Tiramisu
Tiramisu is an Italian no-bake dessert made of ladyfingers soaked in strong coffee layered with rich, creamy mascarpone cream and finished with a dusting of slightly bitter cocoa. In this recipe the yolks are whisked over a water bath until just cooked, so you can enjoy it with peace of mind while the cream stays as soft, smooth and fragrant as the original.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Rising or chilling
- 6 hr
- Total time
- 6 hr 48 min
- Method
- Chilled
Ingredients
For the coffee soak
For the mascarpone cream
For assembling
Instructions
Step 1
Brew 250 g espresso nice and strong, stir in 30 g coffee liqueur if using, then pour it into a shallow dish and let it cool completely. Hot coffee would turn the ladyfingers to mush and make the cream run. The coffee is ready when it feels cool when you dip a finger in.
Step 2
Put 72 g egg yolks and 90 g superfine sugar in a heatproof bowl, set it over a pan of barely simmering water on low heat so the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water, and whisk constantly for about six minutes. The gentle heat cooks the yolks to about 75°C without curdling them. The mixture is ready when it turns pale yellow and thick and falls from the lifted whisk in ribbons that stack on the surface.
Step 3
Whip 200 g very cold whipping cream with 3 g vanilla extract on medium speed for about three minutes. Whipped cream makes the mascarpone mixture lighter and airier instead of dense and heavy. The cream is ready when it holds soft peaks that droop gently when you lift the beaters.
Step 4
Soften 500 g cold mascarpone with a flat spatula, mix it into the cooled yolk mixture, then gently fold in the whipped cream in two additions. Mascarpone splits easily if beaten hard, so fold only as much as needed. The cream is ready when it's smooth, evenly colored and thick enough to hold its shape when scooped.
Step 5
Quickly dip the 200 g ladyfingers one at a time into the coffee, about one second per side, then arrange them snugly in a single layer in the bottom of a 20 cm square dish, using about half of them. A quick dip lets them soak up the flavor while the centers keep their texture. The layer is ready when it covers the bottom of the dish and the ladyfingers are evenly moist but not soggy.
Step 6
Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers, add a second layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, then cover with the remaining cream and smooth the top. Alternating two layers of ladyfingers and cream gives pretty slices with a nice balance of bitter and sweet. This step is done when the top is smooth and the cream reaches all the way to the sides of the dish.
Step 7
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours, ideally overnight. This time lets the cream set and the ladyfingers soften evenly into something like sponge cake. It's ready when a test slice from one corner shows the layers standing firm without running.
Step 8
Just before serving, sift 15 g cocoa powder evenly over the entire top. Dusting at the last minute keeps the cocoa dry and brown instead of absorbing moisture and turning into dark patches. The tiramisu is finished when the top is covered in a fine, even layer of cocoa; slice it with a knife dipped in hot water for neat pieces.
Equipment
- Square pan
- Hand mixer
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Small saucepan
- Thermometer
- Sieve
- Kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl
- Refrigerator
Tips
- You can swap the coffee liqueur for rum, or leave it out entirely if you're making it for kids; the strong coffee still gives plenty of flavor.
- Use a thermometer to check that the yolks reach about 75°C, which is safe enough while the cream is still smooth and not grainy.
- Use the mascarpone straight from the fridge, since cold cheese is less likely to split when mixed.
Storage
Wrapped tightly, tiramisu keeps in the fridge for three to four days, and it's often at its best on the second day. You can freeze it before dusting with cocoa for up to a month, then thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The mascarpone cream is runny and weeping.
- The cream wasn't whipped enough or the mascarpone was overbeaten. Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold everything together gently when combining.
- The bottom layer is mushy and pooled with coffee.
- The ladyfingers were dipped too long. Dip each side for only about one second; they'll soak up more as the tiramisu chills.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
