Classic Italian Tiramisu

Classic Italian Tiramisu is a no-bake dessert made with savoiardi dipped in espresso and layered with a light, creamy mascarpone filling. There's no baking, just about 30 minutes of whisking and layering, and then it sets in the fridge overnight.

Jump to:

• What Is Tiramisu?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Equipment You'll Need
• Why Both Egg Whites and Whipped Cream?
• How to Make Classic Italian Tiramisu?
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• Variations to Try
• How to Serve Classic Italian Tiramisu
• Storage and Make Ahead
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Classic Italian Tiramisu

My tiramisu is rich and creamy but light at the same time, and not too sweet. It tastes like the tiramisu you get in a good restaurant in Italy.

It tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge, so it's perfect for when you have people over. One dish feeds twelve, and it will be a family favorite, I promise.

What Is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu means pick me up in Italian, and it comes from Treviso, a town near Venice. It's a young dessert compared with most Italian classics, and nobody agrees on the exact year.

If you'd rather watch than read, the short video below walks through every step.

The restaurant Le Beccherie in Treviso is usually credited with the first one, some time around 1970, though Tuscany and Friuli both claim it. Either way, it became popular around the world in a very short time.

Why This Recipe Works?

• There's no baking, and it takes about 30 minutes of work before it goes in the fridge.

• The egg yolks are cooked over simmering water, so you don't have to worry about raw yolks.

• The filling is made with whipped cream and whipped egg whites, so it's light and airy, not heavy.

• You make it the day before, and it tastes even better on the second day.

• One dish feeds twelve, which is enough for Christmas or a dinner party.

• The ingredients are simple: eggs, sugar, mascarpone, cream, savoiardi, espresso and cocoa.

• Step photos all the way through show you what each stage should look like.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Ladyfingers - Use the crisp Italian kind, called savoiardi, not the soft cake ones from the bakery counter. They soak up the coffee in a second or two. You can find them in big supermarkets, Italian delis and online.

• Mascarpone - A thick, full-fat Italian cream cheese, and the one ingredient you can't swap. I take it out of the fridge before I start so it mixes in smoothly.

• Eggs - Medium eggs, as fresh as you can get them. The whites go in raw, so pasteurized eggs are a good option if that worries you.

• Espresso - Strong, freshly brewed and cooled, with no sugar in it. Strong coffee from a moka pot or instant espresso powder works if you don't have a machine.

• Sugar - Granulated sugar, and not much of it, because the filling isn't meant to be very sweet.

• Heavy cream - Cold heavy cream or whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks. It makes the filling lighter.

• Cream of tartar - A pinch helps the egg whites whip up firm and hold their shape. Leave it out if you don't have it.

• Cocoa powder - Unsweetened cocoa powder for the top. Grated dark chocolate works if you'd rather.

• Alcohol - Optional, and it goes into the coffee, not the cream. Leave it out if children are eating.

Equipment You'll Need

You don't need anything special. A heatproof bowl that sits over a saucepan, a hand mixer and a 14 x 9.5 inch (35 x 24 cm) rectangular dish are enough.

Why Both Egg Whites and Whipped Cream?

Most recipes pick one or the other. The Italian home version uses whipped egg whites and no cream, and a lot of American recipes use whipped cream and skip the whites.

I use both. The whites make it lighter, and the cream makes it smoother and milder, without a strong egg taste. If you'd rather not use raw whites, the whipped cream on its own works, and the filling is just a little denser.

How to Make Classic Italian Tiramisu?

Prepare the Mascarpone Filling

Place the sugar and the raw egg yolks in a medium-sized glass bowl.

Set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.

Whisk the sugar and egg yolks vigorously for about 3 minutes or until they doubled the size and the mixture is foamy and light. I recommend using an electric hand mixer for this step.

Remove the bowl from the heat, continue whisking the egg yolk mixture for another few minutes, and let it cool down to room temperature.

Add the mascarpone cheese to the egg yolk mixture one spoonful at a time and gently fold it in using a hand whisk. Don't use an electric mixer to avoid over-whipping the mascarpone cheese. Set it aside.

Whisk the heavy cream in a separate bowl until it holds stiff peaks.

Add the whipped cream to the egg yolk-sugar-mascarpone mixture.

Gently fold them together using a silicone spatula. Incorporate the mascarpone mixture with the whipped cream, rather than stirring it to help prevent the mixture from separating and becoming grainy.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Make sure the bowl is dry and clean and there isn't any trace of egg yolk in the whites.

Add the stiffened egg whites to the mascarpone mixture, and mix with a silicone spatula, from bottom to top. Mix slowly until it’s smooth and creamy.

Build the Tiramisu

When the mascarpone filling is ready, mix the strong espresso with 2 tablespoon (30 ml) rum, brandy, or coffee liqueur in a bowl.

Quickly dip the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture and arrange half of them on the bottom of a 14" x 9.5" (35 cm x 24 cm) rectangular ceramic or glass dish. 

Spoon half of the creamy mascarpone mixture over the first layer of ladyfingers and spread it evenly.

Dip the remaining ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee mixture and arrange a second layer over the mascarpone filling.

Spoon the remaining half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and spread it evenly.

Sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with cacao powder, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge overnight or 10-12 hours before serving.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Dip each ladyfinger for one or two seconds, no longer, or the tiramisu goes soggy. Test one ladyfinger first. Dip it, wait five minutes and check how soft it is.

• Use cold, unsweetened espresso. Hot coffee soaks into the ladyfingers too fast and they fall apart.

• Whisk the yolks over gently simmering water and keep the bowl above the water, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.

• If you have a thermometer, take the yolks off the heat at 160° F (71° C).

• Let the yolk mixture cool to room temperature before the mascarpone goes in, or the filling turns runny.

• Fold the mascarpone in by hand with a whisk or a spatula. An electric mixer overworks it and it goes grainy.

• Whip the cream to stiff peaks and stop there. Overwhipped cream turns grainy.

• Use a clean, dry bowl for the egg whites, with no trace of yolk in them, or they won't whip.

• Buy a thick, full-fat mascarpone. Thin, watery mascarpone is the main reason a filling comes out runny.

• Don't leave gaps between the ladyfingers. Break a few to fill the edges.

• Chill it for at least 10 to 12 hours, and overnight is best, because it needs that time to set.

• Dust the cocoa on just before serving if you want it to stay dark and dry. It goes damp if it sits overnight.

Variations to Try

• Leave out the alcohol and use a little more espresso, or a splash of vanilla, if children are eating.

• Marsala and rum are the usual choices in Italy, and brandy, Kahlúa, amaretto or Frangelico all work in the coffee.

• If you'd rather not use raw egg whites, leave them out and fold in a little more whipped cream instead.

• Use pasteurized eggs if you can find them, and the raw whites are safe to eat.

• Make it in individual glasses, breaking the ladyfingers to fit.

• Use decaf espresso if you're serving it late in the evening.

• Gluten-free savoiardi are easy to find now, and they work the same way.

• Grate dark chocolate over the top instead of cocoa, or add a layer of chocolate shavings between the layers.

• For a summer version with no coffee, my Easy No-Bake Strawberry Tiramisu uses fresh strawberries instead.

How to Serve Classic Italian Tiramisu

Tiramisu is rich, so I keep everything around it simple. Here's what goes well with it:

• Espresso - A small cup of coffee after dinner is the classic way to have it in Italy.

• Grappa or amaretto - A small glass of grappa, amaretto or a coffee liqueur, if it's an adult table.

• An Italian dinner - It's the dessert I'd make after Braised Lamb Ragu, Wild Mushroom Risotto or a plate of Arancini.

• A second dessert - For a bigger table, Mousse au Chocolat goes well next to it.

Cut it with a straight-edged knife wiped clean between slices, and lift the pieces out with a spatula.

Storage and Make Ahead

Tiramisu keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Serve it cold, straight from the fridge.

You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Freeze it without the cocoa, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and thaw it in the fridge overnight.

This is a dessert you make ahead anyway, because it needs 10 to 12 hours in the fridge to set. I make it the day before, and it's still good on the second day.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more delicious no-bake recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this rich, creamy, and indulgent Traditional Italian Tiramisu as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂