Up until this week, I always thought the best Tiramisu I ever had was in Rome, at this sweet little restaurant right near the Spanish Steps. But after tasting my own version of this classic dessert, I’ve changed my mind.
I promise this will become the best tiramisu recipe you’ll ever have!
My recipe may be a little different than most that claim to be “authentic” but truth be told there are as many different Tiramisu recipes as there are Italian grandmothers, each with their own little twist. Some of which aren’t really tiramisu at all.
This dessert recipe speaks of a time when I first sampled this Italian classic. When food had become something almost magical to me, something that resonated deep down inside of me. Something that I knew I could do and be good at. Taping into this ability had been a gift from God and Mama Jeanette taught me how to use it.
What Ingredients do I need to Make Tiramisu?
I’ve had so many questions about the process of making my Tiramisu that I’ve added step-by-step pictures to help you along the way.
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Tiramisu. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Chef Dennis Tip: Have the eggs and mascarpone at room temperature before making this recipe. That will help them mix together more smoothly. You only need egg yolks for this recipe, so save the egg whites for a healthy omelet or meringue.
What is Mascarpone?
Mascarpone is basically the Italian version of cream cheese. It is made of whipped cream, stabilized with an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or citric acid. Mascarpone cheese has a smoother consistency, it’s milder in flavor and has twice as much fat as cream cheese. Cream cheese can be substituted for mascarpone but the flavor and consistency won’t be the same.
*Galbani is my first choice for mascarpone. Bel Giosi and Vermont Creamery are also good choices. Always make sure the mascarpone has a long use-by date. Old mascarpone can cause the tiramisu cream to be too loose to set properly
How do I make Tiramisu Cream?
It’s a lot easier than you might think to make tiramisu. Just follow my step-by-step instructions and you’ll be making tiramisu better than your favorite local restaurant!
- The first step is whipping the egg yolks (approx. ½ cup) and the sugar until they are very thick. *One of the mistakes people tend to make is under whipping the egg mixture.
- Using a double boiler method with a bowl over a pot of simmering water whip the mixture until it has almost doubled in volume and is thick.
- Add room temperature Mascarpone to the whipped yolks, and mix until well combined. Don’t overmix this can cause curdling. *Mascarpone only needs to get to set out for 15-20 minutes. Don’t let it get warm.
- In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream to stiff peaks (a hand mixer or stand mixer is fine). This process should be slow, starting on low and increasing the speed gradually over ten minutes. **This method is how you keep the whipped cream from breaking. The cream should be ice cold and as fresh as possible. Look for heavy cream with the longest expiration date.
- Gently fold the whipped cream in the mascarpone mixture and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the tiramisu.
Chef Dennis Tip: Always use the freshest products available. If the eggs, cream or mascarpone are close to the expiration date, they can break down in the recipe.
The Secret to Perfect Whipped Cream:
Whipping your cream is also where some people make a mistake. The idea with whipped cream is to do it slowly. Using an electric mixer begin whipping the cream on low, increasing the speed over 10 minutes. This makes a whipped cream that will last for days in your fridge without the aid of gelatin.
*If you make whipped cream as a topping for desserts don’t forget to add sugar and vanilla, for the tiramisu, we are not adding sugar or vanilla to the mixture.
My sabayon is grainy the sugar didn’t dissolve!
If you used regular sugar instead of superfine / castor sugar your finished sabayon may be grainy. That’s okay it will finish dissolving while your tiramisu is firming up.
*If you can’t find superfine sugar you can always pulse your sugar in a food processor to make the grains smaller.
Follow this link to find Superfine Castor Sugar on Amazon. It’s the only place I’ve been able to find it in Florida.
Next, add the mascarpone and mix it together until fully incorporated and smooth.
Why did my sabayon curdle?
- Over whipping can cause the fat to separate, causing the mixture to curdle.
- Allowing the mascarpone to get too warm can wreak havoc with the fat in the mascarpone causing it to curdle
- Using mascarpone that is too cold can cause curdling. Let it sit out for 15-20 minutes before using.
- The brand Bel Gioso has been reported to cause curdling, although I have never experienced this.
How do I assemble Tiramisu?
The first step is a quick dip of the ladyfingers in the coffee/Kahlua mixture. The coffee flavor of the Kahlua enhances the overall flavor but it can be left out if you want to make this dessert alcohol-free. And if you’re not a fan of Kahlua, you can use Gran Marnier, rum, or marsala in its place.
*Instant espresso powder can be used to make the coffee for dipped ladyfingers.
How do I prepare the ladyfingers:
- Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. If you don’t want the added caffeine decaf coffee or decaf espresso can be used.
- Brushing on the coffee mixture instead of dipped ladyfingers is a great way to control how much liquid gets on the ladyfingers.
- Only use Crunchy SAVOIARDI (ITALIAN LADYFINGERS) Cake style ladyfingers will get too soft. You can find them on Amazon by following the link above.
- Set your pan up with a layer of the coffee-soaked ladyfingers. (Standard 9″x 9″ pan)
- Then add your first layer of tiramisu cream mixture. Use half of your mixture and spread it evenly.
- Add a second layer of prepared ladyfingers to the pan.
- Add the remainder of the tiramisu cream mixture and spread evenly.
Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder and you’re finished!
Now comes the hardest part. Let the tiramisu set up for at least 6 hours, overnight is best. This tiramisu can be made a day or two ahead of time and should last in your fridge for up to a week.
Chef Tips to make the Best Tiramisu:
- Quick Dip – Dip the ladyfingers one or two at a time. A quick dip on each side is enough. You can also use a brush to coat the ladyfingers with the coffee mixture.
- Do not over-soak the ladyfingers or the layers will be soggy and not hold up.
- Double Boiler – When whisking the egg yolks and sugar over the double boiler, make sure the bowl is not touching the water beneath it.
- Allow the yolk mixture to cool until it’s just slightly warm by using the whisk to help disperse the heat. This will cool down the mixture quicker.
- Use cold very cold whipping cream -whip the crea slowly over about 10 minutes and the cream will be more stable and hold up.
- Do not overmix the cream– When folding the cream into the mascarpone sabauyon mixture, do not overmix or it may become grainy.
- Allow the tiramisu to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight before slicing, to allow it time to fully set up.
- Tiramisu can be made in advance- it holds up well and can be made up to two days ahead of time
- Tiramisu will last refrigerated for up to 6 days.
FAQ about Tiramisu
Yes, you can freeze tiramisu. Use plastic wrap and place it directly against the surface (without cocoa powder) to prevent a skin from forming, cover tightly. Repeat the process with an additional layer of plastic wrap and then cover with tin foil and freeze. To defrost, let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. After it has defrosted, add the layer of cocoa powder and serve.
Yes, you can. Leaving out the Kahlua is not a deal-breaker, just use more coffee when dipping the ladyfingers.
There are two methods that you can use to make a faux mascarpone. You won’t get quite the same flavor but it will work. Blend 8 ounces softened full-fat cream cheese with ¼ cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter OR – Blend 8 ounces softened cream cheese with ⅛ cup whipping cream and ⅛ cup sour cream.
No, you should not use raw eggs! The eggs in my version of tiramisu are slowly cooked over the simmering water as you whip the sabayon. This tiramisu will be safe to eat if you follow my directions.
How to Save your Tiramisu if it doesn’t set:
If for some reason your Tiramisu doesn’t firm up, don’t throw it away! You can freeze the cream and have an amazing frozen dessert. I have done this when testing new recipes. Use a springform pan and you can slice it. Add fruit or other toppings and you’ve got an amazing dessert.
Equipment I use to make Tiramisu:
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Easy Tiramisu Recipe
Equipment
- double boiler
- wire whisk
- 9 x 9 inch pan
- electric mixer
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks (approx. ½ cup of yolks)
- 1 cup sugar superfine or caster if possible
- 1¼ cup mascarpone cheese ( room temperature
- 1¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 30 each Italian ladyfingers about 1 ½ of the 7 ounce packages (Savoiardi style)
- 1 cup cold espresso or strong coffee
- ½ cup coffee flavored Liqueur optional
- 1 ounce unsweetened cocoa for dusting
Instructions
- This is how you will make the Sabayon:When you are ready to make the sabayon place about one inch of water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and place a bowl on top of the small pot so it's sitting on the pot without touching the water.
- Now Begin Making the Sabayon:Add the egg yolks and sugar to the bowl, whipping to mix the ingredients together. Place the bowl on the small pot of simmering water. Using a whisk to mix, whip the egg/sugar mixture constantly for about 10 minutes. This will cook the eggs. The mixture will increase in volume as it thickens. This is your sabayon. After you have finished whipping the sabayon, remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whip yolks to help it cool. The mixture should be thick and a lemon yellow color. Allow to cool briefly before mixing in mascarpone.**If the bowl starts to get too hot, lift it off the pot of water for 15 seconds or so while continuing to whip the mixture. You can do this as often as necessary. * *If you used regular sugar instead of superfine / castor sugar your finished sabayon may be grainy. That's okay it will finish dissolving while your tiramisu is firming up.
- Add room temperature Mascarpone to whipped yolks, mix until well combined. Don't overmix this can cause curdling.*Mascarpone only needs to get to set out for 15-20 minutes. Don't let it get warm.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer whip cream to stiff peaks. (hand mixer or stand mixer is fine). This process should be slow, starting. on low increasing the speed over about ten minutes.**This method is how you keep the whipped cream from breaking. The cream should be ice cold and as fresh as possible. Look for heavy cream with the longest expiration date.
- Gently fold the whipped cream in the mascarpone sabayon mixture and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the tiramisu.
- Mix the cold espresso (or strong coffee) with the coffee liqueur and dip the ladyfingers into the mixture just long enough to get them wet, do not soak them!**If you can't use alcohol, just leave out the liqueur.
- Arrange the ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish (or container similarly sized)
- Spoon half the mascarpone cream filling over the ladyfingers.
- Repeat process with another layer of ladyfingers
- Add another layer of tiramisu cream
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.
- Dust with cocoa before serving
Video
Notes
Chef Tips
- Have the eggs and mascarpone at room temperature before making this recipe. That will help them mix together more smoothly
- Whipping your cream is also where some people make a mistake. The idea with whipped cream is to do it slowly. Begin whipping the cream on low, increasing the speed over 10 minutes. This makes a whipped cream that will last for days in your fridge without the aid of gelatin.
- Soak the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture briefly. Don’t let them get soggy, it will ruin the dessert.
- Only use Crunchy SAVOIARDI (ITALIAN LADYFINGERS) Cake style ladyfingers will get too soft.
- Allow Tiramisu to set up for at least 6 hours before serving. Overnite is best.
- Have the eggs and mascarpone at room temperature before making this recipe. That will help them mix together more smoothly.
FAQ ABOUT TIRAMISU
-
Chef Dennis Tip***
If for some reason your Tiramisu doesn’t firm up, don’t throw it away! You can freeze the cream and have an amazing frozen dessert. I have done this when testing new recipes. Use a springform pan and you can slice it. Add fruit or other toppings and you’ve got an amazing dessert.
Rory M
super delicious, and surprisingly simple to make. the most work i had to do was whipping the egg yolks, cos you gotta keep mixing the whole time. everything else is pretty intuitive, and can be done rather quickly and easily.
i love the tip about freezing the cake, it taste very delicious when thawed a bit from the freezer. when i ran out of lady fingers, i used nilla wafer cookies instead and they worked wonderfully. gonna be making this recipe a ton now, cos im so excited to be able to make my favorite childhood dessert
Joanna N
This is heaven. Chef Dennis you are a genius and an angel to make me so happy. Especially now during the pandemic. I love making this. Made it about 3 4 times since 5 years ago and it’s such a treat. I can’t express how much I love this.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you Joanna, your commment made my day!
dottie
Hi Chef, I’m a little nervous to whip the heavy cream for 10 minutes gradually increasing the speed as recommended. How do you not get butter after all that time?
Chef Dennis Littley
just follow the instructions and you’ll be fine. It’s not like you’re going to start whipping it and walk away
Cait
I definitely neglected my cream too long and made butter. All things considered, it’s the best kind of kitchen mistake: now I have fresh butter and tiramisu, and learned something new. We used the butter on our italian bread for dinner before tiramisu for dessert. It was a huge hit with the family. Thanks for the recipe and science experiment!
Shermain
Second time making. Succeeded both times. Fool proof recipe 🙂 omitted the alcohol and used pure instant coffee (1.5 teaspoons per 100ml water) I didn’t measure how much I used but I think I used about 300ml of coffee for this recipe because I increased the amount of savoiardi biscuits I used. I prefer more biscuit and less cream so for this amount of cream I used 50 biscuits instead of 30. It is WORTH THE WAIT. I ate this 6 hours post making, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days post making and it just. gets. softer. Melt in the mouth recipe. 2 days as suggested is where it starts getting the perfect softness in the biscuit. I don’t leave my biscuit in the coffee and turn it around. I quickly dip both sides and remove immediately. This allows the biscuit I bought to have that coffee flavour without making it too wet.
Eddie
My second time making this recipe. First time was a huge success. I’m hosting an Italian feast for 7 tomorrow so decided to get this out of the way and I was able to pour this sabayon mixture onto the lady fingers. So nervous, hoping it firms up, but would love some input on how I could have gone wrong the second time. I went back to this because it is absolutely amazing. Definitely user error, great recipe.
Chef Dennis Littley
It’s hard to know for sure where you made the error. If the sabayon and whipped cream were thick enough, then the problem could have been with the age of the eggs, cream or mascarpone.
If you poured it, I can reasonably be sure it won’t thicken enough. You could freeze it and serve it semi frozen
Elektra
What should I do to save my sabayon mixture bcs after I mix it with my whipped cream mixture it becomes a little runny:( should I whip it up again? but I already mixed up some gelatin powder thinking it could save it:(((
Chef Dennis Littley
if it didn’t thicken, the only alternative is to freeze it to make a frozen dessert or if you have an ice cream maker, make it into ice cream.
Joseph
Amazing recipe. Thank you so much for taking realistic photos and not spending so much effort on making things as photogenic as possible. I really appreciate the clarity on the execution of this dish and step by step instructions. Oh yeah and it tasted amazing.
Judy
Best tiramisu I have ever made. Thank you for the recipe and clear directions
Anonymous
I gotta say, I get a lot of compliments on this Tiramisu recipe. I absolutely love the cream and even use it in other desserts – the sabayon and cream cheese and whipped cream go together so well. It’s also relatively foolproof – even when I accidentally make my cream mixture too liquid (and the poor ladyfingers float) it ends up firming up in the fridge. It’s not overly sweet, which is a sin a lot of modern cakes commit in my experience, and all of the ingredients just go together so well without overpowering each other. My go-to recipe!
Evelyn
Hii I love your recipe so much…but where I live is humid and hot…so I wonder how can I make my tiramisu stay firm longer so it doesn’t melt quickly? Thank you very much 🙏🏼❤️
Chef Dennis Littley
I live in Florida, and I don’t have any problems as long as I keep it refrigerated. It really shouldn’t melt.
Wessam
Perfect recipe!!
My husband tried Tiramisu many times in Italy, and he tells me this is as delicious or even better! He couldn’t believe I mastered doing it from the first time 😀
Thank you so much Chef Dennis for the tips and tricks!
Cynthia Meagan
Thank you so much for all the tips!
Valerie
Hi. How do I adjust ingredients for 6 inch round pan ?
Earl
When whipping the cream, add 1/2 tsp of Cream of Tartar which stabilizes the whipped cream. It makes the mixture more robust because it prevents the cream from returning to a liquid.
Chef Dennis Littley
I’ve never had to use Cream of Tarter. The secret is a slow process when whipping.
Annette
OMG !!!!!! Chef Dennis, you are an absolute genius. I have never made Tiramisu before in my life and the outcome from using your recipe was the best ever. Other then the men, who even though enjoyed eating the dessert had felt that I had added a little too much Kahlua, the women on the other hand, including myself, felt the dessert was absolutely scrumptious.
I have even shared the recipe and the link to your site with friends.
There are some tips I would like to share with your readers:
1) I used metal bowls to make my Sabayon and to whip the cream in.
2) When making the Sabayon I would whisk the mix for some two minutes over the boiler, then I would take the bowl off the boiler and place it on a towel alongside the stove still whisking for some thirty seconds. I then kept repeating the process until the desired thickness. Take care when removing the metal bowl off the boiler, you may need to use a cloth to hold the bowl. I found this method gave me better control over the Sabayon and reduced the risk of scrambling/ruining the mix.
3) Half an hour or more prior to whisking the cream, I placed the metal bowl I was going to use for the cream in the fridge. This actually reduced the time required to whip the cream to the required consistency. You could even pop the metal bowl in the freezer for some 10 minutes beforehand.
This recipe is an absolute winner and I will certainly be making it again many times over.
Thanks again, Chef Dennis and can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. I would have no hesitations in giving this recipe 10 stars **********
Take care and God Bless
Warm regards
A
Bradley Miller
This came out great. Used Bones Coffee’s Highland Grog in lieu of espresso and rum.Next Next time I’ll need to remember to line sides of my square spring form pan with parchment paper.
Chef Dennis Littley
you should dipped them after you browned them. I would not have used them in the dessert. They will probably soften but I’m not sure about the flavor, it maybe bitter
Monica
How long to bake them at 250? And then do I let them cool first?
Chef Dennis Littley
until they are dried out and crunchy. yes cool them first
Kim
First time ever making tiramisu and it turned out delicious using this recipe! I can’t wait to make it again.
Luiza
This was superb. The texture was perfect – light but firm enough to cut into into serving squares.
The first time I overcooked the sabayon because I was trying to measure the temperature with my instant read thermometer (to get it to 170 degrees F) at the same time as I was trying to whisk. I tried to whip it in my stand mixer, but it seemed ruined. But I didn’t want to throw it away, so later (after re-making the recipe successfully), I mixed in the remaining coffee-kahlua mixture gradually and then strained the mixture. This produced a sauce that resembles zabaglione and that I can use for other desserts (with fruit and leftover ladyfingers, for example).
The second time I relied just on visual cues (the whisk started to leave ribbons of mixture that stayed briefly on the surface of the egg mixture) – then I transferred to a stand mixture and beat on high for 5 minutes until thick, ribbony, and a light lemon colour.
I brushed both sides of the ladyfingers several times with the coffee mixture, until the outsides were soft, but the inside was still just a little firm – this was the perfect texture. I had lots of the liquid still left, so next time I would cut the coffee and kahlua in half.
Thank you for the tip about using very fresh cream. Even on low, it whipped up thick in less than 5 minutes, to a thick texture I’ve not seen before when whipping cream. In the future I will always use the freshest cream possible for whipped desserts and save older cream for something that does not need whipping.
I only had 6 hours for chilling; next time I will try to make it at least a day before.
I will definitely be making this again.
Karen Webster
What can I use instead of ladyfingers?
Chef Dennis Littley
you can use pound cake or sponge cake sliced into thin layers.
Jaz
hello chef may I know if I can is icing sugar instead of caster sugar
Chef Dennis Littley
no, icing sugar will not work. Use regular sugar if you can’t find superfine/caster/
Sharon Lake
I used brioche bread, it was yummy!
James
“30 each italian ladyfingers…”
What does this mean? 30 for each what? Layer?
Chef Dennis Littley
30 ladyfingers to make the entire recipe
Rosie Johnson
I made your tiramisu today and it was the best one I’ve ever made. I’m throwing away the rest of the recipes I have for tiramisu because this is it. My family loved it and they devoured the whole pan. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Mike Bullington
I have never left a comment for a recipe in my life. Thank you Chef for a truly outstand dessert that can be made at home. My family loved it and despite some trepidation I found it easier to make than baking a layer cake. You’ll be rewarded with a delicious tasting and luxuriant textured dessert.
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and found it easy to make. And thank you very much for taking the time to leave a comment and the great review!
Jason
This was excellent. I used half as much sugar as the recipe called for (still excellent), and we tried spraying the espresso/liqueur onto the ladyfingers instead of dipping (friend said when they dipped it was too soggy) which didn’t work as well – the biscuits were too firm.
Overall very easy to make and so delicious!
Chef Dennis Littley
next time try brushing the coffee mixture on, it works better than spraying and you can control how much goes on.
Prathima Bhavankar
THIS IS THE BEST TIRAMISU I HAVE EVER MADE.
MY SON LOVES TIRAMISU AND THIS CAKE WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS BIRTHDAY!!! MY FAMILY LOVED IT.
NOTE: My whipping cream did not stiffen up soon enough, it took me almost 25 minutes. I initially used an electric mixer for 20 mins and then switched to manually mix it and finally stiff peaks happened…phew!
Valerie
Hi. How do i adjust ingredients for 6 inch round pan? Please advise. Thanks.
Chef Dennis Littley
if you cut the recipe in half it should come pretty close
Jeralyn
My ladyfingers was floating as I’m putting my second layer. Could it be that my cream is not firm enough?
Chef Dennis Littley
it sounds like your cream is definitely too loose. it should be thick enough to cover like a cream
Sarah
Can you make this recipie 2 days in advance?
Chef Dennis Littley
yes you can, it will hold up for about a week
Amber
I have made this once and it was a huge hit! Will be making it again next week for a special occasion, but wondering how it takes to freezing? I know you mentioned you can freeze it and eat it slightly frozen if it’s too loose, but can you freeze it, fully thaw, and serve it successfully that way?
Chef Dennis Littley
you can freeze tiramisu, it may lose a little in the process but it should be fine. To freeze, wrap the tiramisu well with both plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and when its fully thawed top with cocoa.
Wei Ling Chow
Aptly named, Chef! This is truly the BEST tiramisu I’ve ever made! Been using this recipe and your tips/guide for years. My family, friends and neighbours love it. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes, and adding joy to our kitchen and tummies!