The Only Tiramisu Recipe You'll Ever Need

hannahelisewhite
Jun 12
3 min read

Updated: Jul 24

I have my mom to thank for introducing me to the magic that is tiramisu! When I was a teenager, she made a version with Kahlua and vanilla pudding that was out-of-this-world spectacular, and it began my lifelong obsession with it. I’ve been tinkering with my recipe for years, and I can confidently say that my tiramisu recipe is the only one you will ever need. It's so easy and so perfect. It's the ultimate dinner party recipe because it tastes even better when it’s made the day before!

I cracked the code for my recipe when my friend shared her friend’s nonna’s recipe. I jumped at the chance so I could compare notes. When she sent me the recipe, I was surprised to see that it used whipped egg whites! Here in the States, I had always seen recipes use whipped cream. It probably gets swapped out because folks don’t like the idea of consuming raw egg, which is understandable. I like the idea of using egg whites so that they’re not going to waste. It also makes it a tad lighter. However, I’ve included measurements for both egg whites and heavy cream so you can choose. Both versions are delicious. Also, if you don’t want to use raw egg yolk in the mascarpone cream, you can use pasteurized egg product or remove it entirely.

The other change I’ve made to my recipe is doubling the portion of mascarpone cream. Mascarpone cream is my favorite part of tiramisu, and one of the magical things about recipe development is that I get to make recipes exactly how I want! The tiramisu in my dreams had thick, generous layers of mascarpone cream that did not skimp, so I made it! I hope you love it as much as I do!

Some recipes instruct to use room-temperature mascarpone. However, I’ve found that when I use cold mascarpone right out of my fridge, my tiramisu is creamier.

What makes this recipe enchanting:

It can be prepared in under 30 minutes!
It's great for beginners!
It's perfect to make ahead for a dinner party!

More make-ahead dinner party desserts:

Video with step-by-step instructions:

The Only Tiramisu Recipe You'll Ever Need:

1 ½ cups (354 ml) freshly brewed strong decaf coffee, cooled
1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Marsala wine, kahlua, Baileys , or rum

16-oz. (453 grams) cold mascarpone
½ cup (100 grams) white sugar
4 egg yolks, or ½ cup (125 ml) pasteurized egg product
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

4 egg whites, or 1 cup (250 ml) heavy whipping cream

24 ladyfingers from a 7-oz. package (might also be labelled “biscotti savioardi”)
About 2-3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Directions:

Prepare the coffee and mix with the cocoa powder, vanilla, and alcohol of your choice. Set aside.
Using an electric hand mixer, beat the mascarpone, sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Clean off your beaters. In a separate mixing bowl, whip the egg whites or heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add to the mascarpone mixture and, using a spatula, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the mascarpone mixture. Fold together until it is combined.
Grab a square 8x8 pan or a deep dish pie plate. Any 2-quart dish will work.
Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee for 1 second per side. A trick that I use is saying out loud “1 Mississippi” per side. This helps keep me from oversaturating my ladyfingers, which can lead to a liquidy tiramisu.
Layer the dipped ladyfingers into the serving dish in a single layer. I sometimes break them in half to get them to fit. Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the ladyfinger layer. Using a small fine-mesh strainer, spoon some cocoa powder into the strainer and sprinkle it over the mascarpone cream in an even layer. Repeat with another layer of dipped ladyfingers and the remaining mascarpone cream and cocoa powder.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. I think tiramisu is best when it’s refrigerated for a full 24 hours.

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