Berry Tiramisu is a layered dessert of light, airy sponge cake soaked in a mixed berry and green tea syrup, marsala and berry brandy mascarpone filling, and fresh berries, all topped with a freshly whipped cream. It’s a lighter spin on the classic coffee-laced Italian dessert.
*This recipe is an update from the original which I posted in 2020. It contains new images, metric measurements, and more detailed instructions.
What is Tiramisu?
The word tiramisu (properly spelled tiramisù) comes from the Italian phrase tireme su, or “pick-me-up.” Tiramisu is a coffee-flavored dessert of sweet mascarpone filling sandwiched between sponge cake (or ladyfingers) soaked in a coffee-marsala syrup and dusted in cocoa powder. Tiramisu originated in northern Italy in the Treviso region. The story goes that tiramisu was created by a madame as an aphrodisiac for her brothel’s clients.
Now, that’s none of my business, but that’s what I had heard.
What’s the Difference Between the Traditional Dessert and a Berry Tiramisu?
A berry tiramisu replaces the coffee flavors with fresh berries. I typically make the mascarpone filling of my classic tiramisu with sweet marsala wine and brandy. I replace the brandy with blackberry brandy in this berry tiramisu to keep in line with the flavor profile. The final dessert gets a topping of sweetened whipped cream instead of a dusting of cocoa powder, as in the original recipe.
What Kind of Cake Does Berry Tiramisu Have?
Classic tiramisu is made with a ladyfinger sponge cake cut into rectangles nestled into the serving dish. Store-bought ladyfinger cookies have replaced sponge cake, especially here in the States, because they make the preparation so much easier.
Make this berry tiramisu with store-bought ladyfingers or a homemade ladyfinger sponge cake, whichever fits your schedule. I prefer to make my sponge cake at home because I don’t have to go find ladyfingers. It’s also a much cheaper option. You need large eggs, cream of tartar, sugar, and cake flour to make the ladyfinger sponge cake. Buy two packages (you need a total of 40 ladyfingers) and skip this part if you decide to make your berry tiramisu with store-bought ladyfingers.
I begin the sponge cake the evening before I plan to serve the berry tiramisu so I can let the cake dry out. The drier the cake is, the less soggy it will be when you pour the berry syrup over it.
How Do You Make a Ladyfinger Sponge Cake?
Start by lightly greasing only the bottom of a half-sheet pan. Put a piece of parchment paper on the pan and lightly grease that as well. Don’t grease the sides of the pan or the paper. The sponge cake needs to grip onto the sides of the pan for it to rise as a cake should.
To make the ladyfinger sponge, first, use very clean hands to separate the egg yolks from the whites. The volume of the whipped egg whites folded into the whipped yolks and flour is the final part that helps the sponge cake rise. Fat inhibits the egg whites from whipping to their highest potential. It’s important to separate your egg whites from the yolks with clean hands and put them into a very clean mixing bowl.
Whip the whites with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute or until they become foamy. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and whip for an additional 30 seconds at medium speed. Cream of tartar bolsters the egg whites, which makes them whip higher and stay whipped longer. Sprinkle half of the granulated sugar a little at a time while the mixer continues to run at medium speed. Once the sugar is in, increase the mixer’s speed to medium-high and whip until the egg whites hold a stiff peak.
This entire step takes about 7 minutes from start to finish.
In a separate stainless steel bowl, whip the yolks and sugar together on high speed until the mixer’s beaters leave ribbons on the surface when you lift the beaters from the bowl. The eggs should be light, lemony-yellow when you’re done. This takes around 6 minutes.
What’s the Best Way to Mix the Batter for the Sponge Cake?
The best way to mix a sponge cake batter is by hand. This prevents the deflation of the whites and yolks, which, again, is what makes your ladyfinger sponge rise properly.
Use a sifter to sift half of the cake flour onto the surface of the whipped egg yolks. Gently fold the flour into the yolks using a large rubber spatula. Start at 12 o’clock on the bottom of the bowl and scrape the bottom and sides to 6 o’clock before lifting the spatula up and folding the batter on top of itself in the center of the bowl. Repeat this motion from 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock until the flour is mostly incorporated.
Gently fold in half of the whites using the same motions as before.
Repeat the steps by sifting in the last of the cake flour, folding it in, then folding in the last of the egg whites. Fold in both of these components gently but quickly. The more time that passes and the more aggressive you are, the more volume you lose in the eggs.
It’s better to have a few streaks of egg whites still visible than to overmix and deflate the batter.
How Long Do I Bake the Ladyfinger Sponge Cake?
Use an offset spatula to spread the mixed batter onto the prepared sheet pan in an even layer. Gently tap the sheet pan on the counter to dispel any air bubbles.
Bake the sponge cake for 8 minutes in a 425°F (218°C) oven, or until it is golden brown and has puffed up. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely. Allowing it to cool in the pan prevents the cake from deflating.
Use the tip of a very sharp knife to loosen the edges of the sponge cake from the sides of the sheetpan once the cake is cool to the touch. Carefully flip the sponge cake out of the pan onto the cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper slowly and carefully, so you don’t tear the cake.
Allow the cake to sit out, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (or overnight) to get stale.
What Do I Need to Make the Mascarpone Filling for the Berry Tiramisu?
The mascarpone filling for the berry tiramisu is made with egg yolks, sugar, sweet marsala wine, blackberry brandy, and mascarpone cheese. If you don’t have blackberry brandy or don’t like blackberry liqueur, you can use Chambord, or any other berry-flavored liqueur, instead. The last resort is to use plain brandy or cognac.
The first step in making the mascarpone filling is making a sabayon (or zabaglione) by heating the egg yolks, sugar, marsala, and brandy together over a double-boiler. You can make a double-boiler by putting a metal mixing bowl over a pot filled 1/3 of the way with water. Make sure the water in the pot doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl, or it will cause your egg yolks to curdle. Bring the water in the pot up to a simmer over medium heat. The steam produced by the simmering water will cook and thicken the eggs in the sabayon.
Whisk to combine the sabayon ingredients. Continue stirring the sabayon constantly, remembering to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to keep the yolks from curdling there. The mixture will thicken to the point that the whisk leaves ribbons on the surface when lifted.
Remove the bowl from the heat and allow the sabayon to cool to room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the sabayon for three to four hours (or overnight with the sponge cake).
How Do I Finish the Mascarpone Filling?
To finish the berry tiramisu’s mascarpone filling, blend the cold mascarpone on low speed for 1 minute to make it smooth. Don’t whip the mascarpone or allow it to come to room temperature because it can curdle or become grainy. If it does curdle, melting it slightly (while whisking continuously) over the double-boiler will bring it back together. Refrigerate it until it is cold, then start over again.
Add the cold sabayon to the cheese and blend on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Blend the mascarpone mixture for another 30 seconds on low speed until the sabayon is completely mixed in. It’s better to under-mix than overdo it and risk curdling the cheese.
Cover the mascarpone bowl and refrigerate while you macerate the berries.
How Long Can You Macerate the Berries for Berry Tiramisu?
Macerating berries, or any fruit, allows you to extract as much of the fruit’s natural juices. You can macerate the berries for berry tiramisu for up to 4 hours, but I wouldn’t go any longer. I start macerating the berries while the sabayon is chilling, so they’re both ready simultaneously.
The berry mixture contains fresh blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, sugar, lime juice and zest, and fresh mint. The added “pick-me-up” comes from strongly brewed green tea. You can swap out or replace any of the berries in this recipe for what you have or prefer. Be sure to use the same amount of fruit to extract the right amount of juice, though. You can replace the mint with fresh basil if you prefer. The lime juice and zest can also be swapped out for lemon or orange.
Cut the fruit into pieces that are no larger than 1/2 inch. You want the fruit to be smaller than bite size in the berry tiramisu. Toss the fruit, sugar, lime juice, zest, and mint leaves together using a large spoon.
Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 seconds, or up to 4 hours. Brew 2 bags of green tea in 1 cup of hot water while the fruit is macerating. This is the caffeine boost in the tiramisu. It’s optional, though. Once the tea is completely cool, remove the tea bags.
Strain the juice that the berries released into a separate bowl. You should end up with close to 2 cups of berry juice. Add the cool green tea to the juice. Save the berries to add to the berry tiramisu.
Is Tiramisu Topped with Whipped Cream?
Classic tiramisu is not topped with whipped cream. Usually, it’s sprinkled with cocoa powder only. Because this berry tiramisu is full of berries, I thought whipped cream was the perfect topping. But, you can omit the cream completely if you want to cut down on calories.
To make whipped cream, you need heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Set a mixing bowl in a shallow dish of ice water, then pour in the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Start beating the cream at medium speed until the beaters leave trails on the surface. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar. Once the sugar has been added, increase the mixing speed to medium-high and whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. This process usually takes about 4-6 minutes from start to finish.
How Do I Assemble the Berry Tiramisu?
Assemble the berry tiramisu in a deep (3-inches or deeper) 9×13 baking dish or cake pan.
Cut the sponge cake for the berry tiramisu into two sheets of equal sizes using the baking dish as a template. If you have excess cake, just trim it off and enjoy it with some coffee later. Snuggle one of the sponge sheets into the bottom of the baking dish. Pour half of the berry-tea mixture onto the sponge’s surface and allow it to soak in for 2-3 minutes. Spoon half of the fruit mixture onto the cake layer.
If you’re using store-bought ladyfingers, use crisp, “tiramisu style,” ladyfingers because those will soak up the berry mixture without becoming soggy. Dip each cookie into the berry mixture and arrange them in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Break up the cookies as needed to fit them into the corner section of the baking dish.
Spoon half of the mascarpone filling onto the fruit. Use an offset spatula to spread the cream into an even layer.
Repeat the cake/ladyfinger layer, followed by the rest of the berry-tea mixture. Give the mixture a couple of minutes to soak in before spooning on the rest of the fruit.
Finally, add the remaining mascarpone cream and spread it in an even layer. Depending on how deep your dish is, you may be right at the top of the dish when you’re done assembling.
To decorate the berry tiramisu, spread a generous layer of whipped cream over the mascarpone and garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves.
How Do I Serve My Berry Tiramisu?
Refrigerate berry tiramisu for 2 hours before serving it. This allows the fruit juice to penetrate the cake layer fully. Overnight is ideal, but you need at least two hours to make sure the ladyfinger spongecake has soaked up as much of that berry juice as possible.
Cut the berry tiramisu into 12 servings and enjoy it on its own or with coffee.
How Do I Properly Store Tiramisu?
Store leftover berry tiramisu in the fridge, covered in plastic film, for three days. Wrapping the dish in plastic film keeps the cake from drying out, and the berry garnish from drying out as well.
Can I Freeze Berry Tiramisu?
To freeze tiramisu, tightly wrap the dish in two layers of plastic film and one layer of foil. I prefer to freeze my berry tiramisu without the whipped cream topping so it doesn’t get ruined in the wrapping process. Freeze the dessert for up to 3 months. Thaw the berry tiramisu in the fridge overnight as serve as instructed above.
Tell me what you think of my fruity spin on the classic tiramisu dessert. Be sure to share it with your friends and family, as well! This Berry Tiramisu should definitely grace your dessert table this year.
Berry Tiramisu
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- electric hand mixer
- half sheet pan
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake (OR 40 Store-Bought Ladyfingers 2 Packages)
- 6 large eggs yolks separated from whites and at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar divided
- 1 cup (120 grams) cake flour sifted
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar or lemon juice
For the Mascarpone Filling
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup (215 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) sweet marsala wine
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) blackberry brandy
- 2 pounds (904 grams) mascarpone cheese chilled
For the Berry-Green Tea Syrup
- 1 dry pint (510 grams) blueberries large berries cut in halves
- 1 pound (450 grams) strawberries hulled and diced
- 6 ounces (170 grams) raspberries cut in halves
- 6 ounces (170 grams) blackberries cut in halves
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 stem (about 7 each) mint leaves minced, optional
- 2 medium limes juiced and zested (about 1/4 cup of juice and 1 tablespoon of zest)
- 1 cup (250 milliliters water boiling
- 2 bags (2 grams) green tea
For the Whipped Cream and Berry Topping
- 2 cups (500 milliliters) heavy cream chilled
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) vanilla extract
Optional Garnishes
- 6 medium strawberries halved
- 6 large blackberries halved (or 12 small left whole)
- 12 raspberries
- 12 blueberries
- 12 small mint leaves
Instructions
Bake the Ladyfinger Sponge Cake 8 Hours Ahead (Skip to "Assemble the Berry Tiramisu" if Using Store-bought Ladyfingers)
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).Lightly grease only the bottom of a half-sheet pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper and lightly grease the paper only. Don't grease the sides of the pan at all. The sponge cake needs to grip onto the sides of the pan to rise as high as possible
- Whip the whites with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute or until they become foamy. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and whip for an additional 30 seconds at medium speed. Sprinkle 1/4 cup (50 grams) of the granulated sugar a little at a time while the mixer continues to run at medium speed. Once the sugar is in, increase the mixer's speed to medium-high and whip until the egg whites hold a stiff peak. This entire step takes about 7 minutes from start to finish.
- In a separate stainless steel bowl, whip the yolks and sugar together on high speed until the mixer's beaters leave ribbons on the surface when you lift the beaters from the bowl or for 6 minutes.Use a sifter to sift half of the cake flour onto the surface of the whipped egg yolks. Gently fold the flour into the yolks using a large rubber spatula. *See post for instructions on the proper folding-in technique.*Gently fold in half of the whites using the same motion.
- Repeat the steps by sifting in the last of the cake flour, folding it in, then folding in the last of the egg whites. Fold in both of these components gently but quickly. The more time that passes and the more aggressive you are, the more volume you lose in the eggs. It's better to have a few streaks of egg whites still visible than to over-mix and deflate the batter.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the mixed batter onto the prepared sheet pan in an even layer. Gently tap the sheet pan on the counter to dispel any air bubbles.Bake the sponge cake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until it is golden brown and has puffed up. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
- Use the tip of a very sharp knife to loosen the edges of the sponge cake from the sides of the sheetpan once the cake is cool to the touch. Carefully flip the sponge cake out of the pan onto the cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper slowly and carefully, so you don't tear the cake.Allow the cake to sit out, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (or overnight) to get stale.
Make the Sabayon/Zabaglione Up to 3 Hours Ahead
- Make a double-boiler by putting a metal mixing bowl over a pot filled 1/3 of the way with water, making sure the water in the pot doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water in the pot up to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the egg yolks, sugar, sweet marsala wine, and blackberry brandy to the mixing bowl and whisk to combine the ingredients. Heat the sabayon while stirring constantly, remembering to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to keep the yolks from curdling there. The mixture will thicken to the point that the whisk leaves ribbons on the surface when lifted.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and allow the sabayon to cool to room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the sabayon for three to four hours (or overnight with the sponge cake) until completely chilled.
Finish the Mascarpone Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, blend the cold mascarpone on low speed for 1 minute to make it smooth. Add the cold sabayon to the cheese and blend on low speed for 1 minute.Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Blend the mascarpone mixture for another 30 seconds on low speed until the sabayon is completely mixed in. Cover the mascarpone bowl and refrigerate while you macerate the berries.
Macerate the Berries
- Add the blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, sugar, lime juice, zest, and mint leaves together using a large spoon in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 seconds, or up to 4 hours.
- Brew 2 bags of green tea in 1 cup of hot water while the fruit is macerating. Once the tea is completely cool, remove the tea bags and press out any excess liquid from them.Discard the tea bags.
Make the Berry-Green Tea Syrup
- Strain the juice that the berries released into a separate bowl. You should have close to 2 cups of berry juice. Add the cool green tea to the juice. Save the berries to add to the berry tiramisu during assembly.Set this aside while you make the whipped cream.
Whip the Cream
- Set a 3-quart mixing bowl in a shallow dish of ice water, then pour in the heavy cream and vanilla extract into the bowl.Start beating the cream at medium speed until the beaters leave trails on the surface.
- Gradually sprinkle in the sugar. Once the sugar has been added, increase the mixing speed to medium-high and whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. This process usually takes about 4-6 minutes from start to finish.
Assemble the Berry Tiramisu
- Use a deep (3-inches or deeper) 9x13 baking dish or cake pan as template for cutting the ladyfinger sponge cake into two sheets that will fit into the baking dish.Snuggle one of the sponge sheets into the bottom of the baking dish. Pour half of the berry-tea mixture onto the sponge's surface and allow it to soak in for 2-3 minutes.
- For Store-Bought Ladyfingers: dip each cookie into the berry-tea mixture and arrange them in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish. It should take 18-20 cookies for each layer.Break up the cookies as needed to fit them into the corner section of the baking dish.
- Spoon half of the fruit mixture onto the cake layer into an even layer. Next, spoon half of the mascarpone filling onto the fruit. Use an offset spatula to spread the cream into an even layer.
- Repeat the cake/ladyfinger layer, followed by the rest of the berry-tea mixture. Give the mixture a couple of minutes to soak in before spooning on the rest of the fruit.Finally, add the remaining mascarpone cream and spread it in an even layer. Depending on how deep your dish is, you may be right at the top of the dish when you're done assembling.
Decorate the Berry Tiramisu
- Spread the whipped cream over the mascarpone and eyeball or score 12 serving pieces. Arrange a strawberry halve, blackberry halve, raspberry, blueberry and a mint leaf on each square.
- Refrigerate berry tiramisu for 2 hours before serving it. Cut the berry tiramisu into 12 servings and enjoy it on its own or with coffee.
Notes
Swaps and Substitutions:
- If you don't have blackberry brandy or don't like blackberry liqueur, you can use Chambord, or any other berry-flavored liqueur, instead. The last resort is to use plain brandy or cognac.
- You can swap out or replace any of the berries in this recipe for what you have or prefer. (Be sure to use the same amount of fruit to extract the right amount of juice, though.)
- Replace the mint with fresh basil if you prefer.
- The lime juice and zest can also be swapped out for lemon or orange.
- Omit the green tea if you don't care about adding caffeine to the recipe.
- You can omit the whipped cream if you want to cut down on calories.
Tips and Techniques:
- Allowing the sponge cake to cool in the pan prevents the cake from deflating.
- Don't whip the mascarpone or allow it to come to room temperature because it can curdle or become grainy. If it does curdle, melting it slightly (while whisking continuously) over the double-boiler will bring it back together. Refrigerate it until it is cold, then start over again.
- It's better to under-mix the mascarpone filling than overdo it and risk curdling the cheese.
- Cutting your berries before adding them to the berry tiramisu makes eating the dessert more appetizing. The fruit should be smaller than bite size.
- If you have excess sponge cake, just trim it off and enjoy it with some coffee later.
- If you're using store-bought ladyfingers, use crisp, "tiramisu style," ladyfingers because those will soak up the berry mixture without becoming soggy.
- You can serve the tiramisu right after assembling it, but allowing it to chill for at least two hours gives the ladyfinger spongecake ample time to soak up the berry juice mixture.
Storage Instructions:
- Store leftover berry tiramisu in the fridge, covered in plastic film, to keep the cake and berry garnish from drying out.
- Berry tiramisu can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions:
- Freeze the tiramisu before covering in whipped cream.
- Tightly wrap the dish containing the tiramisu in two layers of plastic film and one layer of foil.
- Freeze the dessert for up to 3 months.
- Thaw the berry tiramisu in the fridge overnight as serve as instructed in the recipe above.
Such a different version of Tiramisu with berries, zabaione, and sponge cake. Very luscious and tasty.
I appreciate the feedback!
Oh my goodness! What a stunning looking berry tiramisu. Perfect summer dessert to celebrate juicy and sweet berries.
Yes, Hayley!