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!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
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.
If you are making tiramisu as dessert for a dinner party, here's some dishes you can make to go with that: Cacio e Pepe, Bolognese, Pasta alla Vodka, Baked Rigatoni, Sausage with Tortellini
Ingredients & Substitutions
- 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
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Tiramisu
Step 1:Whisk together the cocoa powder, espresso and vanilla in a bowl and set aside to really infuse the flavors together.
Step 2: In a mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add in the salt, mascarpone cheese and continue to whip until smooth.
Step 4: Add the chilled cream and continue to whip, until light, creamy and smooth
Step 5: Make sure it can hold a soft peak.
Step 6: Dunk each ladyfinger in the espresso mixture to absorb the liquid and start to line a 7x11 oval baking dish with the cookies.
Step 7: 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.
Step 8: Repeat for another layer and then finish by dusting with cocoa powder on top.
Step 9: Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
How to Store Tiramisu
You can store tiramisu covered with plastic wrap for 3-4 days. The flavors of the tiramisu marry and develop as it keeps, especially once its been stored overnight.
How to Freeze Tiramisu
I do not recommending freezing tiramisu since. The no-bake and nature of other ingredients do not make it a great candidate for freezing.
Tips and Tricks
- 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!
- Dunking the ladyfingers is an art form - you need enough to get a good flavor and texture, but you don't want them to fall apart. Just a quick dunk will do - nothing more than 1-2 seconds!
- 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.
FAQs
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.
Similar Recipes
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Classic Italian Tiramisu
Ingredients
- ¼ 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)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 8-ounce tubs mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 1 ¾ 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 7x11 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.
Notes
-
- 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.
- No espresso on hand - no problem! Use coffee!
- Dunking the ladyfingers is an art form - you need enough to get a good flavor and texture, but you don't want them to fall apart. Just a quick dunk will do - nothing more than 1-2 seconds!
- Make sure you leave time to rest the tiramisu. 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.
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.
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.
How far ahead can this be made? It’s going to be a Christmas dessert. Can I make it on Christmas Eve?
yes totally
How far in advance can you make tiramisu....is two days before serving ok?
1-2 days is probably fine!
This recipe was easy and so delicious. Authentic! Great tips!!
Making this again for Christmas!
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!
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!
We made the tiramisu and it was excellent!
Make quite a bit
We all Thoroughly loved it!!!!
9 x 2.5 x 13 Pyrex glass baking dish work?
yes
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
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.
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
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...
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?
Most amazing Tiramisu I’ve ever had!!
OMG so happy to hear it!