Here’s the BEST EVER homemade tiramisu recipe! Espresso-soaked ladyfingers are layered with creamy custard, then dusted generously with unsweetened cocoa powder. Basically, everything you want in a tiramisu dessert!
You will LOVE my recipe because there are no raw eggs here; we’re going to cook the eggs to make them 100% safe to consume, and egg whites are substituted with fresh heavy cream that is added to the custard to make it light and foamy.
The tiramisu turns out so perfect! Sweet but not overly sweet, custardy, boozy but not overly boozy, and I only use quality espresso. You will love EVERYTHING about this tiramisu recipe!
PS. When I say no raw eggs, I don’t mean fully cooked eggs but tempered to reach 165°F to make them 100% safe to eat 😉
What is Tiramisu?
The word Tiramisu in Italian literally translates into “pick me up” meaning cheer me up! It’s a no-bake dessert that can definitely cheer anyone up!
Tiramisu is an Italian coffee-flavored no-bake dessert. Layers of lady finger/Savoiardi biscuits are dipped in coffee then layered with a rich and creamy mascarpone and egg-based cream, flavored with cocoa.
The dessert was invented in 1960s in Veneto Italy by a confectioner named Roberto Linguanotto, owner of La Beccherie. Of course, like many other great food inventions, there are still some debates on who invented tiramisu and when.
But regardless of who invented this dessert and when, today, you are in for a treat! This is probably my most favorite dessert that I can never get bored of. It’s so creamy, rich, delicious, and addictive!
Want to try a different twist on this classic? Check out my Tiramisu Brownies!
What are Ladyfingers?
Ladyfingers, also known as Savoiardi in Italian, are sweet but dry sponge cake-like biscuits. They’re not so great if eaten plain as they’re quite dry, but they’re a key ingredient for making tiramisu. The ladyfingers soak up the espresso and are layered underneath the fluffy whipped custard cream.
Savoiardi biscuits are so easy to find at large grocery stores but you can also purchase them online.
Tiramisu Ingredients
Because tiramisu is made with just a few ingredients, I find it so important to use quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make a classic tiramisu:
- Ladyfingers – aka Savoiardi biscuits is a key ingredient.
- Eggs – we will use just the yolks and temper them.
- Fresh heavy cream – or what you call fresh whipping cream. In the UK, this is called double cream.
- Mascarpone – you’ll need mascarpone for tiramisu, it’s an Italian cheese made from heavy cream and resembling cream cheese and can be found in any supermarket in the dairy section. Do not substitute with cream cheese though!
- Sugar – If possible use superfine sugar as it will melt better in the sabayon, and you’ll get a smoother cream. Or get granulated sugar, and pulse it a few times in a food processor.
- Espresso – If you have an espresso machine, this will give you the best results. If not, it might be a good idea to visit your local coffee shop to pick up some good quality coffee, or just use strong brewed coffee.
- Cocoa – unsweetened quality cocoa powder.
- Optional – you can spike your tiramisu by using golden or dark rum, cognac, or amaretto. Otherwise, just add a few drops of pure vanilla extract.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Tiramisu
First, let’s start with the custard mascarpone cream.
- Temper the egg yolks over a double boiler. In a glass bowl combine egg yolks with granulated sugar, place the bowl over a saucepan with boiling water (on low heat). And make sure that the bowl is not touching the simmering water.
- Keep whisking the egg yolks and the sugar for 8-10 minutes until the egg mixture reaches 160°F (70°C). The sugar will melt and you will no longer see any sugar granules in the mixture. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer (hand mixer or a stand mixer) whip the mascarpone cheese with rum or pure vanilla extract (depending on what you’re using), until creamy and well combined. Beat in the warm egg yolk mixture and set aside. This is what we call Sabayon cream.
- In a separate bowl, beat fresh heavy cream until medium peaks (not stiff) then fold them in the mascarpone mixture gently (do not overmix).
Now that the custard cream is ready, let’s move to the espresso!
- Make the espresso, and add rum if using.
- The easiest way to dip the ladyfingers in the coffee is using a medium shallow bowl. Quickly dip the biscuits (just once on each side, otherwise they will become soggy and break), and arrange in a single layer in a 9×13″ casserole dish or baking dish.
- Spread half of the custard cream over the first layer of the biscuits, followed by another layer of dipped biscuits, and finally top with the remaining custard cream.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
- Using a fine-mesh strainer, dust the top generously with cocoa powder right before serving. Cut into 12 pieces and serve, and there you have it, the best tiramisu recipe that you’ll ever make!
Top Tips
- The tiramisu dessert must be eaten cold, so I recommend chilling overnight if possible. It also tastes better on the same day.
- The dessert often contains liquor (see recipe card for the types of alcohol that can be used and the amounts). If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can just substitute it with a few drops of high-quality pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- The traditional recipe uses raw eggs where the yolks are not heated, and the egg whites are whipped and folded in with the custard cream. In my recipe here, I substituted the egg whites with fresh cream to make it light and foamy. Do not change this recipe to use egg whites as you will need different amounts of ingredients.
- To prepare the custard cream, the egg yolks are heated to be sterilized, but you have to make sure not to heat them up over 160°F (70°C) as the eggs will scramble. Work quickly and use an instant-read thermometer.
- If for some reason your tiramisu does not set and firm up, just freeze it.
- Try a different version of tiramisu, and make this Oreo tiramisu instead!
How to Slice and Serve Tiramisu?
After the tiramisu has been chilling in the fridge overnight, you can dust it with unsweetened cocoa powder, slice it, and serve it.
To get a clean slice, I recommend using a sharp knife and wiping it with a towel between each cut. Slice into even squares, then use a small serving spatula to remove the slices from the pan.
Storing Tips
Fridge: Store the tiramisu in the fridge covered for up to a week.
Freezer: Tiramisu freezes very well! Just make sure that you’re freezing in sealed containers, and they will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Common Questions About Tiramisu
The word Tiramisu in Italian translates into “pick me up” meaning cheer me up!
The most traditional alcohol is Marsala wine. But there are many versions nowadays containing rum, cognac, Kahlua, Irish cream, malibu, brandy, or amaretto.
Not at all! It’s actually easier than you think. Just follow the steps, and you’ll make the best tasting tiramisu ever!
You have to be careful when you’re whipping your heavy cream as overwhipping will cause it to separate and the mixture will curdle. It’s also important to use room temperature mascarpone, just take it out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before using.
The best choice is always crunchy ladyfingers, but you can substitute with sponge cake or angel food cake.
Yes, you can. Just substitute the alcohol with a few drops of pure vanilla extract.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Easy Tiramisu Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100g) superfine sugar
- 2 cups (470ml) espresso
- 3 tablespoons rum* see notes for substitutions
- 16 ounces (450g) mascarpone cheese at room temperature
- 2 cups (470ml) whipping cream
- 24 ladyfinger/savoiardi biscuits
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Temper the egg yolks over a double boiler. In a glass bowl combine egg yolks with granulated sugar, place the bowl over a saucepan with boiling water (on low heat). And make sure that the bowl is not touching the simmering water.
- Keep whisking the egg yolks and the sugar for 8-10 minutes until the egg mixture reaches 160°F (70°C). The sugar will melt and you will no longer see any sugar granules in the mixture. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer whip the mascarpone with rum or vanilla (depending on what you're using), until creamy and well combined. Beat in the warm egg yolk mixture and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat fresh heavy cream until medium peaks (not stiff) then fold them in the mascarpone mixture gently (do not overmix).
- Make the espresso, and add rum if using. The easiest way to dip the ladyfingers in the coffee is using a medium shallow bowl. Quickly dip the biscuits (just once on each side, otherwise they will become soggy and break), and arrange in a single layer in a 9×13″ casserole dish.
- Spread half of the custard cream over the first layer of the biscuits, followed by another layer of dipped biscuits, and finally top with the remaining custard cream.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours and preferably overnight.
- Using a fine-mesh strainer, dust the top generously with cocoa powder right before serving. Cut into 12 pieces and serve.
Notes:
- Tempering the egg yolks is optional but I highly recommend that you do so as I always try to avoid raw eggs. Otherwise, you can buy pasteurized eggs at the store (check the label).
- I used rum for my recipe, but you can substitute it with marsala wine, cognac, Kahlua, Irish cream, malibu, brandy, or amaretto.
- To make it alcohol-free, use pure vanilla extract.
- Make sure that you dip the ladyfinger biscuits in espresso very quickly, do not oversoak them.
- Beat the whipping cream until medium peaks form, you don’t need stiff peaks here.
- For the topping, use Dutch processed or normal cocoa powder. You can also top with grated chocolate, or chocolate swirls if you like.
- Store in the fridge: Store the tiramisu in the fridge covered for up to a week. Freeze: Tiramisu freezes very well! Just make sure that you’re freezing in sealed containers, and they will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
miss Amy Britt says
ALL recipes nice things thank you
Mireille Pandoli says
Hi I am planning to try this recipe out this weekend and prefer making it without alcohol. Exactly what measurement of vanilla extract should I use?
Diana says
1.5 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. Enjoy!
Dan says
Made this for Christmas and it was amazing!!