Tiramisu Cheesecake

Tiramisu cheesecake with coffee & vanilla swirled cheesecake and coffee-soaked ladyfingers & mascarpone whip on top.

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
In a small mixing bowl, melt the butter. Add in the sugar, flour, and crushed ladyfingers and mix until you have a cohesive dough.
Press the dough into the bottom of your springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. In the meantime, make the cheesecake filling.

Add the cream cheese, sugar and corn starch to a large mixing bowl (or to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.) Beat the mixture until it's smooth, for about 2 minutes.
Add both eggs into the cream cheese, and beat the mixture on low speed *just* until the eggs have been fully incorporated.
Add in the mascarpone, heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and again beat on low speed just until the mixture is cohesive.
Remove 1 ½ c. of the cheesecake batter and place it in another small bowl. To the small bowl of cheesecake batter, add in the espresso powder and mix until combined.
Alternate pouring the vanilla and coffee cheesecake batters over the shortbread crust. Once all of the cheesecake batter is in the pan, use a knife to gently swirl the batters together.
Tap the pan on the counter a few times to help remove any air from the filling.
Fill a 9x13" baking dish, or a 10" cake pan a third of the way with hot water. Wrap tinfoil tightly around the bottom of your springform pan to avoid the possibility of water seeping into the springform pan. Place the springform pan into the larger pan with water.
Place the cheesecake with the pan in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the cheesecake only slightly wobbles and reaches an internal temperature of 155°F / 68°C.
Once the cheesecake is fully cooked, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar with the cheesecake in it for 1 hr. before transferring it to the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.

In a small shallow bowl, combine the cold brew and coffee liquor (optional).
Dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture on both sides, and place them on top of the cheesecake. You will need to cut ~two of the ladyfingers to fit.
Cover the cheesecake and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow time for the coffee to soften the ladyfingers.

In a medium sized mixing bowl with a hand or stand mixer, beat together the mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla just until the mixture is cohesive.
Slowly beat in the heavy whipping cream. Once all of the heavy cream has been added, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Remove the tiramisu cheesecake from the fridge and place it on to a serving dish (you won't want to try to move it around after this!) Use a spatula to spread a thin layer of mascarpone whipped cream around the sides of the cheesecake.
Cut ~10 ladyfingers in half and stick them, cut side down, around the cheesecake.
Pile the mascarpone whipped cream on to the cheesecake (or pipe it on!), then top it with a dusting of cocoa powder. Slice, serve, and enjoy!