This simple, refreshing strawberry tiramisu is a chilled Italian inspired dessert that doesn't require any baking, and can even be made without any cooking if you opt to skip the step of concentrating the fruit juice.

It's made up of a base of store-bought lady fingers (which creates a major shortcut), and they are soaked in pomegranate juice for a bright pop of flavor and rich color. After that you get a layer of fresh juicy strawberries, and atop that is a billowy sweetened cream cheese and whipped cream layer for that indulgent cheesecake taste. These layers are repeated again for a total of six decadent, perfectly paired layers.

It's a simple dessert to prepare yet it creates a captivating, decadent finish to any meal and an indulgent treat worthy of any celebration.

What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a beautiful, layered Italian dessert made with lady fingers that have been dipped in strong coffee and aligned in a baking dish, then spread atop is a layer of sweet and fluffy mascarpone custard, and it's dusted with a decadent cocoa finish.

In this tiramisu recipe the layering process is done twice but other versions may have a group of three repetitive layers or just a single set of layers.

It can be made to include a few splashes of alcohol such as rum, brandy or marsala wine, or it can be left out altogether. I prefer without because it really lets the flavors of the coffee and cocoa shine without an overwhelming flavor of alcohol (in a side by side taste test the alcohol free version won for me, but definitely make it how you'd like).

Another difference you'll find among tiramisu is raw eggs or tempered eggs. This version is uses just yolks (I think the whites can have an eggy flavor here), and they are tempered to kill off potential bacteria.

There are several other variations of the dessert. You'll find tiramisu cake, tiramisu cheesecake, there's also tiramisu overnight oats, cupcakes, a martini and trifles.

It also comes in various flavors. This is the coffee and chocolate version but other popular flavors include strawberry tiramisu, matcha, lemon and pumpkin.

This traditional tiramisu is one of my all time favorite desserts! You can't go wrong with those cakey soaked ladyfingers, roasted espresso, rich mascarpone and cream, and a chocolatey cocoa finish. It's such a dreamy dessert!