Pandan Hojicha Tiramisu

A fun twist on an Italian classic, this tiramisu recipe consists of a creamy pandan mascarpone filling layered with hojicha-dipped lady fingers and topped with a dusting of hojicha powder.

*made in an 8” springform pan with lots of extra pandan whipped cream

A deceivingly easy dessert to make, the actual active time needed to make this is only about 20 minutes. A perfect cold, refreshing treat in the summer when you don’t want to turn the oven on.

*made in a 9” spring form pan with extra hojicha topping and minimal vanilla whipped cream

I, personally, didn’t know what pandan or hojicha tasted like until the past year when I started seeing them in a lot of the bakes my friends were sharing and had to try them.

Pandan is now one of my faaavorite flavors, especially paired with the tang of cream cheese (I’ve made this tiramisu with cream cheese instead of mascarpone in a pinch and dare I say I liked it even better). It’s one of those tropical flavors that’s hard to describe, but it’s been called the “Asian vanilla”. Mild and pleasant. The words I see used most when talking about it are: sweet, floral, nutty, grassy, almond, and coconut. It can be a little challenging to find, but I’ve found most Asian grocery stores carry it.

Hojicha can be a little more polarizing. Matcha’s more savory sister, I think the most comparable flavor to hojicha would be seaweed. Don’t let that turn you off! The earthiness of both the pandan and hojicha play together, while the sweetness of the pandan balances the savory aspect of the hojicha. It adds a deep toasted tea flavor and without it the pandan alone would make the tiramisu too cloying.

You can add whipped cream to this by whipping a cup of heavy whipping cream with a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar and splash of vanilla and/or more pandan extract. I don’t feel it’s needed flavor or texture-wise, but I usually add it to elevate the presentation.

Servings: 8x8 dish
Preparation Time: 3-4 hours

Pandan Filling

---

• 4 large egg yolks, cold straight from the fridge

• 3 T heavy cream, cold straight from the fridge

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2-3 tsp pandan extract

• ½ tsp salt

• 16 oz mascarpone, cold straight from the fridge

For Assembly

---

• 1 ¾ cups hot hojicha (2 cups hot water + 2 tsp hojicha powder)

• 24 lady fingers

• extra hojicha powder, for topping

Method

---

To Prep:

• You’ll need an 8×8-inch baking dish or a 9” springform pan. I typically like to use a springform pan lined with a large sheet of parchment paper hanging over the edges with the ring clamped over it to secure it. This allows you to remove it from the pan cleanly.

To Make the Filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand-up mixer fixed with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), add all of the filling ingredients.

2. Beat all of the ingredients together for 1 minute; scrape down the sides and then beat again for an additional minute, until the mixture is smooth.

To Assemble the Tiramisu:

1. Grab your baking dish. Transfer the hot hojicha to a medium and or small bowl. Working one at a time, quickly dip each lady finger into the hojicha. Be sure to not over saturate the ladyfinger with the liquid because then they’ll get a bit too soggy. All you need is a quick dip. Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in the baking dish, side by side. I ended up filling up the empty spaces by snapping some of the lady fingers into different lengths.

2. Add half of the filling on top and spread into an even layer.

3. Dip the remaining lady fingers in the hojicha and arrange them so there are no gaps. Add the remaining filling on top and spread it into a nice and neat final layer. Cover the dish with plastic wrap so it hits the surface of the tiramisu; transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.

To Serve:

1. Remove the plastic wrap and discard. If the plastic wrap has left any indentations in the topping, you can always smooth it out with an offset spatula. Sift the extra hojicha powder on top, applying a generous coating of it. Wipe the rim of the baking dish and serve.

Notes

• If covered, this tiramisu lasts in the fridge for up to 4 days.

• Matcha would likely be the closest substitute for hojicha.