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
Thank you Natasha for the awesome recipe. My first attempt at making Tiramisu and I think it should turn out ok (its cooling down in the fridge right now) but my mascarpone mixture turned out runny which dint get fixed with the whipped cream as well. My gut feeling is it could be due to the egg mixture being slightly hot when I mixed it the beaten mascarpone but I am not sure. Could that be the issue. I followed all your instructions and didnt use any substitute ingredients. Do advise.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I had same problem and I did it twice, nothing changed, both times my mascarpone and egg mix became runny. don’t know if the problem is warm eggs or what else could be? would be nice if Natasha can help as I see couple others have the same problem but not a proper answer at replies from her. still, it was super yummy and disappeared in a second but runny and not firmed. Natasha, any idea please?
Hi Pantea, it may be due to not having the yolks and sugar on the heat long enough, or possibly using extra-large yolks. Also, make sure to use Heavy whipping cream and beat it adequately.
Hey, love this recipe! However my sponge fingers were either soggy or not enough of them.does teh coffee really need to be hot when the ladyfinger are being dipped?
Hi Danya, the syrup isn’t usually hot by the time I am dipping the ladyfingers. There should be some syrup leftover and make sure it’s just a quick dip and that you are using the same amount of ladyfingers.
Do you think I could substitute the rum for whisky or a stroopwafel liquor?
You can also substitute the rum with a little Grand Marnier, or amaretto. If you prefer to omit the alcohol completely, you can just leave out the rum or add a little bit of vanilla extract to taste.
I’ll try a small amount of whiskey and vanilla in the coffee and the stroopwafel liquor in the cream (I don’t have access to Grand Marnier, or amaretto, but want to use the alcohol). We will see – thanks 🙂
Sounds good, please share with us how it goes.
Used vanilla in the coffee dip and stroopwafel liquor in the mascarpone – yum! My cream layer was not very sturdy though, a bit softer than traditional tiramisu at restaurants – maybe I should’ve cooked the yolk sugar longer to become thicker? All ingredients were chilled properly, I put the mascarpone egg mix into the fridge after mixing, the heavy whipping cream was to medium peaks and gently folded (1/2 1/2) into the mascarpone. Chilled at least 10 hours before slicing. Any suggestions?
Hi Mary, that may be the culprit. Did you make sure to heat the yolk mixture long enough until it was the same consistency and color as you see in the video? Sometimes the extra moisture from that can be problematic. Also, make sure you use HEAVY whipping cream which has a higher fat content than regular whipping cream and beat that long enough – if you under beat the cream, it won’t set properly. I hope that helps.
Haiii natasha, i’m from indonesia. Tq for your detail step making tiramisu.
I’ ll try this first tiramisu.
Thank you so much for that wonderful review Lucia!
Hello Natasha. Question, Can I put frozen raspberries inside the cake between layers? Thx
Hi Edith, I have not tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Love, love you! I’ve never made tiramisu, because I can’t get nut-free ladyfingers made in a nut-free facility. My kid is allergic to tree nuts, is there a way to substitute ladyfingers or maybe a way to make them myself? If you have a take on this please let us know, the people who can’t get safe baked components needed for tiramisu. Love always, Svetlana
I have a recipe for Homemade Ladyfingers. I hope that helps!
Unbelievably sure fire recipe! Perfect every time!
That’s just awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi
Thanks for sharing your recipe
My cream is curdle Would you please tell me what cause that
Thanks
Hi Raheleh, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve made this recipe many times and haven’t experienced any issues with curdling but I am happy to help troubleshoot. Did you watch the video to see the full process to possibly identify what may have been changed? Were there any substitutions made? I suspect the curdling was due to reheating the mascarpone mixture – I’ve never had to do that and I wouldn’t recommend that once the mascarpone is in.
I love every recipe you show. Thank You Natasha
You’re welcome! Thank you for that amazing feedback!
Do you think halving the recipe would fit into an 8×8 dish?
Hi Masa, great question. I have not tested it in an 8×8 to advise. If you do experiment please let me know how you like that.
Hi, can I use pound cake instead of lady’s finger ?
Hi Deepthy! I bet that could work! If you experiment please let me know how you like that!
Hello Natasha!
Elizabeth all the way from South Africa.
I found your YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago and l am hooked.
I want to make the tiramisu but do you have any idea on how l could utilise the egg whites so they don’t go to waste.
And l am terrified of making desserts that require me to temper egg yolks but l am excited to try your recipe!I hope l don’t make scrambled eggs
Wonderful to have you here, Elizabeth! I’m glad that you found my YouTube channel and blog. You can use the egg whites for making meringues!
If I’m not using rum , then how much vanilla extract must I add . I know you said a bit but I’m unsure .
Hi Albee, you would add it to taste. Most recipes use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
I made this Tiramisu for my girlfriends birthday! What a hit, her husband is also a Tiramisu lover and he commented how good it was and was impressed that I made it. Thank you for the awesome recipe.
You are very welcome, Cindy. I’m so glad they loved it!
Hello.
What brand rum should I use? Khaula?
Thanks
Hi Ariana, I haven’t tested that with Khaula to advise. We posted a photo of the rum we used in the recipe post. We used Bacardi gold.
Hi,
I like your blog but I have to tell you that if you want to call it Tiramisu you need to correct your recipe because here in Italy we don’t use whip cream and neither rum or any alcohol. it’s just espresso.
Thank you for that feedback, Giorgio! I hope you enjoy our version!
Do you dip the lady fingers in espresso?
Today I made your meatball recipe and the tiramisu. Both came out great. I love your recipes. Easy to follow and using available and recognizable ingredients. You’re the best.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles
I made this tiramisu recipe and it turned out really good! This will be my family’s favorite list of dessert recipe from now on.
*Tips or subtitute I did on this recipe since I do not drink coffee.
1.I use 1cup melted cocoa powder with hot water to soak the lady fingers instead of coffee. It works pretty much the same.
2. I use vanilla instead of rum
I am so glad you loved this Tiramisu recipe! Thank you also for your tips, that is very helpful.
How much vanilla did you use?
I have always wanted to learn to make Tiramisu. Finally found the time in quarantine!!!
Watched a few different recipes and decided to try this one.
It was perfect! Simply delicious! I’ll definitely be making this recipe again, hopefully for a big gathering or celebration, once we can have those again!!!
Thank you, Natasha!
Ill
Hello Kelly, thank you for sharing that with us and I’m glad to know that it was a success! I hope you love every recipe that you try.
The taste is awesome. The only problem with my tiramisu is the cream portion of it is sort of slightly runny. Not sure what did I not do correctly. Overall it’s still awesome considering my first attempt at it.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Noelle. I haven’t had that experience but I’m happy to troubleshoot. Was anything altered in the recipe? 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 ladyfingers 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!
I have tried other tiramisu recipes that my family wasn’t fond of, but everyone loved this one! It’s a keeper.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi natasha. Will this hold up in a springform??
Hi Elena, that should work great in a springform!