Vegan Pandan Tiramisu
If you want to impress your friends & family with a stellar dessert look no further! This vegan tiramisu is full of Malaysian flavours we know and love like pandan, gula melaka and peanuts. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser! And bonus points, it's so good no one will ever know that it's vegan! I promise!
As far as dessert goes, it's not that complicated. But there is a bit of waiting time as you need to make sure all the elements are completely chilled. So I recommend that you make it a day ahead and just assemble it the next day so you're not waiting around so much!
I made my tiramisu in a deep glass dish, family style. But if you prefer a more elegant, single serving style in a pretty glass, go for it! It'll taste just as good.
Enjoy!
Love,
Elliz
PS: Life is too short, eat dessert first!
Vegan Pandan & Coconut Tiramisu
Yield: 10
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 50 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 4 H & 34 M
Ingredients
Pandan Sponge Cake
Cashew Coconut Cream
Gula Melaka Coconut
Caramelised Peanuts
Instructions
Pandan Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 180°c.
- Line a 33cm square tin with parchment paper and grease lightly.
- Cut pandan leaves into small pieces and add to a blender along with the coconut milk and green colouring (optional).
- Blend on high until the pandan leaves break down completely.
- Strain the pandan milk through a fine sieve, muslin cloth or tea sock. Squeeze all the liquid out.
- Add vegetable oil and apple cider vinegar to the pandan milk and set aside.
- Sift flour and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt, then whisk together.
- Carefully pour the pandan milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until combined. Do not over mix. Don't worry if there are still some lumps of flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin.
- Bake in the oven at 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Once the cake is done, flip it upside down on a wire rack while still hot.
- Remove parchment paper bottom and leave to cool completely before assembly.
Cashew Coconut Cream
- Boil cashew nuts in water for 15 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
- In the mean time, pour coconut cream into a pre-chilled bowl and whip on high with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Once the coconut cream starts to thicken, add the icing sugar.
- Continue to whisk until soft peaks begin to form. Chill in the fridge.
- Drain cashew nuts and add to blender with plant based milk & vanilla extract.
- Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and chill in the fridge.
- Once the cashew cream is completely chilled through, pour into the whipped coconut cream and fold through gently.
- Store in the fridge before assembling the tiramisu.
Gula Melaka Coconut Filling
- Tear the pandan leaves into strips and tie into a knot.
- Break the palm sugar (gula melaka) into small pieces with a pestle.
- Put the sugar and pandan leaves into a pan or wok on medium high.
- Stir and boil until all the sugar dissolves.
- Once the sugar has dissolves, put the freshly grated coconut in.
- Lower the heat to medium and stir to make sure the coconut is evenly coated in the liquid.
- Fry for about 5-6 minutes until all the liquid has absorbed and the mixture is fairly dry.
- Set aside to cool completely before assembling the tiramisu.
Caramelised Peanuts
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and have it ready nearby.
- In a wide pan on medium high heat, add sugar and water.
- Stir until all the sugar dissolves.
- Let the sugar come to a boil.
- Once the sugar has come to the boil, lower the heat to medium low and add peanuts.
- Stir constantly until the sugar starts to become sandy. About 5 - 6 minutes. It will be a bit difficult to stir at this stage, use a wooden spoon to make the process easier.
- Keep on stirring. Do not leave the pan unattended or the sugar will burn.
- Eventually the sugar will remelt and begin to turn a golden colour.
- Once all the sugar has remelted, take it off the heat immediately and pour onto the lined tray.
- Quickly separate the peanuts with two forks. Be careful not to burn yourself on the sugar or nuts.
- Let the peanuts cool completely at room temperature.
- Once the peanuts are completely cooled, break into smaller, individual pieces.
- Leave them whole, or crush them with a pestle for some texture variance.
Assembling the Tiramisu
- Cut the pandan sponge cake in half, and then into rectangles.
- Prepare a deep dish.
- Make sure the coffee is completely cool before dipping.
- Quickly dip the sponge rectangles in the coffee and arrange at the bottom of the dish.
- Repeat the process to create a layer of sponge.
- Spread the gula melaka coconut filling on the top of the sponge.
- Next spoon half the cashew coconut cream over the top of the filling.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the cream evenly. Don't worry if some of the coconut mixes with the cream.
- Repeat the steps to create a second layer.
- Cover the tiramisu and place in the fridge to set for 2 hours or until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, dust cocoa powder over the top.
- Sprinkle with caramelised peanuts.
- Serve immediately with a cup of tea and enjoy!
Notes:
- If using a different shape baking tin, the baking times may vary.
- Start the timer at 15 minutes and check every 5 minutes to make sure the cake is cooked.
- You can also serve the tiramisu in individual glasses if you prefer.
- Use the highest quality coffee you can find for the best flavour.
- Only dust the cocoa powder and sprinkle the caramelised peanuts right before serving. If left in the fridge the sugar coating the nuts will melt.