This tiramisu recipe makes the best I’ve ever had.
One of the beauties of tiramisu is that you can whip it up in no time, and the refrigerator does the rest. And this tiramisu recipe is one of the easiest tiramisu recipes around. A few ingredients and a few minutes work makes the best I’ve ever tasted. This is my kind of recipe!
What is Tiramisu?
Tiramisu is a no-bake refrigerator dessert made with alternating creamy layers and coffee-soaked sponge cake or cookie layers, dusted with cocoa or chocolate. Tiramisu, from the Italian verb tirare, means “pull or pick me up.”
Fluffy, creamy layers with coffee-soaked sponge cake and chocolate: che buono!
The Secret to Perfect Tiramisu
Tiramisu is so easy to make, you don’t have to be a chef or go to a restaurant to get your fix. In fact, the best tiramisu is found at home. The secret to perfect tiramisu is truly and simply to make it yourself. There are a couple of reasons for that, the main one being good and genuine ingredients.
Would you be surprised if I told you that it can actually be hard to find a good Tiramisu even in restaurants in Italy? Of the countless excellent restaurant meals I’ve enjoyed in Italy through the years, there is almost always someone at the table who orders a tiramisu and generously encourages the rest of us to take a spoonful. All too often, the tiramisu looks and tastes like an afterthought, or prefab.
There are indeed Italian restaurants who make great tiramisu, I’m sure. But I’m thinking there are probably many more homes that make it better!
Our House Recipe
This recipe makes a delicious, authentically Italian tiramisù that we have enjoyed for decades. It comes from 1990s Milan, Italy, recited orally by my mother-in-law, a great aid to my Italian fluency in the kitchen department! I still have the handwritten note jotted down, with the whole recipe relayed in just one sentence (translated): For every 100g of mascarpone, put 1 egg yolk and 1 spoon of sugar. We figured out the rest!
In the decades since, the amount of egg yolk that is needed has gone down, because the tiramisu doesn’t turn out as thick as it used to using the original ratios. But besides that, we’ve been making the same simple recipe ever since, never feeling any urge whatsoever to change it. It’s perfect! To this day, I have never tasted a version this good.
Ingredients
For this tiramisu recipe, you’ll need sponge cake ladyfingers (savoiardi), coffee, sugar, mascarpone, egg yolks, cocoa and chocolate.
Mascarpone
Where to find mascarpone: You can find mascarpone for tiramisu in the dairy or cheese section of most supermarkets. In the US, BelGioioso or Galbani are good brands, as well as other brands in the market. One of the most important factors in mascarpone is consistency: it needs to be thick or your tiramisu will never set.
If you can’t find mascarpone, you can make it yourself. Really! Making mascarpone is quick and easy (and cheaper too). It just needs time in the fridge, so plan to make it a day before assembling your tiramisu.
Savoiardi Sponge Cake Ladyfingers
Savoiardi, sponge cake ladyfingers or cookies, were named after the House of Savoy back in the 15th century. At some point, someone noticed those little biscuits looked just like ladies’ fingers. A similar biscuit used, but even thinner, are called lingue di gatto or cat’s tongues. Perhaps the name Savoiardi is the most elegant.
Each brand soaks up the coffee a little differently, so the best is a matter of preference. Experiment. Sometimes the best are what you can find. Chances are whatever savioardi ladyfingers you find on the grocery shelf will work just fine.
You need something that can soak up the espresso well without becoming soggy: either a European style twice-cooked (biscuit or biscotto) sponge-cake cookie, like ladyfingers, or a normal sponge cake.
This recipe uses sponge cake ladyfingers, the easiest option. However you can use a normal sponge cake such as a genoise cake, or similar, like one for tres leches cake. Sponge cake has the advantage of being easily made or cut into any shape you want. The sponge cake can either be in the form of a thin flat sheet cake, or made in a normal cake tin and then cut into layers.
Espresso Coffee
Espresso, nice and strong, with a muddy character that always reminds me of cocoa, has a superior flavor effect than a drip coffee — and the flavor of the coffee comes through in the tiramisu.
If you like to make Tiramisu often, I recommend getting a little Italian stovetop espresso maker (caffettiera in Italian, often called a Moka), to make your espresso (caffè).
Espresso has the ideal flavor, but sure, you can substitute a strong coffee in a pinch. It won’t be the same depth of flavor, but if regular coffee is all you have, use half as much water, or less when brewing your coffee.
Instant coffee granules are another alternative, and convenient for making small amounts. Just stir it into a hot cup of water. Again, it won’t be the same as using freshly made espresso coffee, but it can still be good.
How about decaf? Or as a pretty good caffeine-free coffee substitute, try orzo, a roasted barley beverage, and don’t forget to sweeten it with a little sugar.
Eggs
My version of tiramisu only calls for egg yolks. While egg whites are sometimes whipped separately and incorporated into the mascarpone, egg whites tend to weep water after a while. For that reason, they are not always the ideal ingredient to whip into mascarpone for Tiramisu. Do you want your tiramisu weeping? Me neither.
It goes without saying to use the freshest eggs you can get your hands on. Avoid old eggs, dirty eggs, or cracked eggs (even hairline cracks).
Tiramisu without Raw Eggs
Not comfortable using raw egg yolks? It’s understandable. We have been making tiramisu traditionally with raw egg yolks at our house for decades. But infected egg shells can transmit salmonella, which is why it is good to wash your hands after handling eggs.
Cutting the risks related to salmonella is easy enough to do. You can use an easy method that works great: cook the eggs first. Instructions on how to heat treat the eggs are included in the recipe. You essentially make a custard or zabaglione without any liquid (such as milk or Marsala). Once cool, you can blend it with the mascarpone.
A bain marie or double boiler comes in handy for this. But if you don’t have one, it’s not a problem. Just use a pot or saucepan and a metal or glass heatproof bowl. You’ll also need a kitchen thermometer.
Alcohol
Does tiramisu have alcohol? It depends on which version you make. You can make an alcoholic or non alcoholic tiramisu. Versions of tiramisu that use zabaglione instead of mascarpone usually have Marsala wine.
My Recommendation: If you’ve never made tiramisu before, try it without any alcohol or extra flavoring the first time. You may just want to keep it that way.
Tiramisu without Alcohol
This tiramisu recipe is without alcohol. I use nothing but sweetened coffee to dip the lady fingers in, and it makes an absolutely delicious tiramisu.
Tiramisu with Alcohol
Kahlúa, cognac, rum, or any alcohol of your choice, can be used to spike the coffee or mascarpone. Personally, I find fruit flavored alcohols to clash with the flavor of the coffee. That said, Marsala, vin santo, or Grand Marnier are all used (usually blended with the mascarpone).
Chocolate or Cocoa
I like to use chocolate instead of cocoa for the top of tiramisu. For one reason, cocoa powder likes to trigger the cough reflex! One minute we are laughing and enjoying and delighting… And the next… we are backing away from the table in an unexpected, uncontrollable and spectacularly showstopping boutade of coughs. This is not very glamorous. (Or is it just me?)
For the middle layers, however, I am happy to sprinkle on cocoa powder, since it nicely blends into the mascarpone, losing its tickling-the-throat proclivities. To easily dust cocoa powder on the tiramisu, use a fine mesh sieve, tea strainer or sifter.
Topping Ideas
Actually, there is a second reason I like to use chocolate for the top layer of tiramisu, and that is for the fun of it.
Here are my favorite fun, easy and beautiful toppings for tiramisu:
- Grated chocolate (with a regular dark chocolate bar or block and a grater)
- Chocolate confetti curls (with a regular dark chocolate bar and vegetable peeler)
- Oversized chocolate shavings (with a dark chocolate block and a vegetable peeler)
- A few coffee beans (or even better, chocolate covered coffee beans)
A note on cold chocolate – Cold chocolate bars or blocks are too brittle for making chocolate curls. You can see the results in the photo. By the cracks in the chocolate, you can tell the chocolate was curled (with a peeler) in a cold winter house. I kept running the chocolate bar over to the fireplace to warm it up, yet as the cracks in the chocolate show, I didn’t run fast enough! This did not, however, seem to be a problem: it was completely devoured!
It helps to warm up the surface of the chocolate by rubbing it a bit (naturally, with clean hands), or by using a knife that you have heated with hot water.
How to Assemble Tiramisu
1,2,3, repeat…
Note, detailed instructions for how to make tiramisu are included in the recipe.
Dip ladyfingers in coffee for 2 to 3 seconds.
This is a bit of an art. You want to be quick but not too quick, so that the cookie soaks up a medium amount of coffee. Too much coffee makes the cookie soggy. Too little and the cookies will be dry with little coffee flavor or appeal. Sometimes I like to hedge by dipping just one of the layers in the coffee a bit longer.
Alternately, the coffee can be drizzled with a spoon over the cookies. I find dipping easier, but choose your favorite way. (If using cake instead of cookies, you can also use a pastry brush to apply the coffee.)
Cover with mascarpone cream.
Tip: Use a piping bag to distribute the mascarpone if you like. Pipe more mascarpone on top for decoration.
- Dust with cocoa.
Repeat!
Then for the final topping: chocolate! If you missed my preference for toppings in the section on chocolate and cocoa, it might be worth a glance. Cough, cough.
FAQ
Mascarpone is usually quite firm on its own, and too thick to spread. The addition of egg yolks helps it become spreadable. To make your tiramisu firmer, it’s actually quite simple. You can just cut back on the liquid you add to the mascarpone, whether it be egg yolks or anything else that has, or is liquid.
Time in the refrigerator also helps firm up tiramisu. If its only been in the fridge for 2 hours, try leaving it at least 2 more hours, up to overnight. (Try putting it in the freezer for half an hour if you need to serve it soon.)
If your tiramisu is watery, you may want to cut back on the amount of liquid in your cookies. The quantity in the recipe here tends to work well, but it also depends on what cookies you are using. Also, look at your cookie-dipping technique. If your cookies are completely black with coffee, you may want to speed up your dipping! (One more thing: whipped egg whites, which this recipe doesn’t call for, tend to weep water after a while.)
Equipment
Tiramisu is pretty versatile. You can make it in different dishes, plates or pans, and in different shapes and sizes, from a big tiramisu cake to individual portions.
One traditional and casual way of preparing and serving tiramisu is in a rectangular or square glass cake dish.
Freestanding tiramisu cakes, large or mini, make a gorgeous presentation too, and are not any more difficult to make than in a dish. You just need a big cake/pastry ring, or multiple smaller rings.
Fat Daddios Pro Series cake and pastry rings have smooth seams and come in a wide range of sizes from 2 to 10 inches (5-25cm) in diameter by 2 or 3 inches (5-8cm) high. I have several of their pans and recommend them.
Note: any food ring less than 2 inches high won’t have a lot of room for more than one layer.
Tiramisu for Two
I use 3.5×2-inch high (9x5cm) stainless steel Ateco food rings to make the tiramisu cakes in the photos. This size is big enough (or almost in my house) for two to share. (They also have 2.75×2-inch (7x5cm) ring molds, which would be a great individual size.) I like the Ateco rings because they don’t have seams. Their press is helpful too, making it easier to smoothly press the tiramisu out of the ring.
Here’s how I use the smaller food rings for mini tiramisu cakes: First, I line up a couple of (undipped) ladyfingers side by side, then I use the small food ring as a cookie cutter to cut them to size. Then I assemble the tiramisu as usual inside of the rings. Once the tiramisu cakes are well chilled (preferably overnight), I just press them out of their rings and sprinkle with chocolate flakes or curls. They are gorgeous!
Serving & Storing
Not really. Tiramisu is an easy dessert, but not a last minute dessert. It needs time to set, the cookies to soften, and the flavors to meld: tiramisu gets better with time. Allow several hours or overnight in the fridge.
Or you can get away with letting it chill for 2 hours by freezing it for 30 to 45 minutes before refrigerating. (Sure, I’ve done this to make up for lost time before!) The flavors won’t have as much time to meld, nor the cookies as much time to soften, but it can still be good.
If you are really pressed for time, try to keep the mascarpone as firm as possible by leaving out an egg yolk or two. (Done this too!)
Yes, tiramisu can be frozen: double wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. And don’t forget about it! Eat within a few weeks for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight (not at room temperature) before serving.
In my experience, tiramisu freezes solid and the coffee soaked cookies turn to ice, dashing any dreams to eat tiramisu as a frozen dessert.
Recipe
And now for the recipe! Hope you have fun making it and enjoy it immensely! Tip: To send yourself a list of the recipe’s ingredients, click the black text (on mobile) or email buttons below.
Ingredients
- 1 cup espresso coffee or very strong coffee (or orzo, as a coffee substitute), cooled to room temperature
- 6 Tbsp granulated sugar for the mascarpone + 1 Tbsp (12g) for the coffee
- 16 oz mascarpone (see notes)
- 2 to 3 egg yolks
- 7 oz ladyfingers (sponge cake cookies, also called savoiardi)
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (70%+)
- 1 bar of 3.5oz bitter sweet chocolate for grating on top (or cocoa powder)
Instructions
Prepare the Coffee
- Sweeten the coffee with 1 Tbsp of sugar, then pour the espresso into a shallow bowl for dipping the ladyfinger cookies.
Prepare the Mascarpone
- For traditional Italian method with raw egg yolks: In a bowl, stir the mascarpone with a fork to make it easier to work with. In a separate bowl, whisk 2 of the egg yolks together with the sugar until frothy. Blend in a little of the whisked yolks into the mascarpone, then gently whisk in the rest. If too thick to spread, add the remaining egg yolk.For method with cooked egg yolks: Fill the bottom of a saucepan with about an inch of water and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks with sugar until airy and pale yellow. Then place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk for about 6-8 minutes, or until the mixture resembles a thick custard, and reaches 140°F (60°C). Let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes before incorporating the mascarpone cheese. Do not blend with the mascarpone while the egg mixture is still hot, as it will curdle.
Assemble & Chill
- Briefly dip each cookie into the coffee, 2 to 3 seconds max (you want them to be moist, not soggy), and arrange in a dish to make one layer. Cut any cookies to fit before dipping, if needed.
- Spoon a layer of mascarpone mixture on top.
- Sprinkle with a thin layer of cocoa powder.
- Repeat with 1 or 2 more layers.
- Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight, to allow the tiramisu to thicken, the cookies to soften, and the flavors to meld to the fullest.
Serve
- To serve, (if using a cake ring, press the tiramisu out onto a serving plate), grate chocolate on top, or use a peeler to make chocolate curls.
Ingredient Notes
- Espresso coffee – You want a strong coffee flavor. If you can’t make espresso, make regular coffee with very little water, or use granules.
- Mascarpone – Get the good stuff to ensure it is thick and will thus set well. (Or you can easily make your own mascarpone.)
- Liquor – To spike your tiramisu, add about 2 Tbsp of Kahlua, rum, cognac, or liquor of your choice to the coffee before dipping.
- Lady Finger Alternative – You can use a sponge cake (such as a genoise cake, or tres leches cake) in place of lady fingers. Using a cake makes it easy to make a round tiramisu. To apply the coffee, you can drizzle it on or use a pastry brush.
- Chocolate – If you find the chocolate is too brittle to make chocolate curls, it helps to warm up the surface of the chocolate by rubbing it (with clean hands), or by using a knife that you have heated with hot water.
In a 2-hour pinch
If you don’t have a lot of time, you can freeze the tiramisu for 30 minutes before refrigerating, to speed up the chilling process. (Remember though: tiramisu is best the next day!)Storing
With raw egg yolks, it is recommended to eat within the next day or two. If using cooked eggs, another few days. Or tiramisu can be frozen, then thawed in the refrigerator (not at room temperature) overnight.Nutrition Info: Click to Expand
Mediterranean Diet
Tiramisu in the Mediterranean diet? Sure, for a special treat. Tiramisu is made with simple ingredients common in Mediterranean cuisine, and provides antioxidants, protein and calcium, with the cocoa or chocolate, which adds flavor and richness, used in moderation. To make it even more Mediterranean Diet friendly, try halving the amount of sugar in the mascarpone, then tasting before deciding to add more. And try omitting the sugar from the coffee altogether. It will still be delicious.
A Long and Short Story of Tiramisu
Found all over Italy, tiramisù, Italy’s sweet pick me up (tira-mi-sù), has become a modern classic. But is it modern?
This can be a delicate subject… There are different versions and several claims to the origins of tiramisu, some modern, some quite a bit older, with the regions of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piedmont, Tuscany, among others, all in the fray.
A version a lot of people know today is made with mascarpone cheese, and it is how they make it in the Italian region of Veneto. Another version, made with zabaglione (a custard made from egg yolks whisked over a double boiler, often with marsala wine) and whipped cream, is how they make it in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Our house recipe, past on to us decades ago, seems to be closest to the Veneto version, a modern classic credited to Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, Veneto. While our house recipe’s variation with cooked egg yolks inadvertently leans towards the Friuli Venezia Giulia version, yet without whipped cream or marsala. But…
Before Tiramisu
With Tiramisu’s origins disputed, like with many recipes, evidence points to an evolution over time of combinations, recombinations and adaptations.
There are claims of tiramisu originating from a 17th century Tuscan dessert, Zuppa del Duca, (from the Italian word inzuppare, meaning to dip or soak), which first became popular in the royal courts for its aphrodisiacal qualities, thus taking on the nickname Tiramisu. (Surely some soul appreciated coffee’s everyday pick-me-up qualities, as well, no?)
The Dolce Torino dessert from Turin has also been mentioned as a possible inspiration for Tiramisu, with its savoiardi cookies combined with chocolate and hazelnuts.
Tiramisu also has unmistakable similarities to the English trifle, the delicious zuppa Inglese typical of Emilia Romagna (and loved throughout Italy), as well as the French opera gateau and charlottes. All combine creamy layers with dipped or soaked sponge biscuits or cakes.
(And what about banana pudding! Can we say that banana pudding is to America what Tiramisu is to Italy—and the world?)
And then there’s the more distant, and possible precursor of them all, millefeuille.
There’s even a coffee drink my husband grew up on in Italy for breakfast, a substantial and energetic treat, also enjoyed as a traditional restorative snack, a liquid tira-mi-sù (pick me up) known by different names, including Grandma’s Remedy (Rimedio della Nonna). It’s basically a hot frothy beverage treat made by hand-whisking egg yolks with sugar, then stirred into hot espresso coffee, hot milk, or both. Cookies or bread are often dipped or soaked in it. Cocoa or a drop of liquor can make their way into it too.
No matter the exact evolution of Tiramisu, the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia versions have evolved into modern Italian classics.
About Savoiardi – Ladyfingers
Savoiardi (saw-voh-YAR-dee) sponge cake ladyfingers go back to around the 15th century Casa Savoia, or House of Savoy, its name referring to the fir forests in the alpine territory in what is now part of modern Italy, France and Switzerland. (Eventually Turin became its capital, and it became a ruling dynasty after the unification of Italy.)
Savoy biscuits, which became the official biscuit of France at the time, are possibly the predecessor of other sponge cakes like the Genoise cake (the same batter used to make beloved Madeleines), Pan di Spagna in Italy, Mantecada and Torta Paradiso.
