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- Classic Tiramisu
Classic Tiramisu
This classic tiramisu recipe is rich, creamy, custardy, and light all at the same time. Made with dreamy layers of mascarpone cream, coffee soaked lady fingers and a healthy dusting of cocoa powder, this authentic tiramisu tastes just like the real deal from Italy!
Classic Tiramisu
Ciao amici! Sofi here 🙂 When we realized we didn’t have a tiramisu recipe on the blog we were absolutely astounded and quickly got to the kitchen to start recipe testing. And after countless tiramisu tests, lots of research, conversations with real life Italians, and a deep dive into my Italian great grandmother’s hand written recipe box, we give you the best tiramisu recipe of all time.
What’re you waiting for? Andiamo!
What is a classic tiramisu
You’ve probably had tiramisu before…or at least I HOPE you have. It’s one of the best flavor combinations around. Classic tiramisu is made from soaking ladyfingers in espresso, then layering it with a dreamy mascarpone cream and topped with cocoa powder. The combination of mascarpone, espresso, and cocoa powder is delicious
But if you’ve ever had tiramisu in Italy you know it tastes wayyyyy better than it does in the states. Most American recipes I’ve seen make tiramisu with heavy whipping cream–Italians would be appalled. Tiramisu cream should be made with only eggs, sugar, and mascarpone. And maybe a little rum if you like it boozy.
Which I do, obviously 🙂
Ingredients for tiramisu
Tiramisu might taste like a fancy restaurant’s dessert, but it’s actually made with just a few simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this classic Italian tiramisu:
- Lady Fingers: You can make homemade lady fingers, but you can usually find them in the prepackaged cookie aisle. If you don’t find them there, most specialty Italian delis or cafes also sell them! I don’t think lady fingers are particularly tasty on their own, but they’re an absolute must for tiramisu.
- Coffee: You’ll need strongly brewed hot coffee to dip the lady fingers in. It’s important that the coffee is very strong because only a little of it makes it into the final product and you really want the coffee flavor to come through.
- Mascarpone: Think of mascarpone as a less cheesy cream cheese. It’s very mild in flavor, super creamy and it adds the perfect weight and thickness to your homemade cream in tiramisu. You can usually find it in the specialty cheese aisle by the creme fraiche and ricotta! Make sure you’re using a good quality, thick mascarpone for best results! I usually reach BelGioioso mascarpone if they have it. Be sure to keep your mascarpone in the fridge until ready to use-it incorporates best into the batter when it’s cold!
- Eggs: Eggs are the magical ingredient in tiramisu. You’ll separate them and whip up the egg whites and yolks separately and then fold them back together with the mascarpone to make the dreamiest, creamiest, mascarpone cream. I know you
- Rum: My grandmother always used rum in her tiramisu so that’s what I prefer, but you can also swap out the rum for Kahlua, brandy, bourbon, or even Bailey’s. You can also omit it entirely if you prefer, but I do think it adds a nice flavor if you’re okay with there being a little alcohol in your tiramisu.
- Vanilla Extract: A little vanilla extract will really deepen the flavor the mascarpone cream! We recommend using pure vanilla extract!
What kitchen tools do you need to make authentic Italian tiramisu
These kitchen tools will make whipping up a batch of homemade tiramisu way easier. You can get away without them, but if you have them on hand I highly recommend using them to make your life easier. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Stand Mixer: If you don’t have a stand mixer you can also use a hand mixer or you can always whisk by hand. I highly recommend using a stand or hand mixer if you have it though because it’s a heck of an arm workout with out one!
- Rubber Spatula: Tiramisu requires a lot of folding, so a good rubber spatula is your best friend. You’ll use it to scrape down the sides of the bowl and gently fold together all the ingredients for the mascarpone cream.
- Small sifter or fine sieve: It may seem like a finishing garnish, but the cocoa powder on top is absolutely essential to the flavor or tiramisu. I like to use a small sieve gently dust the cocoa powder over the top so you get a nice thin, even coating.
How to make the best tiramisu
Just like its ingredients list, tiramisu is also simple to make.
- Brew some strong coffee.
- Beat the egg whites and sugar together.
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar together.
- Mix the mascarpone, rum, and vanilla into the egg yolks.
- Fold the two mixtures together.
- Dip lady fingers in coffee and layer the lady fingers and the mascarpone cream in a pan.
- Refrigerate.
- Serve with a dusting of cocoa powder!
Can you make tiramisu ahead of time? Can you freeze tiramisu?
Don’t you worry. I have allllll the answers for your when it comes to making homemade tiramisu. You can make this tiramisu ahead and it also freeze well, so you can fit tiramisu into your schedule in whatever way works best for you.
- How to make tiramisu ahead of time: I actually prefer to make this tiramisu the day before because the flavors really get a chance to settle and deepen overnight in the fridge. This tiramisu recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, so feel free to make it a day or two in advance.
- How to freeze tiramisu: You can easily freeze your tiramisu to have at a later date! Make as directed, but do not dust with cocoa powder. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months! When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge over night, dust with cocoa powder and serve as directed!
Tips for the best authentic tiramisu
If you want to have perfect, restaurant dessert menu quality tiramisu every time you make it, make sure to follow these tips! Your tiramisu will turn out perfectly custardy, creamy, light and delicious!
- Use very high quality ingredients – Tiramisu calls for just a few simple ingredients, so the quality of your ingredients will really shine through in the final product!
- Dip the lady fingers in the coffee quickly — Lady fingers are highly absorbent little buggers, so if you soak them too long they tend to fall apart. Dip them quickly in the coffee and then layer them to make sure they hold their shape!
- Use really strong coffee — To ensure that the coffee flavor doesn’t get lost in the creamy mascarpone cream, make sure you brew some super strong coffee (or you can combine 8 tablespoons of instant espresso powder with 2 cups hot water).
- Let the tiramisu set before serving — Listen, I am also impatient, but if you don’t let your tiramisu set properly you you’ll end up with messy layers and a soupy mess. Be sure to let your tiramisu set in the fridge for at least 4 hours (I prefer overnight though!) before serving!
Follow my step by step video here!
Happy baking!
XXX
PrintClassic Tiramisu
- Prep Time 15 minutes
- Chill Time 4 hours
- Cook Time 0 minutes
- Total Time 4hrs 15mins
- Yield 16 servings
- Category dessert
- Method no bake
- Cuisine italian
Classic Tiramisu
A classic Italian Tiramisu is surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few ingredients. From a creamy, dreamy mascarpone filling (without whipped cream!) to the prettiest Hershey-kiss-like top, this Tiramisu recipe is the best you’ll ever eat.
- Prep Time 15 minutes
- Chill Time 4 hours
- Cook Time 0 minutes
- Total Time 4hrs 15mins
- Yield 16 servings
- Category dessert
- Method no bake
- Cuisine italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup strong coffee
- 1/4 cup rum, divided*
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided*
- 16 ounces mascarpone, cold from the fridge
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 16 ounce package lady fingers (they're usually in the cookie aisle!)
- cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
- First, brew the coffee and place it into a wide, shallow bowl. Add in 2 tablespoons of the rum (if using). Whisk to combine. Get out a 9×9-inch serving pan. Set everything aside.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and place the yolks in a small bowl for later. Beat the egg whites on high speed until frothy, then keep the mixer going as you stream in 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar. Continue beating on high speed until your meringue forms stiff peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the meringue into a seperate large bowl and set aside.
- Add the reserved egg yolks and remaining ⅓ cup granulated sugar into the stand mixer bowl (no need to clean it). Beat on high speed (still using the whisk attachment) until light and pale in color, about 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add in the mascarpone, remaining 2 tablespoons of rum, vanilla extract, and salt and whisk until combined, about 20 seconds. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
- Scrape half of the meringue into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture. Use a silicone spatula to fold gently to combine. Add in the remaining half of the meringue and fold until no streaks of meringue remain. Spread a thin coating of this mascarpone cream on the bottom of the baking pan.
- Quickly dunk the lady fingers into the coffee mixture on both sides (they will fall apart if you soak them any longer) and place them in a single layer in the bottom of the baking pan. Spread about half of the mascarpone cream on top of the lady fingers, smoothing into an even layer.
- Repeat the process with another layer of coffee-soaked lady fingers. Top with the second half of the mascarpone cream and spread into an even layer.
- Place the pan, uncovered, in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours and up to overnight (if refrigerating for longer than 4 hours, refrigerate uncovered for the first 4 hours, then lightly cover it with plastic wrap, being careful to not smoosh down your mascarpone cream–the plastic wrap will stick to it!)
- When you’re ready to serve, take the tiramisu out of the fridge. Generously dust the top with cocoa powder, then slice and serve.
Notes
- You an always omit the rum if you do not want this tiramisu to contain any alcohol. It adds a nice flavor, but the tiramisu will also be tasty without it! I would up the vanilla extract to 1 Tablespoon if you omit the alcohol. Alternatively, you can also swap out the rum for another liquor like brandy, bourbon, or Khalua.
- If you prefer your tiramisu sweeter, you can go up to 1 cup of sugar (1/2 cup in the egg whites and a 1/2 cup in the egg yolks!)
- If you prefer to decorate the top like we did here, simply transfer the second half of your mascarpone mixture into a piping big fitted with a large round tip and decorate as desired!
- Prep Time 15 minutes
- Chill Time 4 hours
- Cook Time 0 minutes
- Total Time 4hrs 15mins
- Yield 16 servings
- Category dessert
- Method no bake
- Cuisine italian
It was amazing, best tiramisu i’ve ever had
Thank you so much! Enjoy!!
Can I double the recipe? If I need to make more and I just double everything, it will still work fine?
Yes absolutley!
This is the best tiramisu ever I’ve made it 6 times already my family keeps asking for it thank you babe xoxo