Vegan tiramisu has been on my to-do list for a while. However, it is just so fiddly, and I did not want to partake in these "raw" tiramisu's that seem so un-geniune and a poor replacement for the original version. Though to be honest, there is only one tiramisu I have ever liked, and that is the one by Michelle's Patisserie. I prefer one sans alcohol, so this is a "virgin" tiramisu so to speak, that does not lack in the good stuff.

So for lady fingers, I simply made a small sponge cake, which I cut into strips and baked again. The coffee syrup is self-explanatory, though for the cream I didn't want ten thousand ingredients with hard to find materials such as soyatoo (which is also full of sugar). I mixed cashews with tofutti cream cheese (which does have a little bit of sugar), plus some maple syrup, vanilla, and almond milk, which worked a treat (my dad even found the cream, by itself, quite tasty). Naturally, the whole thing is also dusted in cacao powder. Rich, yes. Delicious, yes. And it tastes exactly how I remember Michelle's Patisserie's tasting. Plus, it is not too hard to assemble and make, you just need to prepare yourself for a few steps.

Serves 2 - 4.

Prep: 35 minutes. Baking: 25 + 15 minutes. Soaking: 1-2 hours. Total Time: approximately 4 hours.

You will need:

For the ladyfingers:

3 vegan eggs (3 tsp egg replacer powder to 6 tbsp water)
4.5 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup + 3 tbsp buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp coconut butter

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
2. Beat the egg replacer powder with water for 1 minute until frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients, sifting in the flour. Beat. Pour into a lined square tin (12 cm x 12 cm).
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, cut the square in half, then each half into small "fingers". Put this on a lined baking tray, and bake for 15-20 minutes (still on 150 degrees Celsius). Let cool.

For the coffee syrup:

3 tsp instant coffee
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tbsp coconut sugar

1. Add all ingredients to a jug, let cool and set aside.

For the cream filling:

1 tub Tofutti Cream Cheese
1/2 cup soaked cashews, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp maple syrup

1. In a food processor/high speed blender add the cashews, almond milk, vanilla and maple syrup until a smooth base is formed. Add the cream cheese until the mix is smooth.

Assembly:

You will also need a small square tin or 2 glasses
Plus cacao or cocoa powder for dusting

1. Layer some cream in the bottom, layer the sponge fingers. Drizzle the coffee syrup on top, dust with cacao powder, then add more cream. Repeat, by adding more sponge fingers, coffee, cacao powder etc. Finish it with the cream and sifted cacao powder on the top. Keep in mind you might not end up using all the coffee syrup!
2. Place in the fridge, and let the tiramisu soak overnight or for at least 1-2 hours (it's worth the wait, trust me!)