Tiramisu is a rich and delicious classic Italian dessert. Creamy and boozy with a bit of chocolate flavor, this no-bake dessert is the perfect end to your dinner.
If I’m at a restaurant that serves tiramisu, no matter how full I am, there WILL be dessert ordered. For me, its like jello. There is always room for tiramisu.
I enjoyed tiramisu that had a strong chocolate flavor, some had a heavy liquor taste. A few had more of a light, airy, eggy flavor to them. And they were all delicious.
What I’ve discovered eating this classic Italian dessert in several countries and all over the US, is that I prefer the simple, classic recipe. Heavy on the coffee flavor, a bit of a boozy bite, and a rich, creamy mascarpone layer. Oh, and dusted with cocoa powder. That’s important too.
This recipe has become my favorite and something that I enjoy making for my family and friends – often. Did I say that it’s also no-bake and ready in about 30 minutes? Well, 30 minutes plus at least 6 tortuous hours to allow it to chill. That’s the difficult part of this recipe – the waiting.
Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert that’s made from coffee-soaked sponge cake layered with creamy, sweet mascarpone cheese sabayon. Roughly translated, tiramisu means “pick me up” or “cheer me up”.
Looking to make an entire, delicious Italian meal? Try this recipe for Classic Caprese Salad for starters. Then for your main course, Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs, with a side of Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Basic Biryani Rice. Enjoy!
PrintThis classic Italian dessert is a favorite of most people. Cool, creamy, a little bit boozy, and ready in less than 30 minutes.
6 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup mascarpone cheese – room temperature
2 cups heavy whipping cream, ice-cold
2 -7 oz packages Italian Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)
1 cup cold espresso
1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
Cocoa powder for dusting
In the bowl of a stand mixer bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and the egg yolks are lemon yellow, smooth, and thickened- about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
Add the mascarpone to the egg yolks and beat until fully combined. Set aside
In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream, slowly but gently increasing the speed, until stiff peaks form. This will take 10 minutes. Don’t overwhip the cream. We don’t want butter.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone/egg mixture. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl or dish, stir together the espresso and coffee liquor.
Gather a 9-inch square baking dish or casserole and set aside close to your coffee mixture.
Dip each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture just long enough to get them wet, but not long enough that the dissolve. A second or two for each cookie is enough.
Arrange the ladyfingers in the bottom of the baking dish.
Spoon half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers, using an offset spatula to spread the cream evenly over the ladyfingers
Repeat the process with the remaining ladyfingers and cream.
Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust cocoa powder all over the top of the dessert.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
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