Vegan Tiramisu

Ingredients
For the ladyfingers cake:

• 1 recipe The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (enough to make 24 cupcakes or a 2-layer 9" cake), see instructions

For the espresso sauce:

• 4 shots of espresso (or very very strong coffee)
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
• water

For the cream layer:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
• 3 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1, 14oz can premium coconut milk or coconut cream , chilled in the fridge overnight
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Instructions
To make the ladyfingers:

1. Make The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (link a, but instead of making round cakes, divide the batter into two lightly greased 9" square baking pans. Bake for 22 - 28 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean in the center. *Don't make the frosting as that isn't needed for the tiramisu.
2. Let the cakes cool completely then slice into fingers about 1" wide. You should get about 18 to 20 fingers out of each pan.

To make the espresso sauce:

1. Add the espresso and coffee liqueur to a measuring cup, and fill with water until you have 3/4 cup of liquid.

To make the cream layer:

1. First, soften the cashews by putting them in a medium pot and covering with water. Boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Add the cashews to a blender along with the non-dairy milk, agave, and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Open the can of well-chilled premium coconut milk and scrape out just the hardened coconut cream leaving behind any coconut water. Add the cream to a mixing bowl and beat until it softens and becomes fluffy. Lightly fold in the cashew mixture. If not using right away, store in the fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the tiramisu:

1. In an 8″ x 12″ or 9″x 9″ dish tightly line up the ladyfingers in a single layer. Spoon over half of the espresso sauce then spread over the cream mixture. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers, the remaining espresso sauce and remaining cream. (You might have several ladyfingers left over which makes perfect treats for eager snackers or for dipping into coffee.) Cover and put in the fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

To serve:

1. Put the cocoa powder in a fine sieve and sprinkle over the top of the tiramisu. Store any leftover tiramisu in the fridge.

Recipe Notes
For the whipped coconut it's important to buy coconut cream or premium coconut milk. Not all coconut milks are alike. To tell if your coconut milk is rich enough, do the shake test, shake it and listen. If lots of liquid is sloshing around, that’s not a good brand for this recipe. If you hear no liquid or very little liquid then it’s probably higher in fat and would work well. One reliable brand is Thai Kitchen Premium Coconut Milk.