Tiramisu
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Whip up a restaurant-quality tiramisu at home! With layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers and a rich mascarpone filling, it’s the ultimate Italian dessert.
Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian, and this dessert truly lives up to its name! It’s made with layers of espresso-dipped ladyfingers and a rich mascarpone filling, then finished with a dusting of cocoa powder and chilled overnight before serving.
You might think that such an impressive dessert would be difficult to make, but that’s not the case at all! While tiramisu looks fancy, it’s surprisingly easy to make—essentially an Italian version of a no-bake icebox cake. With just a few simple ingredients and easy assembly, you can recreate this restaurant-style tiramisu recipe right in your own kitchen.
“This recipe is the real deal…Definitely the best tiramisu out there!”
Video Tutorial
What You’ll Need To Make Tiramisu
- Instant Espresso Powder: Dissolved in water to make an espresso base for dipping the ladyfingers.
- Dark Rum: Adds depth and boozy flavor to the espresso mixture.
- Egg Yolks: Key to the tiramisu’s texture and richness. Use fresh, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and ensure no contact between yolks/whites and the shell.
- Sugar: Sweetens the mascarpone filling and balances the bitterness of the espresso.
- Mascarpone Cheese: The base of the creamy layer. Look for the BelGioioso brand; it’s widely available and has a thick texture ideal for making tiramisu.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds depth of flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Whipped, it lightens mascarpone mixture.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Lends a bitter chocolate contrast to the sweetness of the filling.
- Savoiardi Biscuits or Crisp Ladyfingers: The base of the dessert that soaks up the espresso and rum mixture. Avoid the soft cake-like ladyfingers.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Mix the boiling water, instant espresso, and ¼ cup of the rum in a shallow bowl. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or beaters, combine the egg yolks with the salt and ⅔ cup of the sugar. Beat until the mixture is thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
Add the mascarpone, vanilla, and remaining ¼ cup of rum and beat until the mixture is smooth.
In a separate bowl, using the whisk attachment or beaters of your electric mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream and remaining ⅓ cup sugar on medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Gently fold about ½ cup of the egg-mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream until just combined. Then, fold in the remaining egg-mascarpone mixture until fully incorporated.
Fold until the mixture is uniform and set aside.
Set up a workstation with the ladyfingers, the coffee mixture, and a baking dish.
One at a time, quickly dip the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture and then place into the pan in a single layer.
Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over top of the ladyfingers and smooth into an even layer.
Dust the top of the cream layer with cocoa powder and then repeat with another layer of soaked ladyfingers.
Top with the remaining mascarpone mixture and dust with cocoa powder.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 8 hours but preferably 24 hours. Cut into squares and serve cold. Tiramisu can be made up to two days ahead of time or frozen for up to 1 month.
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Tiramisu
This homemade tiramisu is special enough for a celebration, yet simple enough to whip up any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiling water
- 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder/granules
- ½ cup dark rum, divided
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1½ pounds mascarpone cheese (three 8-oz containers), cold (see note)
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 14 oz (or two 7-ounce) Savoiardi biscuits or crisp ladyfingers (see note)
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, mix the boiling water, instant espresso, and ¼ cup of the rum. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or beaters, beat the egg yolks with the salt and ⅔ cup of the sugar on medium speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow, and forms a ribbon when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Add the mascarpone, vanilla, and remaining ¼ cup of rum and beat until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Using another bowl for your electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or beaters, beat the heavy whipping cream and remaining ⅓ cup sugar on medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form, 1½ to 2 minutes. Be sure not to over whip the cream; otherwise it will curdle.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold about ½ cup of the egg-mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream just until combined. Add the remaining egg-mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream and fold about 20 times, or until the mixture is uniform (no streaks should remain). Set aside.
- Set up a workstation with the ladyfingers, the cooled coffee mixture, and a 9x13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish.
- One at a time, dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture for 2 to 3 seconds each (do not oversaturate the cookies or they will fall apart), and place into the pan. Arrange the dipped cookies in a single layer in the baking dish (about 20 cookies), breaking or trimming them as needed to fit neatly into the dish.
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over top of the ladyfingers and, using a spatula, smooth into an even layer. Using a small sieve, dust the top of the cream layer with 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder. Repeat with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture and dust with the remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 8 hours but preferably 24 hours. Cut into squares and serve cold.
- Note: This recipe uses raw eggs. Be sure to use only fresh, properly refrigerated and clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks/whites and the shell. If you’re nervous about using raw eggs, try to find pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been briefly exposed to heat to destroy any potential bacteria. Whole Foods usually carries them but call your local store to be sure before making a special trip. (Note: eating raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women, babies, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.)
- Note: It’s important to use a thicker brand of mascarpone cheese, otherwise you may end up with a runny filling. The best brand is BelGioioso, which is widely available at most large supermarkets. Do not use the Whole Foods brand; it is too soft.
- Note: Be sure to use crisp ladyfingers, aka Savoiardi biscuits — not the soft cake-like ladyfingers sold in the bakery section of the supermarket.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The tiramisu can be made up to two days ahead of time. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (14 servings)
- Calories: 428
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated fat: 16 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 369 mg
- Cholesterol: 148 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My mother cannot stop talking about this Tiramisu!!! So smooth, and creamy!! I made this as a dessert for Thanksgiving weekend, as a follow up to Lasagna dinner. Amazing!!!!! Thank You!!!
It was delicious but the rum taste was overwhelming. Really strong. Is it possible we used the wrong rum? Is there a brand you recommend?
Hi Leslie, I’m sorry you found the rum flavor to be overpowering. The brand I typically use is Mt. Gay.
Made this for our feast of the seven fishes, it was a huge hit! Best tiramisu we’ve ever had! Thanks for the specifications of ingredients, I think that made the difference between this and other recipes. First rate!
Made this for a family party and it was a huge hit! Mine didn’t look as neat as the photos, next time I would layer the cookies a little tighter. Just a note: cookies saturate VERY quickly in the espresso mixture, all it takes is a very quick dip.
I had never made Tiramisu before and followed your recipe exactly and made it for Christmas this year. Wow! Tiramisu and Crème Brûlée are my two favorite desserts. The Tiramisu was perfect! My family loved it, my neighbors loved it and it disappeared very quickly. The only tricky part was waiting 24 hours to eat it!
This recipe is the real deal…Definitely the best tiramisu out there!