Tiramisu is a classic Italian no-bake dessert made with layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and incredible custard-like mascarpone cream that contains no raw egg. Tiramisu dessert is elegant and divine, and this recipe is easy enough for beginners. Watch my video tutorial below and learn how to make a classic Tiramisu.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts, and this recipe is amazing! I’ve made it several times, and it’s always a hit.“ – Lisa ★★★★★
Italian Tiramisu Video
My homemade tiramisu recipe looks so impressive, tastes amazing, but comes together in only 5 simple steps. It’s a great make-ahead dessert since the flavors get better over time!
What is Tiramisu?
The word Tiramisu (tirami su in Italian) means “cheer me up” or “pull me up,” because one bite will put you in a good mood! Authentic Tiramisu dessert has 2 main layers: sponge cake (ladyfingers) soaked in coffee liqueur, and then topped by a decadent mascarpone cream layer. Classic Tiramisu recipes often contain raw egg yolks, but we use a different process to create the custard-like cream with the same amazing texture and flavor.
I love classic Italian desserts like Panna Cotta, Affogato, and let’s not forget the Berry Tiramisu. This classic Tiramisu recipe is probably the most iconic Italian dessert, which is why it’s on the menu in nearly every Italian restaurant. This homemade version does not disappoint!
Ingredients for Tiramisu
My easy Tiramisu recipe calls for a short list of ingredients, but be sure to check out the substitution ideas below.
- Espresso or strong coffee – Use espresso if you have an espresso machine, or use your favorite strong-brewed coffee. See substitutes below.
- Golden Rum – flavors the cream and the coffee syrup. The light color keeps the cream layer lighter in color.
- Ladyfingers – Lady Fingers, called “savoiardi” in Italian, are essentially sponge cake cookies, and they are easily found at grocery stores or online. Dry and crisp ladyfingers are preferred. Ladyfingers are great in other no-bake desserts like Charlotte Cake, Raspberry Mousse Cups, and my Berry Trifle.
- Egg yolks and sugar – heated in a double boiler to gently cook the yolks and dissolve the sugar. Use the leftover egg whites in an Omelette or to whip up delicious Pavlova.
- Mascarpone cheese – essentially the Italian version of cream cheese, stabilized with lemon juice or citric acid. It has a smoother consistency, is milder in flavor, and has twice as much fat as cream cheese.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Use chilled right out of the fridge. Opt for Heavy cream instead of light or regular cream, since these could make the mixture runny.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – optional, for garnish.
Substitutions
My Tiramisu recipe uses classic ingredients, but you can get the same great result with these easy swaps:
- Rum – You can switch to dark rum, Grand Marnier, or amaretto, if needed, or you can omit it and add a bit of vanilla extract to taste.
- Coffee – if you’re concerned about caffeine, try decaf for the same traditional coffee flavor, but if you want a different flavor profile, check out our Berry Tiramisu.
- Mascarpone – substitute with full-fat cream cheese, like in our Tiramisu Yule Log
How to Make Tiramisu
- Soak the Ladyfingers – Mix coffee and rum in a bowl, and then quickly dip half of the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. Arrange them in a 9×13 casserole.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a heat-proof bowl and then set it over a saucepan of simmering water to steam on low heat, but make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Whisk for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the steam and whisk for a few minutes to cool slightly.
- Beat mascarpone and rum together in a separate bowl with an electric hand mixer, and then beat in the cooled yolk mixture until blended.
- Whip cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. To get stiff peaks, start with a chilled bowl and whip the heavy cream until you can lift the beaters out of the fluffy cream and it stands straight up. If the tips fall slightly (soft peaks), whip a little longer. Fold half of the cream into the mascarpone mixture with a spatula, then fold in the rest.
- Spread half of the cream over the ladyfingers, and then dip the remaining ladyfingers and arrange them over the cream. Layer the remaining cream on top, and then cover and refrigerate overnight. Dust with cocoa powder and serve.
Tips for the Best Tiramisu Recipe
After years of making this recipe, here are a few of my tips to get the best result:
- Do not over-soak the ladyfingers, or the layers may collapse. A quick dip on each side is enough.
- Use cold HEAVY whipping cream to whip slowly to get stiff peaks for more stability. Don’t overbeat, or it will turn buttery and difficult to blend.
- Fold just until combined -when folding the cream into Mascarpone, do not over-mix or it may turn grainy.
- Chill the cake for at least 8 hours or overnight, and it will be very easy to slice and serve.
This is the best tiramisu recipe because the flavors are classic and decadent, but the easy-to-follow directions make it simple enough for beginners! Impress your guests with this elevated and supremely delicious dessert.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The eggs are cooked in my tiramisu recipe, so the dessert can be kept longer in the fridge. The flavors taste better the longer it rests!
- To Refrigerate: Cover and chill for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cover in a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups espresso , (or strong coffee), room temperature
- 6 Tbsp golden rum, divided
- 40 ladyfingers
- 6 egg yolks, (large)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 16 oz mascarpone, cold
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold*
- 2-3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, to dust the top
Instructions
Soak the Ladyfingers
- Dip – In a bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups espresso and 3 Tbsp rum. Quickly dip half of the ladyfingers, one at a time, and then arrange them in a single layer in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Dip once on each side so they are moist, but do not soak ladyfingers or the cake will collapse.
Mix the Tiramisu Mascarpone Cream
- Whisk – In a separate rimmed* medium glass bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar. Place over steam (on a saucepan with simmering water) and whisk 10 minutes on low heat until the mixture is lighter in color, slightly thickened, and not grainy when you rub between your fingers. Remove from heat and whisk for a few minutes off the heat to help it cool down. Then set it aside to cool while doing step 3.
- In a separate bowl, beat together 16 oz mascarpone and 3 Tbsp rum. Use an electric hand mixer to beat in the warm yolk mixture until well incorporated.
- Whip – In a separate chilled bowl, beat cold heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form*. Use a spatula to gently fold half of the whipped cream into mascarpone cream, then blend in the remaining whipped cream, just until incorporated. Do not overfold, or it will become grainy.
Layer the Tiramisu
- Spread half of the cream over the first layer of ladyfingers. Dip and arrange the remaining ladyfingers on top, and then spread the remaining cream on top. Cover with foil and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. It is ok to dust with cocoa ahead of time – the color will just darken from the moisture.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Dessert Casseroles
These are the best-rated and most requested desserts that fit conveniently into a 9×13 casserole dish:
- Tres Leches Cake
- Lemon Bars
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Crisp
- Baklava
- Pumpkin Cake
- Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- Peach Crisp
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Made this yesterday for Thanksgiving! Flavor was outstanding but it was runny. 🙁 Maybe I didn’t beat the whipped cream enough? I’ll try again though because it was delicious!
Hi Kathy, make sure you also whisk the eggs and sugar on the stove-top long enough or it can also get a little loose and lastly, make sure not to oversoak the lady fingers which will also add too much moisture to the cake. I hope that helps for next time. I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor!
Natasha, this recipe is a bomb. I made it for Thanksgiving and everybody loved it!! Not too sweet, very delicate, soft…. just the right combination. Thank you for your hard work!!
Hi Elena, that is exactly why we love this recipe, it is the perfect combination. Thank you for sharing your great review with us.
This looks delicious. Where can I purchase marscapone?
Hi Marina, I found it at Fred Meyer. I would suggest calling the grocery stores before making your rounds since not all grocery stores carry it, but most should.
I absolutely love your recipes. The way you show them on the video makes it easy for us to follow. This Thanksgiving we are making the Tiramisu for dessert and the sweet potato casserole.
Keep it up Natasha!
Ok now that is amazing. I’m seriously bringing the same 2 dishes to our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. I love that!! I have the Tiramisu chilling in the fridge right now and plan to make the casserole tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Made this tonight for thanksgiving tomorrow, directions easy to follow, video helped a lot and I can’t wait to try it, looks phenomenal & I’m sure it will taste the same. Love your recipes!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipe, Leah! Thank you for that great review.
Natasha, you really need a cookbook with all your recipes!
Love your recipes
I’m so glad to hear it, Alina! Thank you for that great review.
yes, definitely!!! Thanksgiving cannot get here soon enough. Making Tiramisu Thursday AM.
Can I make this 2 days ahead of time? Or will it get soggy by thanksgiving?
it is best eaten within a day of making it but it can sit for a couple of days in the fridge.
Hi! I’m not older enough to buy rum! What kind of substitute can I use?
Hi Anna, I have some great substitution ideas in the recipe post above.
16oz of marscapone?
Hi Linda, yes that is correct. Is there something in the recipe that isn’t clear? Please let me know and I will correct it. I hope you love the Tiramisu!
Thank you!! Just noticed other Tiramisu receipts call for only 8oz. Looking forward to making it.
I hope you love it, Linda!
Hi!
Can you use shaved chocolate instead of the powder chocolate?
Hi Mati, absolutely! Shaved chocolate all over the top is a great idea!
Tiramisu is an excellent desert and this one looks great. The only reason I won’t try this is because I already have about a dozen versions of this recipe, including Sophia Loren’s. I lucked into that one many hears ago. I do advise anyone without a favorite recipe to grab this one though, it looks delicious!
Thank you for that wonderful review, Kent!
If I want to make a smaller portion, do I just halve the ingredients?
Hi, yes that is correct. Also, if cutting the yolks in half, you want to heat that yolk and sugar mixture for about 6 minutes over the steam rather than 8-10 min.
I can’t believe we can make this at home. This tastes fantastic and is such a fancy dessert. Thanks for the video it really helped.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that and found it helpful! Thank you for that great review!
This recipe was so easy and delicious! Taste just like my favorite restaurant!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jamielyn!
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Oh that is awesome! I’m so glad to hear that you all loved the Tiramisu. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
This is a showstopper! I was so pleasently surprised at how easy it was!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for your wonderful review. It’s my favorite because it’s so easy but tastes so fancy!
Hi Natasha! It looks delicious! Question please: Do I have to use rum?
P.s- Love your recipes! I cook better thanks to you!
Hi Julia, thank you! You can omit or substitute. Please see the section above labeled: “Can I Substitute the Rum?”
Yummy! Such an amazing Tiramisu. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂 Awesome video too!
I’m so glad you loved it and thank you for the amazing compliment.
Hi Natasha, awesome recipe! Thank you! Can you please tell me where you got the dish you used for the tiramisu? It looks perfect, please share a link if possible. Thanks!
Hi Soni, I have a link to a similar one. The specific one I have is from Fred Meyer store and I am not able to find it online but the one I linked above is very close.
Hi! I want to try this for Thanksgiving! What can I use instead of rum?
Thank you!
Hi Andrea, that is an easy swap – check out the section above that says: “Can I Substitute the Rum?”
Hi, can the eggs be omitted or will it not taste the same? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie, the eggs add great flavor but also help with the frosting setting up properly. I think it would still work without them, but it wouldn’t be the same.
Natasha! Wow! It looks so delicious & easy to make. I want to make it for Thanksgiving! Only 1 question: where do you buy ladyfingers? I live in Syracuse, NY and I saw chocolate ladyfingers in our grocery stores. (they look brown, but yours are yellow)
Hi Luba, our local stores have them in stock as well as the russian store. We also have this note in the recipe you may find helpful “They are sold in some grocery stores and I have found them at Trader Joes, Walmart, Albertsons, and World Market but it’s easy to get ladyfingers online. Either dry or “soft” ladyfingers would work here. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even make homemade ladyfingers. Also, chocolate lady fingers will work here.
Once I had an exchange student from Italy In my foods class. He loved making tiramisu, so he and his mother who was visiting demonstrated for class. Their recipe was similar to yours, but they used “windmill cookies” rather than the ladyfingers. That’s what they used at home because they liked the flavor and texture better. It was excellent! Since that demonstration, I always use the windmill cookies.
That’s so awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that with me Cheryl!
Please tell how to make the coffee syrup with instant coffee
Hi Shalini, I haven’t tested this with instant coffee. I would make it based on the package instructions.
I found them in my freezer section today. The grocer said they haven’t had “fresh” in ages…I hope they taste as good!!