Somehow between culinary school and today (which was legit almost 10 years ago) I seem to have forgotten about a Classic Italian Tiramisu! Well – not anymore!! I made my recipe from culinary school a few weeks back and OMG WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE!
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Classic Italian Tiramisu
This Classic Italian Tiramisu is seriously one of the easiest recipes and is made with a sweet mascarpone filling and layered with espresso dipped lady fingers. It’s truly perfection and I can’t believe I haven’t made it since culinary school. Instead of resorting to my usual cookie consumption for dessert for all of our recent parties, I changed it up and made Tiramisu. BRILLIANT. It takes almost no time to make and the recipe below is one that my culinary school instructor literally engrained into our brains during the dessert portion of our curriculum.
Tiramisu Ingredients
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder – this is my favorite kind!
- Espresso – you’ll need a cup, so brew a handful of shots or buy them pre-brewed from your favorite coffee shop or grocery store
- Vanilla Extract
- Pasteurized Eggs – I always buy pasteurized eggs for this recipe as that means the eggs have been heat treated to kill off bacteria that could potentially cause a food borne illness. And since we’re using raw eggs, it’s the way to go!
- Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Mascarpone Cheese – an integral part!! There isn’t a great substitution here.
- Heavy cream
- Ladyfinger Cookies – make sure you get the hard ones
How to make a Classic Italian Tiramisu
- Whisk together the cocoa powder, espresso and vanilla in a bowl and set aside to really infuse the flavors together.
- In a mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add in the salt, mascarpone cheese and continue to whip until smooth. Add the chilled cream and continue to whip, until light, creamy, smooth and can hold a soft peak.
- Dunk each ladyfinger in the espresso mixture to absorb the liquid and start to line a 7×11 oval baking dish with the cookies. Top the first layer of cookies with ½ of the whipped mascarpone mixture and use the back of a metal spoon to spread it into an even layer. Dust with cocoa powder. Repeat for another layer and then finish by dusting with cocoa powder on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- NOTE – DO NOT SERVE IT RIGHT AWAY! While it will be delicious, the cocoa powder needs time to soften up and infuse into the cream topping otherwise you’ll inhale straight cocoa powder and let me tell you from experience, it’s not cute lol.
Expert Tips and Tricks for Classic Italian Tiramisu
- ALL the ingredients for the filling must be cold. So when you read the recipe below, pay attention to the few things that need to be taken directly from the fridge.
- Get the ladyfingers from an Italian market if possible!!
- Mascarpone is essential. There is no substitution for it – so while you’re out looking for the ladyfingers, grab the Mascarpone.
- No espresso on hand – no problem! Use coffee!
Here’s what to serve before you make Tiramisu
What is traditional tiramisu made of?
A Classic Italian Tiramisu is a coffee-flavored Italian dessert that dreams are made of. It’s made of ladyfingers dipped in espresso, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese and layered with cocoa powder.
What is the predominant flavor in the classic Italian dessert tiramisu?
The espresso dunked ladyfingers take center stage along with the creamy mascarpone mixture. Both are light and compliment each other beautifully.
Classic Italian Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Dutch Processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup brewed espresso (optional to add a few tablespoons of dark rum)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks, cold (I use pasteurized eggs)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 8-ounce tubs mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 2-3 dozen hard ladyfinger cookies
Instructions
- Whisk together the cocoa powder, espresso and vanilla in a bowl and set aside
- In a mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add in the salt, mascarpone cheese and continue to whip until smooth. Add the chilled cream and continue to whip, until light, creamy, smooth and can hold a soft peak.
- Dunk each ladyfinger in the espresso mixture to absorb the liquid and start to line a 7×11 oval baking dish with the cookies. Top the first layer of cookies with ½ of the whipped mascarpone mixture and use the back of a metal spoon to spread it into an even layer. Dust with cocoa powder. Repeat for another layer and then finish by dusting with cocoa powder on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Would you recommend using soft or hard ladyfinger cookies?
hard!
I’ve always been told that when making Tiramisu, that if you add alcohol, you must use a glass pyrex baking dish because the metal dishes will react badly with the alcohol. (Old wive’s tale?) But, also, a glass pyrex also shows how pretty the layers are. 🙂
I dont own a glass baking dish and none of mine have ever been etched or anything
Are the raw egg yolks safe?
If you don’t feel comfortable using raw eggs you can make a sabayon by whisking the egg yolks with the sugar over a pan of simmering water till it reaches 150’f and then follow the recipe from where it says to whip them till pale yellow.
good call! we used to make sabayon all the time in culinary and pastry school! man that stuff is delish
Well I know what I’m making for my special Valentine’s Day dessert! I love that you make such classic recipes so approachable Gaby!
Would you please share a picture of what Expresso and the Cocoa powder you used please?
Thank you.
My husband makes espresso with just regular old coffee beans. And cocoa powder I used Guittard
Love video would be fabulous!!!
video on how to make these?? that can be arranged
Do you just dip the ladyfingers in the espresso on each side or let them sit? Trying to find the sweet spot between hard & mushy…
I do a quick dunk on both sides
You will have more control of not dipping ladyfingers but using a mister or spray bottle to control amount of coffee.
Hi! Why do you need to use Dutch Process cocoa? I have both Hershey’s and also Pernigotti, but not sure if they are Dutch processed or not. Also, how long does cocoa last in a pantry before it needs to be replaced?
Thank you!
its less bitter than plain cocoa powder! either works – but Dutch makes it less bitter. And I go through mine every few months so I get a new one every quarter probably
I love tiramisu but prefer not to eat raw eggs. Any helpful hints? I hear to buy pasteurized eggs if you are going to eat raw, but not sure if I’ve ever seen that label?
Some people prefer to make a sabayon and use that instead. I havent tested it on this recipe but I know it would be delish. I’ll work on updating the recipe with that as an option in the next few weeks
Didn’t read your recipe correctly and bought soft lady fingers instead of hard. Thoughts? Thank you!
will still work!! go for it
The PERFECT Valentine’s Day dessert!!!
What if I don’t have an espresso maker? Can I brew espresso in a regular drip coffee maker? Or can I make tiramisu with just regular coffee?
What’s the destiny of the 1/4 tsp salt? Noticed it’s in the ingredient list but not in the recipe instructions. Should it be added to the egg yolks and sugar? Making this for Valentines!!
ah!! thank you – you can add it there or with the mascarpone! updating now!
How deep should the dish be?
3 inches ish
Love tiramisu and have only had it in restaurants. This easy recipe remedies that! I had to use soft ladyfingers since I missed the ‘hard’ ladyfingers instruction. Question—where does the 1/4 tsp salt go? I put a pinch in with the espresso/chocolate mixture and another pinch in with the mascarpone/egg yolk mixture! Just curious at this point!
it goes in with the filling!! fixed
Most amazing Tiramisu I’ve ever had!!
OMG so happy to hear it!
So I made this, super good – but mine was super runny and the only thing I did differently was that I had to use chocolate mascarpone because that’s all I could get. It never firmed up like it should have. Do you think that’s why?
chocolate mascarpone! never seen it or used it! was it super chilled when you incorporated it?! maybe it has a different fat content?
Thanks! Love this recipe, you’ve made tiramisu so accessible. I always thought this was a crazy difficult thing to make?! Can’t wait to try it next weekend…
This was so good that my guys asked me where I got it.
You always make me look like a competent cook. Good news is everyone loves it. Bad news is everyone loves it and expects me to keep cooking.
SO HAPPY
I used soft ladyfingers. While I think hard is better I accidentally got soft so I used them. Instead of rolling them in the coffee, I used a pastry brush and brushed the mixture on and they turned out pretty good! I ended up making individual tiramisu and made some without coffee for my husband and child who enjoyed it better that way.
I see that the dish should be 3 inches deep. How long please? Thanks.
Mine was roughly 10 inches – but really it’s whatever fits all the ladyfingers
9 x 2.5 x 13 Pyrex glass baking dish work?
yes
We made the tiramisu and it was excellent!
Make quite a bit
We all Thoroughly loved it!!!!
I hosted an Italian-themed dinner for my monthly dinner club and made this for dessert. It BLEW EVERYONE AWAY!!! It was unanimously named the best dessert that’s ever been served at dinner club! I made it the night before and let it chill overnight, and it turned out perfectly!
I have 20+ cook books and I cooked exactly 0 recipes from them. I am a terrible cook and baker. But my children wanted a Tiramisu, and after our local Italian restaurant failed us (they didn’t have it), I decided to give it a try. I followed this recipe to a T with only difference of using vanilla paste as I didn’t have the other thing.
It was the bestEST Tiramisu we’ve ever tried. It was so good that my husband who doesn’t eat sweets, ate probably a half, and my mom, who is an amazing baker and also doesn’t eat sweets, kept asking for more. Kids told me to make this cake every day.
It is very simple but yet so good!
This recipe was easy and so delicious. Authentic! Great tips!!
Making this again for Christmas!
How far in advance can you make tiramisu….is two days before serving ok?
1-2 days is probably fine!
How far ahead can this be made? It’s going to be a Christmas dessert. Can I make it on Christmas Eve?
yes totally
Just made this for Christmas dessert, can’t wait. The filling I sampled was delish! And I used a nipper of light rum with the espresso because I couldn’t find dark.
Easily the best tiramisu I’ve ever had. I don’t even really like tiramisu that much, but this is next level delicious and so easy, yet impressive. I’ve made it twice now.
I made this for a dinner tonight, and just realized I totally forgot to add the chilled cream to the filling. ♀️ Is it still edible? Or is it going to be a total disaster?
ohhhhh very interesting. still edible but not as light and airy
Delicious! But definitely takes more than 15 minutes to make. It took about 15 minutes just to beat the eggs/sugar/cream/mascarpone, so I’d say 30 mins from start to final dusting.
This recipe is AMAZING! So approachable and so delicious. Thank you for another hit, Gaby!