Classic Italian Tiramisu

5 from 4 votes

Classic Italian Tiramisu is a no-bake dessert made with savoiardi dipped in espresso and layered with a light mascarpone cream. It takes about 30 minutes to put together, then a night in the fridge.

Prep Time30

Chilling Time12

Total Time12 30

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Low Salt, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 408kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

5 medium egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar (115 g - 4 oz)
5 medium egg whites
1½ teaspoon cream of tartar (5 g)
17½ oz mascarpone cheese (500 g), room temperature
¾ cup heavy cream (200 ml - 7 fl oz)
10½ oz Italian ladyfingers (savoiardi) (300 g), 40 to 45 pieces
½ cup strong espresso (120 ml), cooled
2 tablespoon rum, brandy or coffee liqueur (30 ml), optional
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (15 g)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Mascarpone Filling

Place the sugar and the 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 a 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 hand mixer to avoid over-whipping the mascarpone cheese. Set it aside.
Whisk the heavy cream in a separate bowl until it holds stiff peaks and add it 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 coffee 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 mascarpone filling over the first layer of ladyfingers and spread evenly.
Dip the remaining ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee mixture and arrange a second layer over the mascarpone filling.
Spoon the remaining mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and spread evenly.
Sprinkle with cacao powder, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight or 10-12 hours before serving.

Video

Notes

Use crisp savoiardi ladyfingers, not the soft cake kind. Dip each one for only a second or two in cold, unsweetened espresso.
Whisk the yolks over gently simmering water without letting the bowl touch the water, or you get scrambled eggs. With a thermometer, take them off at 160° F (71° C).
Let the yolk mixture cool to room temperature before adding the mascarpone. Fold the mascarpone in by hand, not with a mixer, or it goes grainy.
Buy a thick, full-fat mascarpone. Thin, watery mascarpone gives a runny filling.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks and no further. Whip the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl with no trace of yolk.
Break a few ladyfingers to fill the gaps so the layers are even.
The alcohol is optional. Marsala, rum, brandy, Kahlúa or amaretto all work, or leave it out and use a little more espresso.
If you'd rather not use raw egg whites, use pasteurized eggs. Or leave the whites out and fold in a little more whipped cream.
Chill for at least 10 to 12 hours, and overnight is best. Dust the cocoa just before serving if you want it to stay dry.
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered. To freeze, wrap it without the cocoa in plastic wrap and foil, freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight. You need a heatproof bowl that fits over a saucepan, a hand mixer and a 14 x 9.5 inch (35 x 24 cm) dish.

Nutrition