Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert of ladyfingers soaked in bold espresso and rum, enveloped in layers of thick, velvety mascarpone and custard cream. It is simply decadent, and oh-so elegant. The complex flavor of tiramisu is a product of the delicate soaked ladyfingers and luscious cream layer. The cream layer is composed of mascarpone, rum, vanilla-scented whipped cream, and custard. A classic tiramisu recipe calls for raw egg yolks. Since I know some are hesitant to eat raw eggs, I lightly and carefully cook the custard (also called zabaglione) until thick and creamy, keeping my recipe true to the classic flavor and using Italian pastry methods.
For a gorgeous presentation, be sure to make the tiramisu recipe a night in advance, as it needs several hours to set properly. A chilled tiramisu slices like a dream into neat squares! And if you’re looking for more no-bake desserts, then try my éclair cake recipe, Nanaimo bars recipe, or easy Oreo pie!
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Espresso — very strong coffee is a good substitute. If you want the coffee flavor without the caffeine, you can use decaf instead. Whatever you choose, it needs to be room temperature.
Dark rum — you can also use your favorite liqueur in this tiramisu recipe, like Kahlua, Grand Marnier, or Godiva. For an alcohol-free version, omit the booze and use more espresso or coffee instead, with a dash of vanilla extract.
Mascarpone — think of mascarpone as the richer, sweeter cousin of American cream cheese. It has a melt-in-your-mouth quality that makes tiramisu absolutely addictive.
Zabaglione — zabaglione (or zabaione) is a kind of Italian custard made from egg yolks and sugar. It will help set and hold the tiramisu together. (Pro tip: Reserve the egg whites for Angel Food Cake.) While a traditional tiramisu recipe calls for raw egg yolks, I gently cook mine over a double boiler.
Sugar — granulated sugar is the best option as it dissolves easily and has a mild flavor.
Cream — you need heavy whipping cream for the silky cream and mascarpone layer of the tiramisu recipe.
Vanilla extract — I recommend vanilla extract instead of vanilla essence as vanilla extract is made from real vanilla beans, whereas vanilla essence is a synthetic flavor.
Ladyfingers — you can easily buy these at most large grocery stores or order them online. But if you have some time, try my easy ladyfingers recipe!
Cocoa powder — unsweetened cocoa powder is the perfect finishing touch as it is liberally dusted on top of this easy tiramisu recipe.
How to Make This Tiramisu Recipe
1. Combine the espresso and dark rum in a medium bowl.
2. To a large bowl, add the mascarpone cheese along with the remaining rum. Whisk together or beat with a hand mixer. Set aside for now.
3. Make the custard (you’re basically making a zabaglione here). If you have a double-boiler, combine the egg yolks and granulated sugar in the top. If not, whisk them together in a heat-proof medium mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, ensuring that the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Continue to whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Once the egg yolk mixture is pale yellow and thickened, it is ready. This will take 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the mascarpone and whisk until combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
5. Combine the heavy cream and vanilla in a large mixing with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until stiff peaks form (3 to 5 minutes). Keep an eye on the cream as if it is over-beaten, it will turn into butter! Fold the whipped cream into the cold mascarpone mixture.
6. Prepare the ladyfingers by dipping each side briefly into the espresso and rum mixture. Each side only needs to be dipped for a second or two, otherwise, the cookies will absorb too much liquid and become soggy. Arrange the lady fingers in a single layer in a 9×13-inch dish. You may need to break one row of ladyfingers so they fit. Try not to leave any gaps.
7. Add half the mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers and smooth it out using a spatula. Dip more ladyfingers in the espresso mixture and arrange them in a layer on top of the mascarpone cream layer.
8. Spoon the rest of the mascarpone mixture on top of the second layer of ladyfingers and smooth it out. So you will end up with a layer of ladyfingers at the bottom, then a layer of mascarpone cream, then another layer of cookies, and one more layer of mascarpone cream. Dust the tiramisu recipe generously with unsweetened cocoa powder and chill overnight. Allowing your tiramisu time to set will give you neat layers and make slicing it much easier.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Don’t soak the ladyfingers for too long. These light, airy cookies absorb liquid very easily, so they only need a very quick dip on each side (about 1 or 2 seconds per side).
- Watch the whipped cream. You need to whip the cream until it has stiff peaks, and this does not take long. If you over-whip the cream, you will end up with butter.
- Don’t leave big gaps between the ladyfingers. Two rows of ladyfingers won’t fit perfectly in a 9×13-inch dish. Simply break a few as needed for the perfect fit. While you will have a few natural gaps, they should be arranged so each cookies is touching without any obvious spaces between the cookies.
- Allow the tiramisu to chill for several hours. This tiramisu recipe is technically ready to eat once it’s dusted with cocoa powder. But at that point it is very messy to slice, and the flavors haven’t had time to meld properly. For the best-tasting tiramisu, refrigerate it for at least 6 hours. I typically make it a night in advance so it has plenty of time to set before I serve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this tiramisu recipe ahead of time. Since it needs at least 6 hours to set properly, it’s a great idea to make tiramisu the night before you intend on serving it.
You can sub the rum out for cognac, brandy, Kahlua, orange liqueur, or marsala wine. If you don’t want to use alcohol at all in your tiramisu recipe, add some vanilla, simple syrup, and/or hot chocolate to the espresso for more depth of flavor.
Tiramisu will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 to 3 days.
You can freeze this tiramisu recipe! Wrap it well in plastic wrap or foil before you freeze it. Thaw the tiramisu overnight in the refrigerator before digging in.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this tiramisu recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Tiramisu Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1½ cups espresso or very strong coffee room temperature
- ¾ cup dark rum divided
- 16 ounces mascarpone (452g)
- 6 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (480ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 40 ladyfingers
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (33g)
Instructions
- Stir together the coffee and 1/2 cup of dark rum in a medium bowl and set aside. (You can omit the rum and add a dash of vanilla with some more coffee for soaking or you can add a favorite liqueur like Kahlua, Grand Marnier, or Godiva.)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mascarpone and the remaining 1/4 cup of dark rum. Whisk together or beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined. Set aside.
- If you have a double-boiler, combine the egg yolks and sugar in the top. Otherwise, combine them in a medium heat-proof mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a small pot or the bottom of a double boiler. Place the egg yolk mixture over the simmering water making sure the water does not touch the bowl. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light yellow in color and thickened a bit, about 5 to 8 minutes
- Pour the egg yolk mixture into the mascarpone and whisk until combined. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes
- Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. (You can run a whisk through it at the end to mix in any remaining unmixed bits.)
For the Assembly:
- Working with one at a time, dip the top and bottom a ladyfinger briefly in the coffee mixture. (They sop up the liquid quickly so they don’t need more than 2 seconds of dipping.) Arrange enough ladyfingers in a single layer to cover the bottom of a 9×13-inch dish. Try not to leave any gaps.
- Add half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers and smooth out to the edges using an offset spatula. Dip more ladyfingers, arranging them in a single layer on top of the filling as you go. Add the remaining mascarpone mixture and smooth out into an even layer.
- Dust top with the cocoa powder and chill overnight. You tiramisu needs time to set up or it will be a delicious mess.
Notes
- Don’t soak the ladyfingers for too long. These light, airy cookies absorb liquid very easily, so they only need a very quick dip on each side (about 1 or 2 seconds per side).
- Watch the whipped cream. You need to whip the cream until it has stiff peaks, and this does not take long. If you over-whip the cream, you will end up with butter.
- Don’t leave big gaps between the ladyfingers. Two rows of ladyfingers won’t fit perfectly in a 9×13-inch dish. Simply break a few as needed for the perfect fit. While you will have a few natural gaps, they should be arranged so each cookies is touching without any obvious spaces between the cookies.
- Allow the tiramisu to chill for several hours. This tiramisu recipe is technically ready to eat once it’s dusted with cocoa powder. But at that point it is very messy to slice, and the flavors haven’t had time to meld properly. For the best-tasting tiramisu, refrigerate it for at least 6 hours. I typically make it a night in advance so it has plenty of time to set before I serve it.
