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Dreamy Layered Tiramisu

Tiramisu: the Italian dessert that's only decades old. Why ladyfingers get just an instant in the coffee and the no-cook mascarpone secret.

30 min Medium Italiana 6 servings
Dreamy Layered Tiramisu

The story behind

Though it feels like a dessert with centuries behind it, tiramisu is surprisingly young: most accounts place its birth in Italy's northeastern Veneto region around the 1960s or 70s. The name literally means "pick me up" or "lift me up," a nod to the caffeine and sugar that do exactly that. Several restaurants claim to have invented it, so its origin remains a matter of passionate debate.

The soul of the dessert is mascarpone, an ultra-rich Italian cheese that delivers creaminess with no cooking required. Egg yolks are beaten with sugar until pale and thick: that whisking folds in air and dissolves the sugar, building the silky base that cloaks the cheese.

The ladyfingers get only an instant in the coffee. Timing is everything: soak them too long and they collapse, weeping liquid that ruins the layers; a quick dip leaves them moist but firm. As it chills for several hours, the biscuits draw moisture from the cream and the whole thing settles into one even, sliceable texture.

A veil of bitter cocoa crowns each portion, cutting against the sweetness. Make it the night before; tiramisu always tastes better the next day.

Instructions

  1. 1
    Start by beating the yolks with the sugar in a bowl over a water bath (double boiler) until pale and thick.
  2. 2
    Remove from heat and mix with the mascarpone using gentle movements so the cream doesn't lose its airiness.
  3. 3
    Mix the cold coffee with the liqueur and quickly dip the ladyfingers so they get wet but don't fall apart.
  4. 4
    In a dish, place a layer of ladyfingers and then cover with half of the mascarpone mixture.
  5. 5
    Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers and finish with the rest of the cream, smoothing the surface well.
  6. 6
    Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and, just before serving, sprinkle a generous rain of cocoa powder on top.

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