This is how to make a real Tiramisu the proper Italian way! The cream layers are luxurious and rich, but not greasy and heavy like simplified versions made with whipping cream.
Itβs simple to make, fun to construct, and tastes even better the next day β and the next!Β This is a traditional Italian recipe by Vanessa Martin, a well regarded Australian Italian Chef.
Tiramisu β proper Italian recipe!
There are many, many Tiramisu recipes out there in this big wide world. Some are complicated. Some are very shortcut, made using cream in a can.
This is a proper Italian Tiramisu recipe. The way itβs made in Italy and the GOOD Italian restaurants.π
There is no whipping cream.
And itβs made usingΒ raw eggs.Β
I know that concerns some people. And in fact, somewhere along the lines of history, someone (non Italian!) got scared about eating raw eggs so they decided to start making Tiramisu using tempered eggs (eggs whisked over a water bath).
While food safety may have been a valid concern in the past, these days in Western countries (certainly in Australia), the quality of eggs sold in reputable stores is good enough such that you wonβt need to worry about consuming raw eggs.
And if the thought of raw eggs is icky β well, chances are youβve eaten raw egg without realising it in the form of:
chocolate mousseΒ (in a traditional or nice French restaurant)
PavlovaΒ (what do you think that marshmallow centre you know and love is?Β Raw egg whites!)
Homemade mayonnaise, hollandaise and bernaise (raw yolks!)
All those cake batter and cookie dough bowls youβve licked clean!!
And of course, that Tiramisu you swooned over at that rustic little Italian restaurant??Β Raw eggs!
Safety note: for extra precaution, it is recommended that young children, pregnant women or people with fragile health issues avoid foods made with raw eggs. And yep,Β that includes all the foods Iβve listed above!
The unique thing about the Tiramisu cream is that itβs rich yet light, it sets so itβs cuttable to show the layers, yet itβs soft and creamy.
What goes in Tiramisu
So, other than the eggs, thereβs a few more ingredients in Tiramisu worth chatting to you about!
Lady fingers aka Pavesini or Savoiardi biscuits β pretty widely available nowadays, at least here in Australia. Sold at grocery stores in the biscuit aisle, delis and fruit βn veg shops. They are crisp, sweet sponge fingers that taste like vanilla;
Mascarpone β itβs a very thick, rich Italian cream that has a consistency like cream cheese (see video for consistency).Β Australians βΒ do NOT use Woolworths or any generic home brand as they are too thin and wonβt set, so your cream layer will be too thin. Use good brands such as:
La Casa Formaggio Mascarpone (Woolworths)
Montefiore Mascarpone Cheese (Coles)
Formaggio Zanetti (Harris Farms)
Latteria Sociale Mantova (Harris Farms, pictured below)
Any from an Italian deli
Coffee β Tiramisu ainβt Tiramisu without coffee for dunking the biscuits! Youβll see me using an espresso machine in the video, but in my pre coffee machine days, I always used coffee granules; and
Frangelico or other liquor β I am actually not really much of a fan of liquor in my sweets, but Tiramisu is the exception! I like Frangelico because itβs a hazelnut flavoured liquor, and also very partial to Kahlua which is coffee flavoured. Other options:Β Rum, brandy, Baileyβs Β β go wild, use what you love, or even keep it virgin (almond essence, vanilla extract!)
This is an easy Tiramisu recipe β itβs made the traditional way so the eggs are not tempered.
How to make Tiramisu
The key to a rich-yet-light Tiramisu is to beat the egg whites until fluffy, then fold it through the rich cream mixture of sugar, yolks and mascarpone.
This technique creates a Tiramisu cream which has a consistency like whipped cream (ie soft and spreadable) but it sets in a way that cream never can so you can cut through the Tiramisu to reveal the layers.
I say it βsetsβ, but itβs still very soft and creamy β itβs a unique texture that sets proper Tiramisu recipes apart from quick version made with whipping cream!
Layering up!
My favourite part! And it goes down like this:
Dunk biscuits in coffee-Frangelico
Cover base of dish
Top with half the Tiramisu cream
Repeat!
TIP: Dunk quickly! 2 seconds total for each biscuit. Any longer and the biscuit will literally disintegrate in your hands!
The one other thing worth noting about Tiramisu made the proper way βΒ it is far less sweet than most desserts. Thereβs only 1/2 cup of sugar in this whole recipe and the only other sweetness is the biscuits, but they arenβt that sweet!
In fact, I sometimes fret that itβs not sweet enough β but everybody (and I really do meanΒ everybody) I have ever made this for says itβs the perfect as is.
So in the many years Iβve been making this, I havenβt change the recipe at all! β Nagi x
If youβre thinking about an Italian Dinner Partyβ¦
Typical Italian Dinner Party at mine involving proven favourites that are largely prep ahead would have a menu like this:
Starters
Bruschetta DIY spread made with tomato (when in season) or grilled/roasted Marinated VeggiesΒ (which is basically homemade antipasto) with soft ricotta (Australia β avoid Perfect Italiano, itβs powdery and borders on inedible)
Tuna or kingfish carpaccio (want the recipe? Drop me a message below!)
Main and sides
Shredded Beef RaguΒ pasta (a proven, low maintenance winner I make a LOT! Also great to take camping)
Garlic Bread β yep, I do carb blow outs for company! (Sometimes I go all out with CHEESY Garlic BreadΒ or even Cheese and Garlic Crack Bread)
Rocket/Arugula Parmesan Salad β toss rocket/arugula with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Pile into bowls, drizzle with balsamic reduction (store bought fine!), shave over parmesan (using veg peeler). I make this a LOT for everyday purposes β super fast, no dressing to make separately!
Dessert β This Tiramisu!
Watch how to make it
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Easy Tiramisu (Chef Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 eggs , yolks and whites separated
- 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz / 250g mascarpone , good brand (Important β read Note 1)
- 1 1/4 cups black coffee , hot and strong! (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp (or more!) Frangelico or Kahlua , or other liquor of choice (skip for alcohol free)
- 6.5 oz / 200g (24 β 30) lady fingers, pavesini or savoiardi biscuits (Note 3)
- Cocoa , for dusting
Instructions
- Beat yolks and sugar in stand mixer or electric beater on speed 6 to 7 for 10 minutes or until it changes from yellow to pale yellow (almost white), and is thick (see video for consistency).
- Add vanilla and mascarpone, beat until just combined and smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl, set aside.
- Clean bowl and whisk. Add egg whites and beat until it's stiff (3 minutes on speed 7, should be all white foam, see video!)
- Add 1/2 the cream mixture into the egg whites. Gently fold through. When most incorporated, add the remaining cream mixture and fold through until just combined β don't bash out all the air in the egg whites! (Note 4)
- Mix coffee and liquor together. Quickly dip biscuits in and line the bottom of a 8β/20cm square dish. (See video or step photos above to see how I arrange them).
- Spread over half the cream, then top with another layer of coffee dipped biscuits.
- Spread with remaining cream.
- Cover, refrigerate for at least 4 β 5 hours, preferably overnight
- Dust with cocoa powder just before serving β either before you cut or after placing onto serving plates.
Recipe Notes:
-
- La Casa Formaggio Mascarpone (Woolworths)
- Montefiore Mascarpone Cheese (Coles)
- Formaggio Zanetti (Harris Farms)
- Latteria Sociale Mantova (Harris Farms)
- Any from an Italian deli, anything made in Australia
Nutrition Information:
Tiramisu recipe originally published March 2016. Updated August 2019 with new photos, new step photos, brand new video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
Off to Vietnam today to film theΒ first official RecipeTin Food Travels video! Very excited to venture into this new direction which will bring together FOOD along with TRAVEL tips from the RecipeTin Family.
The travel videos will be accompanied with posts that will list exactly where we stayed, where we ate and what we ordered. And the most exciting part (at least for me!) is that Iβll shareΒ recipes for the foods I film on the streets of Vietnam!
As for Dozer β unfortunately I am yet to find an airline that will let me take him in the cabin with me, and yet to get the Australian government to relax the rigid 6 week quarantine laws upon return of dogs to Australia.
So until such time, Dozer stays behind for international tripsβ¦. and this is what IΒ have to deal with when Iβm packing to go away without himβ¦.
Oh the guilt! Itβs almost too much to bear!! Might be smiling on the outside but Iβm crying on the inside π©
Hi Nagi,
I just made this today and havenβt tried it yet. I accidentally whipped egg whites with the fine sugar for 12 minutes instead of the yolks. So I used double egg whites in this recipe. It is in the fridge right now, serving it this evening, it LOOKS normal, will have to taste. Maybe it will just be fluffier? I hope I didnβt ruin it. I love your recipes! Your chicken pad se ew is one of my staples!
Hi Nagi! Joanne again! Iβm happy to report that the tiramisu for my dinner party last night was a hit despite my accidentally beating egg whites with the sugar in step 1. It was still delicious! Iβm guessing it just made it fluffier? It was still good! Thank you!
WHOOT! So glad it was still a hit! N xx
Hi Nagi. Made this last night for casual dinner party. Great hit! Better than most Restaurants!
This week I have made your Mango cheesecake, pumpkin salad and tiramisu.
All well received. Thanks again for your fantastic tasty recipes.
Michelle Christchurch NZ
WOAH! Youβve been busy! π Iβm so pleased you enjoyed this Michelle, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Hi Nagi! I followed your recipe but the mixture turned grainy after I fold in whipped egg whites. Do you have any idea why is this happening?
Should I leave the eggs and mascarpone in room temperature?
Hi Nagi, I made your tiramisu for Christmas lunch yesterday. It was delicious but my dish was slightly bigger than yours so it didnβt look quite so neat! Can you tell me what brand of dish you used please?
Cheers, Lorraine in Perth.
Perfect Xmas dessert. Delicious, a lovely balance of flavours, not too sweet and easy to make. I made a double batch. Will def make again. Thanks!
Do you think the sugar could be replaced with baking stevia?
how long would it last without melting???
Depends β how warm is it where you are? π
To make this for a larger # of servings in a 9 x 13 pan, would I double the recipe?
Yes! π
big thanks for this recipe, but i had one problem π the mixture of cream was so liquid and couldnt figure why π
we dont have mascarpone here, so i checked the net for a substitute and i found this :
βascarpone is a cream cheese with a high fat content and a slightly sweet taste. It is difficult to find a substitute and regular cream cheese has a lower fat content and a more acidic flavour. However you could try beating together 225g (8 ounces) full fat cream cheese with 60ml (4 tablespoons/1/4 cup) double or whipping cream and 30g (1 ounce/2 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter until just blended. This will give the equivalent of around 300g (10 ounces/1 1/4 cups) mascarpone.β
i did exactly what he said but the mixture was so liquid, i tried to add more whipping cream and put it in fridge for the whole night but still liquid π
Hi Moe, unfortunately it sounds like the sub you used was too runny π
Hi!! This looks great!! What size dish did you use? Would and 8Γ8 work?? Or would you go larger?
Note 5 β thatβs what I used!
Awesome!!
Hi! Is it ok to use ground espresso? Am making tiramisu right now. Thanks
As long as it dissolves in water thatβs fine!
Absolutely delightful. My new favourite dessert β€οΈ
Glad to hear that Ligi! Thanks for letting me know! N x β€οΈ
This was so simple to make thanks to your recipe and instructions, it was absolutely delicious, everyone loved it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Iβm so pleased to hear that Jessie! Thanks for sharing your feedback! N x π
Can regular granulated sugar be used? If not, can it be put in food processor to make it more fine?
Thanks
No need to, you will be fine! Superfine sugar just dissolves faster, thatβs all! π N xx
Good recipe.
Is caster (super fine) sugar the same as icing sugar?
If I replace it with icing sugar, is the measurement the same? i.e. 1/2 cup.
Thanks.
Hi! Nope, itβs different. π If you use icing sugar instead, increase by 50% π
is icing sugar same as confectioners sugar? why do we have to double the quantity? wouldnt that be too sweet?
Because 1/2 cup normal sugar = about 1 cup confectionerβs / icing sugar. π
I donβt drink nor do I own any coffee so I am a bit unsure about what to use for this recipe. Could you give some advise as to what I should order as if I were going purchase coffee from Starbucks to use?
Hi Simran! Just go to the grocery store and buy a jar of coffee granules, the type that dissolves just by adding hot water π N xx
Should the eggs be cold or room temperature?!
Thanks in advance!
Either is fine for this recipe π
If i donβt have a stand mixer, will a hand mixer be just fine? Iβm so excited to try this recipe!!
Yep it sure will Kezia! π N x
Hi Nagi
Iβm in the process of whipping this up as I write this. I will be making a larger version using 500g marscapone and am wondering if I really need to use 6 eggs. I am whipping up 4 large at the moment with 1/2 cup sugar. What do you think
I guess youβre done now! π But yes, 6 eggs is needed for the real authentic tiramisu! π N x
After searching through what seemed like a million tiramisu recipes, I found your one which not only looked authentic, but also less fussy than others. I am so glad I tried your recipe! I made an amazing tiramisu that my mother and friends all devoured. I also added 2tbsp of Baileys with the vanilla and marscapone, because why not ππ. For the most authentic tiramisu Marsala wine is the liqueur to use.
Thank you for the review Bonnie, itβs so terrific to hear you enjoyed this! N xx