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This simple tiramisu is made up of spongy, espresso-soaked ladyfingers layered with a cloudy, creamy mascarpone filling. Hints of amaretto float through the dessert, delighting the taste buds. Try this classic Italian recipe at home.
I love tiramisu but I have always had a hard time spending the $9+ dollars they charge you at a restaurant on a dessert that I could make at home. That’s why I decided to do some studying and figure out how to make this classic Italian confection. It turns out it’s pretty easy to do and my oh my is it delicious.
As you sink your fork into this classic tiramisu, you first encounter a layer of creamy, amaretto-infused mascarpone filling dusted in finely chopped dark chocolate. Next, you come to a layer of spongy ladyfinger cookies that have been absolutely soaked in rich espresso followed by another layer of filling and a base of more espresso-soaked ladyfingers. The result is a subtly sweet, cloudlike dessert that will have you coming back for more.
Why You’ll Love this Easy Tiramisu Recipe
This well-loved Italian dessert is so easy to make and is nothing short of delicious. Here are some reasons I love it (and why I think you will too).
- Quick and easy. This tiramisu only takes 20 minutes of active time to make. Just follow a few easy steps and you’re on your way to an elegant, restaurant-quality dessert.
- No-bake. I love that you don’t even have to turn on the oven to end up with this perfect tiramisu. It makes it so accessible. You can really make it anytime, anywhere.
- Flavor and texture. The sweetness of the silky smooth filling next to the subtle bitterness of the spongy, espresso-soaked ladyfingers really provides a combination of flavors and textures.
- Just as good as dining out. This tiramisu is just as good as the version you might get in a restaurant but it comes at a fraction of the price and you get the satisfaction of saying “I made that!”.
What Does Tiramisu Mean?
The word “Tiramisu” translates to “lift me up” in Italian. Not only does the dessert lift the consumer’s mood by delighting their taste buds, but it also features two caffeinated ingredients; espresso and cocoa. It’s not enough caffeine to keep you from a sound sleep, but it is enough to lift your energy levels at the end of a meal.
Recipe Ingredients
For a seemingly complex, layered dessert, tiramisu requires very few ingredients. 7 to be precise. Here is what you will need to make this classic Italian dessert. Scroll to the recipe below for detailed measurements.
- Mascarpone cheese. This soft, neutral Italian cheese brings rich volume to the dessert.
- Heavy cream. The heavy cream would be cold. It will hold volume better.
- Granulated sugar
- Amaretto
- Brewed espresso. Feel free to use decaffeinated espresso if you are sensitive to caffeine.
- Ladyfingers. These spongy cookies are perfect for soaking up the espresso in the recipe, resulting in a flavorful bite.
- Dark chocolate. You could use semi-sweet or milk chocolate here instead if you’d like.
Is there alcohol in tiramisu?
Technically, yes. Amaretto is a dessert liquor that has an ABV of 21-28%. There is not enough of it in tiramisu, however, to get you even close to tipsy. So don’t worry about it too much. That being said, if you are looking to avoid alcohol altogether, you can replace the amaretto with half a teaspoon of almond extract or just leave it out entirely.
How to Make Classic Tiramisu
This classic Italian dessert might look fancy, but it’s actually quite simple to throw together. Here’s a quick overview of how to make tiramisu. Make sure to scroll to the recipe below for more detailed instructions.
- Whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and sugar on high speed until soft peaks form. Whisk in the amaretto.
- Soak the ladyfingers. Line the bottom of an 8 X 8-inch baking pan with ladyfingers and pour 1/2 cup of brewed espresso over the top.
- Assemble. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and cover with half of the chocolate. Dip the remaining ladyfingers in espresso and arrange them in a single layer over the filling. Cover with the remaining mascarpone and chopped chocolate.
- Chill for 4-6 in the refrigerator.
Tips for the Best Tiramisu
I love how quick and easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for any skill level.. That being said, there are some simple tips and tricks that will take your finished product from good to great. Here they come.
- Marscapone. Not cream cheese. In America, people often attempt to use cream cheese instead of mascarpone to make tiramisu. Don’t do it. Cream cheese will weigh the dessert down (it’s just denser than mascarpone) and will add a flavor that doesn’t sit quite right here.
- Do not over-mix the filling. When making the mascarpone filling, mix only to the point of soft peaks. Overmixing will actually start to solidify the fats in the mascarpone, taking away from the cloudiness of the filling.
- Don’t over-soak the ladyfingers. While you want the ladyfingers to absorb a fair amount of espresso, it is important not to saturate them beyond what they can handle. You will end up with a soggy-bottomed dessert. So, stop adding espresso once it seems that the spongy cookies have stopped absorbing the liquid.
- Don’t skip the chill. Allowing the tiramisu to chill in the refrigerator for several hours will give the ladyfingers a chance to absorb all of the espresso and some of the yummy flavors from the filling. If you skip this step and dive straight in, the ladyfingers will be somewhat dry and lackluster on the flavor front.
How to Make Ahead
Feel free to make this dessert 1-2 days in advance. Simply follow the recipe from start to finish, cover the baking pan in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. I actually like making tiramisu a couple of days in advance because it gives the flavors a chance to meld and the ladyfingers a chance to soak up the perfect amount of flavor and moisture.
Storing and Freezing Tiramisu
If you find yourself with leftover tiramisu, don’t fret. It stores quite nicely. Tightly wrap the baking pan with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you choose to freeze the dessert, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.
More Dessert Ideas to Try
Yum. Dessert. Who doesn’t love it? This tiramisu is a divine way to wrap up a delicious meal (or enjoy as a mid-day pick-me-up), but I want to share a few of my other favorites with you. Here they come.
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
- Better Than Sex Cake
- Apple Almond Cake
- Golden Grahams S’mores Bars
- Old-Fashioned Cherry Cobbler
Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 16 ounce (454 g) mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons amaretto
- 24 lady fingers
- 1 ⅓ cup (316 ml) brewed espresso, you may have some leftover
- 1 cup (175 g) finely chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and sugar. Whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Then add in the amaretto and whisk until just incorporated. Do not over-mix or you’ll get stiff peaks!16 ounce (454 g) mascarpone cheese, 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons amaretto
- Line the bottom of a 8×8″ baking pan with lady fingers. You might have to break some to get it to fit correctly. Pour 1/2 cup of brewed espresso on top of the lady fingers and let them soak it all in. You can pour more if it looks like they’re too dry. Don’t over-soak them or you’ll end up with a soggy bottom!24 lady fingers, 1 1/3 cup (316 ml) brewed espresso
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the lady fingers and sprinkle 1/2 of the chocolate on top. Take the remaining lady fingers and dip them in the remaining espresso. Layer the dipped lady fingers on top of the mascarpone layer then layer again with the remaining mascarpone layer and sprinkle the remaining chopped chocolate on top.1 cup (175 g) finely chopped dark chocolate
- Chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours before serving.
- Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and keep in fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Photography by Eat Love Eat
Dear Julie, I started following your blog from a couple of months and I must say your recipes sound so easy. I’m a vegetarian and still found a lot of yummy recipes. This is the ultimate master as Tiramisu is my favorite of all deserts and I always find vodka/liquor soaked and with raw egg. I looked for subs but couldn’t find any proper recipes. Keep up the good work…
Thanks Julie. I keep getting a message to update the reader and so I tried and got that strange message.
I’ve tried your suggestion (still trying to learn feedly) and will see what happens
Tried to update with Feedly and got this error message:
Feed not found
Feedly was not able to load feed:
feed/http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2Ftablefortwoblog
Why?
Access to this feed might require a username and password (feedly does not know yet how to access and load authenticated feeds).
The specified URL does not point to a valid RSS or ATOM feed (in which case you might want to contact the owner of the website you are trying to subscribe to and let them know about the problem).
Hi Renee, I’m a bit confused with your question. If you want to subscribe to my blog via Feedly, you need to type in https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/feed/ where it says “add website” and it should work! None of my posts are protected with a username or password. I hope that helps!
I actually haven’t made Tiramisu yet, so am glad to hear to you say that! Amazing pics too!!
I love tiramisu so much I made a big pan of it and brought it to the hospital when I had Clara. ;) I was there for a few days so it was nice to snack on. MMM.
Am I totally crazy that I’ve NEVER had tiramisu?! It looks SO awesome, I just have never tried it and for reasons that are completely invalid. I understand if you don’t want to be friends anymore :( but I also understand if you want to send me a huge slice out of pity :)
Yum, this looks great Julie! If you can believe it, I’ve never had tiramisu in a restaurant, but I have made it at home and it’s delicious. Definitely worth the effort :)
I love Tiramisu. This looks beautiful and delicious. I plan on trying to make it sometime.
Oh snap. Tiramisu is my favorite dessert ever, ever, ever! Yours looks absolutely incredible, Julie. I’ve got to try it!
Tiramisu – oh yes! Never say no to this and the more, the better. I agree – this is so simple and yet they’re so pricy out there. I’m glad you share your recipe here. Yum!