eggless ladyfingers:

• Pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a baking tray with baking parchment, leaving a 3cm overhang at the longest sides for easy removal from the tin later.
• Sift together the flour, 180g caster sugar, potato starch and salt.
• In a jug, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 10 minutes. Once it looks like its curdled a little, add the vanilla extract and oil. Whisk briefly.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the sifted dry ingredients and whisk until smooth, about 90 seconds. It should be of a flowing, ribbon consistency.
• Immediately pour HALF of the batter into the lined tin and spread it out using a spatula. Rasp the tin on the counter top a dozen times to encourage any air bubbles to rise to the surface. This will give you a more even bake.
• Bake the sponge in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. It should be springy to the touch and slightly golden on top.
• Remove the sponge from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. After this time, scatter 4 tbsp caster sugar over the top and give the pan a gentle shake to distribute it evenly. The surface of the sponge should look beautifully frosty. Carefully lift the sponge from the tin.
• Repeat the same baking steps above to bake the second half of the batter.
• Once both sponges have cooled, slice them into rectangles, about 2.5cm x 8.5cm. Carefully peel the sponge fingers away from the baking parchment and set them on a wire rack. Leave them out at room temperature, uncovered for 24 hours. Do not skip this step. The air-drying ensures the sponge fingers become dry enough to dip into the coffee without breaking.

To make the espresso:

• Mix together the instant coffee and boiling water. Allow to cool completely. Now is the time to add any alcohol if you like. I kept mine alcohol free.

To make the mascarpone cream:

• In a bowl, mix together the mascarpone and sweetened condensed milk. Once combined, whisk until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until it produces soft peaks. Don't overwhip.
• A little at a time, fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. The finished mascarpone cream should be smooth and able to hold a peak.
• In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and cinnamon.

To assemble to tiramisu:

• Take a large glass or ceramic dish. Dip the now stale ladyfingers in the cold coffee until soaked, about 5-6 seconds and then arrange in the base of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the mascarpone cream and spread out into an even layer.
• Use a tea strainer to sift half of the cocoa powder and cinnamon mixture on top of the mascarpone cream.
• Repeat the sponge finger and espresso layering process. You can plug any gaps with broken sponge fingers to fit. Top with another 1/3 of the mascarpone cream.
• Place the remaining mascarpone cream in a piping bag fitted with a large, round nozzle. Pipe little blobs of cream on the top of the tiramisu for a pretty finish. Sift the remaining cocoa powder and cinnamon mixture over the top of the tiramisu.
• Cover the dish, taking care not to smudge the top. Refrigerate the tiramisu for at least 24 hours (or up to 72 hours) before serving.

Video

Notes

• Since this tiramisu is eggless, it will keep well in the fridge for up to a week.
• Freeze any leftover tiramisu in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and consume within 24 hours. Do not re-freeze.
• If you don’t want to pipe a design on top of the tiramisu, divide the mascarpone in half rather than thirds. Use half in the first layer and half on top.
• Decaf coffee can be used in place of regular coffee.
• Cinnamon is optional. Leave it out if you don’t like it.
• If you like your eggless tiramisu boozy, add 2-3 tablespoons of marsala, Bailey’s, dark rum or whiskey to the cold espresso.
• This recipe makes approx. 52 ladyfingers/sponge fingers.

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Roasted Vegetable & Mascarpone Lasagne

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It all starts with a freshly-made batch of masala coffee — let’s be honest, every great moment starts (and ends) with a hot drink, right? The warmth of the cup around clasped hands, inhaling steamy aromas and waiting for it to cool just enough so we can take a sip gives us time to chat with a friend or quietly contemplate alone. It soothes the soul and allows us to stop and do nothing for a moment during our busy days. Having a hot drink is like having a spa treatment for the soul.

Whenever I feel burned out, I rely on a cup of masala coffee with my mum to lift my mood. She makes it milky and sweet, with just the right amount of spice to compliment the aroma of good coffee. It’s made in a pan on the stove, like all good masala coffee and chai should be made. We boil it low and slow for at least 15 minutes for a truly authentic Indian taste. We’ll sit, chat, snack and laugh, melting away my stresses and brightening up my day.

This cake is inspired by those moments.

Be still my beating heart

My version of New Jersey crumb cake has extra-thick cinnamon sugar crumb topping, so the ratio of crumb to cake is almost 1:1. It gives you the best of both worlds when you can’t decide whether to have cake or biscuits with your cup of coffee. The sponge cake is rises perfectly and is full of rich coffee and spices. You won’t miss the dairy or eggs in this recipe, I promise you.

The spice blend: Vegan Masala Coffee Crumb Cake

My spice blend is very typical of what is traditionally added to boiling milk to make masala chai or coffee. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves and nutmeg all combine with espresso powder. This makes each slice truly taste like a cup of masala coffee. It’s not too sweet and the flurry of icing sugar on top is absolutely necessary. This balances out the flavours and create the perfect look of a milky cup of coffee. As a result the cake is as delicious as it is messy to eat.

Make this if you’re in need of a grown-up tasting cake to share with friends. Or enjoy in the comfort of your own company, you know, whatever. It freezes beautifully so you can also stow away portions to eat later.

Customise this Vegan Masala Coffee Crumb Cake

• Transform this cake into a chocolate dream! Simply replace 50g of the flour in the sponge recipe with 50g good-quality cocoa powder.
• Add 50g mini vegan chocolate chips to the crumb topping for a cookie dough-inspired finish. Or turn this into a masala chai cake. Swap the espresso powder for 25g black tea leaves — be sure to strain the soy milk before using.
• If you have pre-made chai masala, swap the individual spices in the sponge recipe for 1 tablespoon of pre-made masala.
• Alternatively, you could also use 1 tablespoon of your favourite gingerbread or pumpkin spice mix.

Pin it for later!

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Vegan Masala Coffee Crumb Cake

Piled high with cinnamon crumble, this masala coffee-spiced cake truly tastes like a cup of Indian masala coffee.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Indian

Keyword cake, coffee, vegan

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the crumb topping:

• 225 g plain flour
• 125 g soft light brown sugar
• 85 g caster sugar
• 100 g vegan butter melted and warm
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine salt

For the sponge:

• 225 g sponge flour/cake flour
• 160 g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp instant espresso powder (if using granules, crush to a powder before using)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 100 g vegan butter melted and warm
• 300 ml soy milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

You will also need:

• 60 g icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Grease and line a 20-cm/8-inch round, 7-cm/3-inch deep springform or loose-bottomed tin with baking parchment.

For the crumb topping:

• Place both sugars and the melted vegan butter in a bowl. Stir well until smooth, about a minute. Add the flour and ground cinnamon. Use your fingers to rub the vegan butter and flour together until you have a coarse and pebbly mixture like if you were making a fruit crumble topping. Set aside at room temperature.

For the sponge:

• To make the cake, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder and ground spices in a large bowl. Add the melted vegan butter and again, rub the dry ingredients with the butter to form a coarse, breadcrumb-like texture.
• Add in the soy milk and whisk well until smooth. Finally, add the apple cider vinegar and whisk well one last time.
• Pour the cake mix into the tin and top with the prepared crumb topping, starting at the edges and working your way to the centre to prevent it sinking in too much.
• Bake in the middle shelf of a preheated oven for 75 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tin. Run a knife around the outside of the tin before releasing. Sift lots of icing sugar over the top and serve with your favourite hot drink.

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Psst… if you like this Vegan Masala Coffee Crumb Cake, you’ll LOVE these Baked Vegan Vanilla Doughnuts.

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