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The easiest and most delicious Tiramisu recipe! This authentic Italian dessert is rich and creamy but as light as air made with coffee dunked Savoiardi (ladyfingers), a smooth and creamy mascarpone filling and dusted with cacao powder to finish it off. Perfect for any occasion!
When it comes to Italian desserts you just can’t beat a good Tiramisu! It’s hands down one of my favourite desserts ever and I never get bored of it!
Espresso soaked Savoiardi fingers, light, smooth and creamy mascarpone and all topped with a light dusting of cacao powder. It’s rich and indulgent but so light and airy that there’s always room for a slice (or two).
What makes Tiramisu authentic?
So how do you make an authentic tiramisu? The ingredients and method are key!
Controversially a traditional recipe is made with raw eggs, not tempered eggs and certainly not with whipped cream. Traditionally there’s also no alcohol involved although that’s one modern addition that I absolutely love and always add when I make it.
There are many recipes that involve raw eggs from chocolate mousse to homemade mayonnaise so it’s not an unusual ingredient you just have to make sure you use good quality free-range eggs and make sure they are as fresh as possible.
I have made and eaten tiramisu countless times and never had any issues but if you have concerns or need to avoid raw eggs don’t worry we have an Eggless Tiramisu recipe too!
Ingredients – what you need
To make this dessert you’ll need; Savoiardi ladyfingers, eggs (yolks and whites separated), mascarpone cheese, white sugar, strong coffee, cocoa powder, dark chocolate and coffee liqueur (optional).
See the photo below that shows all the ingredients you need!
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Pin ItStep by step photos and recipe instructions
First, you need to divide the egg yolks and egg whites in two separate bowls and add 3 tbsps of sugar to each. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy (photos 1 & 2).
Then continue with the egg yolks and whisk those with an electric whisk until pale and thick (photos 3 & 4).
Next, add the mascarpone and whisk again until smooth and creamy (photos 5 & 6).
Next, add one-third of the whisked egg whites to the mascarpone mixture and gently fold it in as you would with a cake batter. Continue with the remaining whites a third at a time until it’s completely incorporated (photos 7 & 8).
Mix the espresso and coffee liqueur in a shallow bowl and dip in the Savoiardi ladyfingers for 1-2 seconds on each side and line them on the bottom of the dish in an even layer (photos 9 & 10).
Next, add half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and spread out in an even layer, top with some grated dark chocolate (photos 11 & 12).
Repeat with a second layer of soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone as directed above. Finally, dust with cocoa powder and chill in the fridge for roughly 6-8 hours (photos 13-16).
Top tips and recipe FAQs
- Whisking the eggs – make sure you don’t get any egg yolk in the egg whites before beating them. If you do they will collapse and won’t become stiff peaks and glossy like you need them.
- Liqueur – other than coffee liqueur you could use amaretto, dark rum, marsala, brandy, or Frangelico.
- Savoiardi – it’s really important to use Italian Savoiardi cookies, Pavensini are another good option or ladyfingers but make sure they are crisp in texture and not soft.
- Topping – The cocoa powder will darken as it soaks into the mascarpone mixture in the fridge, you can add an extra sprinkling just before serving if you prefer.
- Let it rest – Leave the Tiramisu in the fridge for at least 6 hours, overnight is even better. This gives the Savoiardi or ladyfingers a chance to soften and soak up the flavours and gives the whole dessert a chance to develop and become extra delicious.
- Size of dish used – I used an 8×10 inch dish to make this Tiramisu you may need more or less ladyfingers according to your dish size.
Tiramisu literally translates as “pick me up” as in cheer up. It’s such a perfect name for a dessert that does just that!
Absolutely, traditionaly Tiramisu is made without alcohol so if you leave it out it’ll still be absolutely delicious!
It’ll keep well covered and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Although you can freeze it I don’t recommend freezing tiramisu simply because dairy doesn’t tend to freeze well and will likely lose it’s creamy and rich texture.
More delicious Italian desserts you might like
- Eggless Tiramisu (delicious flavour without the egg!)
- Strawberry Tiramisu with White Chocolate
- Tiramisu Ice cream
- Chocolate Panna Cotta
- Chocolate Salami (Salame di Cioccolato)
- Italian Crostata (Jam Tart)
If you’ve tried this Tiramisu recipe or any other recipe on the blog 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! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
This recipe was first posted on 13th April 2018 but has since been updated with better photos and more helpful tips.
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Tiramisu – Authentic Recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 cups mascarpone, (500g)
- 24 (roughly) Savoiardi biscuits, (lady fingers)
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee, (230ml)
- 3 tablespoons dark chocolate, grated
- 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons coffee liqueur, (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- Carefully separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg yolks and whisk them with an electric whisk until pale and thick. Add the mascarpone and whisk again until smooth and creamy, set aside.
- Clean your beaters thoroughly. This is very important as egg whites will not whip if any egg yolk is added.
- Using a clean electric whisk start to whisk the egg whites. When they become frothy, add 3 tablespoons of sugar and whisk until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and they remain stiff (be careful not to overwhip them).
- Next, add one third of the whisked egg whites to the mascarpone and egg yolk mixture and gently fold it in as you would with a cake batter. Continue with the remaining whites a third at a time until it's completed incorporated.
- Mix the espresso and 4 tbsp coffee liqueur in a shallow bowl and dip in the lady fingers (savoiardi biscuits). You want to dip them into the liquid quickly (around 2-3 seconds) whilst turning to soak each side.
- Lay the ladyfingers in a glass or ceramic dish until you have one even layer. You can brake some biscuits to fit your dish .
- Next, add half of the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits and spread out in an even layer, top with some grated dark chocolate.
- Continue with another layer of ladyfingers and mascarpone as directed above. Finally, dust with cocoa powder and chill in the fridge for roughly 6-8 hours.
Video
Notes
- Recipe update – the instructions in the recipe have been updated according to reader reviews (the egg yolks are whisked first and whites second) all other methods and ingredients remain the same.
- Whisking the eggs – make sure you don’t get any egg yolk in the egg whites before beating them. If you do they will collapse and won’t become stiff peaks and glossy like you need them.
- Liqueur – other than coffee liqueur you could use amaretto, dark rum, marsala, brandy, or Frangelico.
- Savoiardi – it’s really important to use Italian Savoiardi cookies, Pavensini are another good option or ladyfingers but make sure they are crisp in texture and not soft.
- Topping – The cocoa powder will darken as it soaks into the mascarpone mixture in the fridge, you can add an extra sprinkling just before serving if you prefer.
- Let it rest – Leave the Tiramisu in the fridge for at least 6 hours, overnight is even better. This gives the Savoiardi or ladyfingers a chance to soften and soak up the flavours and gives the whole dessert a chance to develop and become extra delicious.
- Size of dish used – I used an 8×10 inch dish to make this Tiramisu you may need more or less ladyfingers according to your dish size.
- Storage – will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! It was very tasty, but my Mascarpone cream only partially set and there was a runny layer at the bottom. Any tips for the future?
Hi Kris, it’s quite hard to know the exact cause, the only time I’ve had too much moisture at the bottom on my dish is if I’ve soaked the Savoiardi for too long. There can sometimes be excess coffee at the bottom if this happen.
Tips to make sure the mascarpone cream isn’t runny: make sure to use full-fat mascarpone, make sure the mascarpone and eggs are both at room temperature. You should be able to hold the whipped egg whites upside down in the bowl and they should be shiny, the whipped yolks should be very thick and pale (doubled in volume). Make sure you don’t over-whip the egg whites or they will split. I hope this helps!
Really delicious recipe but I had something happen I’ve never had before. After spending overnight in the fridge, the mascarpone cream was as hard as a rock. No matter, just take it out earlier so it comes to room temperature. But I’ve genuinely never had this happen before. I don’t see it in the comments either.
Have you had this happen when making this recipe? Or has anyone here had this occur before? I genuinely have no idea what would have set this off. I’ve always been able to leave tiramisu in the fridge overnight and have it be just as creamy and light. Any thoughts on what I might have done are appreciated.
Hi Nina, that’s a strange one, I’ve never heard of this happen with Tiramisu before. Did you buy your usual brand of mascarpone? The only thing I can think of is that if the tiramisu was at the back of your fridge it could have frozen slightly if your fridge is really cold but honestly I have no idea.
Absolutely love this recipe. It was very tasty. The one thing that I would suggest after making the mistake myself is if you’re not used to making a Custard you may need to have a note that says slowly add the marzipan to the egg yolk because if you just dump in a whole tub it will break the egg yolk and you get scrambled eggs instead but if you had a spoon at a time and let it incorporate everything runs smoothly
Hi Stacey, so happy you enjoyed it. By marzipan so you mean mascarpone? Make sure your eggs and mascarpone are at room temperature to avoid that happening 🙂
I’ve been craving for an authentic tiramisu for a few weeks so i made it yesterday and already ate it all with my husband. It was perfect, thank you for the recipe
Aw I’m so happy you enjoyed it! You sound just like me and my husband 🙂
Hi, the directions next to the images are different to the main directions. I started by adding sugar to the egg whites and also to the yolks as mentioned, and then starting reading from the main directions and this says to add the sugar after whisking the egg whites. I panicked and threw out the sugar egg mixture. Which is the correct method?
Hi Loren, ahh so sorry you threw it out! I updated the recipe to add the sugar slightly later because there’s a higher risk of the egg whites collapsing if it’s added straight away (although I have done this many times and it’s been ok). Also, after reading through reviews I switched the process to whisking the egg yolk mixture first instead of the whites as some people found the egg whites had started to deflate by the time they had mixed the yolks (hope that makes sense). I’ll make sure to update the step by step photos to reflect that as soon as I can. Emily 🙂
Great results every time. New favourite tiramisu recipe!
I love tiramisu and I tried this recipe.it taste delish but my mascarpone mix was more runny than set. I followed the instructions. I used egg that are size L. would that make a difference, I wonder.