Best Tiramisu Recipe {step by step}

My easy-to-make and amazingly delicious Tiramisu recipe is made with coffee-soaked ladyfingers, creamy mascarpone, homemade whipped cream, and dusted with cocoa powder for the perfect finish on this classic Italian dessert.

And don’t worry, my Tiramisu Recipe is made without using raw eggs (they are cooked while making the sabayon)!

I have tried many recipes for tiramisu over the course of my lifetime, and I can promise that you’ll agree that this is The Best Tiramisu Recipe you’ll ever make! It took many attempts to perfect my recipe, and I’m happy to share it with my friends and followers so they can enjoy my all-time favorite dessert!

My tiramisu recipe may be a little different than most that claim to be “authentic tiramisu,” but truth be told, there are as many different recipes as there are Italian grandmothers, each with its own little twist. Some of which aren’t really tiramisu at all.

My tiramisu recipe speaks of a time when I first sampled this Italian classic when food had a magical quality all its own. When Mama Jeanette saw the best in me and taught me how to make Authentic Italian Tiramisu. I am forever grateful for all her lessons in life and cooking.

Ingredients

I’ve had so many questions about the process of making Tiramisu that I’ve added step-by-step pictures to help you along the way.

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Authentic Italian Tiramisu. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Chef Dennis Tip:  Have the eggs and mascarpone at room temperature before making this recipe. That will help them mix together more smoothly. You only need egg yolks for this recipe, so save the egg whites for a healthy omelet or meringue.

What is Mascarpone?

Mascarpone is basically the Italian version of cream cheese. It is made of whipped cream, stabilized with an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or citric acid. Mascarpone cheese has a smoother consistency; it’s milder in flavor and has twice as much fat as cream cheese. Cream cheese can be substituted for mascarpone, but the flavor and consistency won’t be the same.

*Galbani is my first choice for mascarpone. Bel Giosi and Vermont Creamery are also good choices. Always make sure the mascarpone has a long use-by date. Old mascarpone can cause the tiramisu cream to be too loose to set properly

How to make Tiramisu Cream

It’s a lot easier than you might think to make tiramisu. Just follow my step-by-step instructions, and you’ll be making tiramisu better than your favorite local restaurant!

• The first step is whipping the egg yolks (approx. ½ cup) and the sugar until they are very thick. *One of the mistakes people tend to make is under-whipping the egg mixture.
• Using a double boiler method with a bowl over a pot of simmering water, whip the mixture until it has almost doubled in volume and is thick.
  *egg/sugar mixture needs to reach a temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
• Add room-temperature Mascarpone to the whipped yolks, and mix until well combined. Don’t overmix; this can cause curdling. *Mascarpone only needs to get to set out for 15-20 minutes. Don’t let it get warm.
• In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream to stiff peaks (a hand mixer or stand mixer is fine). This process should be slow, starting on low and increasing the speed gradually over ten minutes. **This method is how you keep the whipped cream from breaking. The cream should be ice-cold and as fresh as possible. Look for heavy cream with the longest expiration date.
• Gently fold the whipped cream in the mascarpone mixture and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the tiramisu.

Chef Dennis Tip: Always use the freshest products available. If the eggs, cream or mascarpone are close to the expiration date, they can break down in the recipe.

How to make Perfect Whipped Cream

Whipping your cream is also where some people make a mistake. The idea with whipped cream is to do it slowly. Using an electric mixer, begin whipping the cream on low, increasing the speed over 10 minutes. This makes a whipped cream that will last for days in your fridge without the aid of gelatin.

*If you make whipped cream as a topping for desserts, don’t forget to add sugar and vanilla; for the tiramisu, we are not adding powdered sugar or vanilla to the mixture.

Why is my Sabayon grainy?

If you used regular sugar instead of superfine / castor sugar, your finished sabayon might be grainy. That’s okay. It will finish dissolving while your tiramisu is firming up.

*If you can’t find superfine sugar or caster sugar, you can always pulse your sugar in a food processor to make the grains smaller.

Why did my sabayon curdle?

• Over-whipping can cause the fat to separate, causing the mixture to curdle.
• Allowing the mascarpone to get too warm can wreak havoc with the fat in the mascarpone, causing it to curdle.
• Using mascarpone that is too cold can cause curdling. Let it sit out for 15-20 minutes before using.
• The brand Bel Gioso has been reported to cause curdling, although I have never experienced this.

How to make Tiramisu

The first step is a quick dip of the ladyfingers in the coffee/Kahlua mixture. The coffee flavor of the Kahlua enhances the overall flavor, but it can be left out if you want to make this dessert alcohol-free. And if you’re not a fan of Kahlua, you can use Gran Marnier, dark rum, or Marsala in its place.

*Instant espresso powder can be used to make the coffee for dipped ladyfingers.

How do I prepare the ladyfingers:

• Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. If you don’t want the added caffeine, decaf coffee or decaf espresso can be used.
• Brushing on the coffee mixture instead of dipped ladyfingers is a great way to control how much liquid gets on the ladyfingers.
• Only use crunchy Savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers); cake-style ladyfingers will get too soft.

• Set your pan up with a layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers. (Standard 9″x 9″ pan)
• Then add your first layer of tiramisu cream mixture. Use half of your mixture and spread it evenly.
• Add a second layer of prepared ladyfingers to the pan.
• Add the remainder of the tiramisu cream mixture and spread evenly.

Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder and you’re finished!

Now comes the hardest part. Let the tiramisu set up for at least 6 hours; overnight is best. This tiramisu can be made a day or two ahead of time and should last in your fridge for up to a week.