This tiramisu recipe layers coffee-soaked ladyfingers with a light, silky mascarpone cream and finishes it with a dusting of cocoa. It needs no oven, and in fact it tastes best after a night in the fridge.
Here, the egg yolks are gently cooked with sugar over hot water, so the cream is safe, stable and very smooth. After the recipe, you will also find fixes for runny, soggy and grainy tiramisu.
Tiramisu Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Chilling time: at least 6 hours
- Dish: 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8-inch) dish
- Serves: 9
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 100 g (½ cup) sugar
- 500 g (2 cups) mascarpone, cold
- 240 ml (1 cup) cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) strong espresso or coffee, cooled
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or 1 teaspoon cocoa powder dissolved in the coffee (optional)
- About 24 savoiardi (ladyfinger biscuits)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
How to Make This Tiramisu Recipe
- Cook the yolks. First, whisk the yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Keep whisking for 6–8 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and hot, about 70°C (160°F). Then let it cool.
- Soften the mascarpone. Next, beat the cold mascarpone with the vanilla just until smooth, and then fold in the cooled yolk mixture.
- Whip the cream. After that, whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it into the mascarpone mixture.
- Dip the biscuits. Pour the coffee into a shallow dish. Dip each ladyfinger for 1–2 seconds per side, and lay it in the serving dish.
- Layer. Then spread half the cream over the biscuits. Add a second layer of dipped biscuits, and finish with the rest of the cream.
- Chill. Cover the dish and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- Dust and serve. Finally, sift cocoa powder over the top just before serving.
Tiramisu Recipe: Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Why is my tiramisu runny?
Cause: In most cases, this happens because the mascarpone was overbeaten, or the tiramisu did not chill long enough.
Fix: Beat cold mascarpone only until smooth, and chill the finished dish overnight. In addition, whip the cream to firm soft peaks before folding.
Why is my tiramisu soggy?
Cause: The ladyfingers soaked in the coffee for too long.
Fix: Dip each biscuit for only 1–2 seconds, because the biscuits keep absorbing moisture from the cream as it chills.
Why is my mascarpone cream grainy?
Cause: You overbeat the mascarpone, or you mixed warm yolks into cold cheese.
Fix: Let the yolk mixture cool to room temperature first, and mix gently. Also, avoid over-whipped cream, since it turns grainy as well.
Why does my tiramisu taste bitter?
Cause: The coffee was too strong, or there was too much cocoa on top.
Fix: Add a spoonful of sugar to the coffee, and dust the cocoa lightly through a fine sieve.
Tips for Success With This Tiramisu Recipe
- Use crisp Italian savoiardi rather than soft sponge fingers.
- Cool the coffee completely; otherwise, the biscuits fall apart.
- Cut the tiramisu with a knife dipped in hot water, so the layers stay neat.
Tiramisu Recipe Variations
- Eggless tiramisu: skip the yolks completely. See our eggless tiramisu guide.
- Strawberry tiramisu: dip the biscuits in strawberry juice and add sliced berries between the layers.
- Individual cups: layer broken biscuits and cream in small glasses.
Storage Tips
Keep tiramisu covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it, without the cocoa, for up to 1 month and thaw it overnight in the fridge.
A Bit of History
Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian, and most food historians place its origin in the Veneto region in the 1960s or 1970s. Since then, it has become one of the most famous Italian desserts in the world. You can read more about the history of tiramisu on Wikipedia.
Tiramisu Recipe FAQ
Can I make tiramisu without alcohol?
Yes. The classic Italian version often has none, so simply leave out the liqueur.
What can I use instead of mascarpone?
Mix 375 g full-fat cream cheese with 120 ml (½ cup) cream. However, the taste will be slightly tangier.
Why are the eggs cooked in this recipe?
Cooking the yolks over hot water makes the cream safer for children and guests, and it also makes it more stable.
Next on your list? If you enjoyed this tiramisu recipe, our digital cookbook also includes 31 Eastern and Western dessert recipes with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.
