Locally grown strawberries are about to be in season which means it is time for a little indulgence! Strawberry Shortcake Tiramisu is the most delicious summertime dessert. With layers of homemade strawberry shortcake crumbs, light and airy ladyfingers, and a thick, slightly sweet filling, this dessert is completely irresistible!

Back in February, I shared some strawberry shortcake-flavoured recipes with you which I thought were perfect for Valentine’s Day. However, in typical Byron fashion, I tested and prepared too many recipes to fit into my publishing schedule here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen. So, today’s recipe, this Strawberry Shortcake Tiramisu, I prepared months ago, but I decided to wait until the beginning of the strawberry season to share it with you, Dear Reader.
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I can’t get enough of these homemade strawberry shortcake crumbs! Blame my cousin because she introduced them to me a couple of years ago. Whenever I make them, I tend to double the batch, because I can always find a way to use them up. The crumbs keep quite well and taste fresh even weeks after preparing them. I keep them in a resealable bag in the cupboard. I love to stir a couple of spoonfuls into some plain or vanilla yogurt. It’s such a quick and easy treat.
Traditionally, tiramisu uses coffee or espresso for flavouring. I love it dearly, however, John.e is not a fan of coffee. (I know; I don’t get it either!) The idea to switch out the coffee and replace it with strawberries and strawberry shortcake crumbs was the result of my craving for tiramisu but not wanting to eat the entire thing myself. Italian purists might not like me too much after this, but I swear, this is such a refreshing take on a classic. You’ve got to try this!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CRUMBS
Remember those pink and white ice cream bars with the strawberry-flavoured crumb coating? I do! In fact, they were my favourite ice cream bar when I was growing up. Now that I’m older, I don’t care much for ice cream, because it doesn’t seem to agree with me. I’m not lactose intolerant, but ice cream makes me feel bloated and blah, so I stay away from it as much as possible.
Now, in the instance that the ice cream in question is strawberry, I can’t pass it up. Because of the fact that I’m not a fan of ice cream, it is safe to assume that I am not an ice cream connoisseur. So, go easy on me when I tell you that my favourite ice cream is cheap ice cream, and the more artificial the strawberry flavour, the more I love it! I won’t name the brands that I like, but they package their ice cream in boxes. That’s all I’m going to say!
The number of Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars I ate when I was a kid is too high to count. I can’t tell you what the brand was, but the closest I can find are these by Good Humor. (I had to re-type ‘humor’ about five times before I could get my brain to let go of the O that should be in there – humour – it’s the Canadian in me!) Something tells me that in the 80s, the go-to brand was Nestle. Anyway, I digress!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE
You might have guessed by now that you need a batch of Strawberry Shortcake Crumbs. I shared that recipe on Monday, and you can find it here. Go ahead, and click on the link. It will open a new page so you won’t lose this one. Here is a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
To Make the Crumbs:
- Vanilla Pudding – Just a plain box of powdered mix is all you need. There’s no need to mix it according to the instructions on the package.
- Strawberry Jello – Again, this is just the powder. You will use the powder as it is – no need to mix it and let it set.
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is good.
- Butter – I used salted butter to offset some of the sweetness. Unsalted butter is certainly okay too.
- Golden Oreos – Get the vanilla-flavoured Oreos. You’ll use one full package of Golden Oreos.
For the Filling:
- Mascarpone – You will need one container of cheese. I love the Tre Stelle brand, because, unlike other brands, there are never any concerns about moisture separation.
- Cream – Do not use half and half or a lighter cream. You must use 35% whipping cream or a full-fat, heavy cream at 38%.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. It is used in frostings quite often. In this recipe, it will add sweetness to the cream filling.
- Salt
Assembly Ingredients:
- Ladyfingers – These are dry, egg-based, sweet sponge cake biscuits roughly shaped like large fingers. Some people call them sponge fingers.
- Strawberries
WHAT IS MASCARPONE CHEESE?
Mascarpone is a very smooth, spreadable cheese made with fresh cream. The flavour is milky and slightly sweet, and it has a richness to it. The texture is almost buttery, but that’s because of the high butterfat content. In comparison to heavy cream, for example, mascarpone can have up to 75% fat content, while heavy cream falls somewhere between 35 and 38%
Mascarpone can be quite costly, but it does go on sale quite often. It is not something you would want to eat every day, so on occasion, it’s nice to splurge a little and treat yourself.
Mascarpone can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes. Either way, it will always make sure the recipe is rich and creamy! In terms of savoury recipes, you can add mascarpone to pasta sauce or use it in place of cream in nearly any dish. It can also be used to thicken soups! My favourite way to use it is with fresh berries and fruit.

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM
Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference between the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to Strawberry Shortcake Tiramisu.
Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

HOW TO MAKE A STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE TIRAMISU
The best results come after the assembled tiramisu has had at least 24 hours of resting time in the refrigerator. So, if you’re preparing this dessert, be sure to keep that in mind. Before you begin this recipe, make sure that you have prepared the strawberry shortcake crumbs first. They must be fully cooled before you start to assemble.
Once the crumbs have been taken care of, it’s time to prepare the filling. To start, beat the mascarpone, cream, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until stiff peaks are formed. You can assemble the tiramisu in a 9×13 pan or on a platter as I have done.
Lord Byron’s Notes
Spreading the filling mixture can result in the movement of the layered ingredients. To avoid this, transfer the filling to a piping bag and cut off about 3/4 of an inch from the tip. Use the bag to pipe the filling in long rows. This will eliminate the need for using an offset spatula or spoon to spread the filling.
Working one ladyfinger at a time, spread a very thin layer of filling mixture onto the bottom of each to prevent sliding and arrange it on a platter in a snug row. Dollop one-third of the remaining filling mixture on top and spread it out to the edges in an even layer. Top that with ¼ cup of the strawberry shortcake crumbs. Next, place one-third of the strawberries in a single layer.
Repeat the layering twice more, but these next two layers do not require a thin layer of cream on the bottom of each ladyfinger. Cover loosely but fully and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 days. Top with halved or whole strawberries before serving. To serve, slice between each row of ladyfingers.

STORING:
This dessert will last for about 3-4 days in the fridge. Keep it covered well and refrigerated at all times. Once you take it out of the fridge, remove what you want and get it back in there. Trust me, it will prolong the freshness. Whether you use a 9×13 pan or a platter, the same logic applies.
There are so many strawberry shortcake recipes here at Lord Byon’s Kitchen, so I invite you to take a look around for inspiration. To make things easier, I will include this link right here. Click on it to see all of the strawberry shortcake recipes on one page. Now, who’s ready for dessert?
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Strawberry Shortcake Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberry shortcake crumbs
- 8 ounces mascarpone
- 2 cups cream, whipping cream or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 30 ladyfingers
- 2 pints strawberries, save 8 for garnish, hull and slice the remainder
Instructions
- Before you begin this recipe, make sure that you have prepared the strawberry shortcake crumbs first. They must be fully cooled before you start to assemble. Once the crumbs have been taken care of, it’s time to prepare the filling.
- To start, beat the mascarpone, cream, confectioners’ sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until stiff peaks are formed.
- Working one ladyfinger at a time, spread a very thin layer of filling mixture onto the bottom of each to prevent sliding and arrange them a platter in a snug row. (You can also assemble the tiramisu in a 9×13 pan.)
- Dollop one-third of remaining filling mixture on top and spread it out to the edges in an even layer.
- Top that with ¼ cup of the strawberry shortcake crumbs.
- Next, place on one-third of strawberries in a single layer.
- Repeat the layering twice more, but these next two layers do not require a thin layer of cream on the bottom of each ladyfinger.
- Cover loosely but fully and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.
- Top with halved or whole strawberries before serving. To serve, slice between each row of ladyfingers.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tammy says
What an absolutely stunning dessert, Byron! I love tiramisu and this strawberry take on it is right up my alley…its comes together so easily too. Perfect summer dessert <3
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Tammy. So glad you like it! 🙂