Classic Tiramisu from Scratch

This Classic Tiramisu is a coffee-flavored Italian dessert made with ladyfinger sponge cake and a mascarpone filling, all topped with chocolaty cocoa powder. This recipe, which I brought back from Taormina, Sicily, is one that my friends and family absolutely adore.

What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisú means “pick-me-up” in Italian and originates from the Northern regions of Italy. However, my recipe for tiramisu comes from Sicily, where I closely watched a panettiere, or baker, as he made it. Granted, I’m sure I didn’t pick up all of his tricks, but I have to say it’s pretty amazing. My family and friends have been begging for this recipe for decades. 

Tiramisu is a dessert of ladyfinger cookies dipped in a coffee and marsala wine mixture. The ladyfingers are layered in a baking dish with a sweetened mascarpone cheese filling and garnished with cocoa powder.  

What are the Ingredients in a Classic Tiramisu?

Classic tiramisu has 3 components: the ladyfinger sponge cake, the espresso (or coffee) soak, and the zabaglione-mascarpone filling. Tiramisu is not a quick-fix dessert, so plan to make this recipe over 2 days. 

I prefer to make a ladyfinger sponge for my tiramisu for no other reason than I always have the ingredients on hand, and it tastes better. 

To make a tiramisu ladyfinger sponge from scratch, you need all-purpose flour, large eggs, sugar, and cream of tartar.

We’ll get to the other components later in the post. 

Can I Use Store-bought Ladyfingers for This Classic Tiramisu?

Add room-temperature egg whites to a very clean metal, glass, or ceramic mixing bowl. Begin beating the egg whites with a hand mixer at medium-low speed for 1 1/2 minutes or until frothy. 

Add the cream of tartar, which strengthens the egg whites, to the bowl. Increase the mixing speed to medium and continue beating the whites for another 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

Gradually sprinkle in the granulated sugar a little at a time while beating the egg whites. Once the sugar is beaten into the whites, increase the mixing speed to medium-high.

Beat the egg white for about 6 to 7 minutes. When you lift the beaters from the surface, they will hold a stiff peak.

Tap the excess egg whites from the beaters against the side of your hand, not the bowl, to avoid deflating the whites. Set the whites aside and reattach the beaters.

Using the same beaters (no need to clean them), beat the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together at medium-high speed.

After 5 to 6 minutes, the beaters will leave ribbons on the surface of the egg yolks. The egg yolks will also be a pale, lemony-yellow color.

Sift 1/3 of the all-purpose flour into the bowl of egg yolks. Gently fold in the flour with a large rubber spatula just until it’s no longer visible. 

Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the bowl. Gently fold these in until they are almost combined, as well. Continue adding the sifted flour and whites until you have a thick, fluffy batter.

How Long Do I Bake the Ladyfinger Sponge?

Fill a 21-inch piping bag with the batter, ensuring you don’t deflate it by handling it too rough. Cut 1 inch off the tip of the piping bag to create a hole from which to pipe. Pipe diagonal or straight lines on a parchment-lined, ungreased half-sheet pan. This mimics the shape and curves of individual ladyfingers without the added time of piping them.

Alternatively, scrape the ladyfinger sponge onto the parchment-lined sheetpan and use an offset spatula to smooth it out into an even layer. 

Bake the sponge cake in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 15 minutes or until the cake is puffy and golden brown.

Why Do I Need to Dry Out The Ladyfinger Sponge Cake?

Allow the ladyfinger sponge to cool completely in the pan. Use a paring knife to separate the cake from the sides of the pan once it is cool. 

Carefully remove the cake from the sheet pan by turning it onto a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper carefully and allow the sponge cake to dry out for 8 to 12 hours (or overnight).

Drying out the ladyfinger sponge overnight makes it stale, which allows it to soak up as much of the espresso mixture as possible without becoming soggy. It’s much like the hard ladyfingers in the package.

Is There Alcohol in Classic Tiramisu?

Classic tiramisu contains two types of alcohol: sweet marsala wine and brandy, cognac, or rum. I use cognac because I have it on hand for most of my other recipes. You can replace the cognac in this recipe with dark rum or your favorite brandy instead. Don’t make the mistake of using dry marsala wine or marsala that you find in the cooking aisle. The former won’t make your mascarpone filling sweet enough; the latter is full of gross sulfites. Buy your marsala from a wine store or the wine aisle.

Tiramisu’s mascarpone filling is made with egg yolks, sugar, sweet marsala wine, cognac, and mascarpone cheese. 

Are the Eggs in Tiramisu Raw?

The mascarpone filling for tiramisu begins with a zabaglione. Zabaglione is a mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and sweet marsala wine (and cognac here), which is cooked until thick in a double-boiler. 

The eggs in tiramisu aren’t raw because they are cooked over the double-boiler to a safe temperature. Add the egg yolks, sugar, marsala wine, and cognac to a metal or glass bowl. Fill a wide sauce pot 1/3 of the way with cold water and set the bowl over the sauce pot. Turn the stove up the medium-low and allow the water in the pot to come to a simmer while you whisk the contents of the bowl together. 

Continue whisking the egg-sugar mixture constantly as it heats from below. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the egg mixture cooks evenly. Whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. 

The mixture will go from a deep yellow color and runny to a really thick and dull opaque orange in color. Remove the top bowl from the pot and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until completely chilled. 

I usually make the zabaglione right after taking the paper off the ladyfinger sponge. 

How Do I Make the Coffee Mixture for My Classic Tiramisu?

The espresso/coffee mixture is another component of tiramisu that you can make a day or two ahead. The espresso soak for tiramisu is made with strongly brewed espresso (or coffee), brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.

Because I don’t want to make a pot of espresso every time I make tiramisu, I cheat and use instant espresso. Don’t worry about not using it if you buy a jar of instant espresso. You can use it to make these Dark Chocolate Fudgy Brownies or this Espresso Banana Bread.

Heat water to steaming and stir in the instant espresso powder, brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.

Set this aside to cool while you finish the mascarpone filling. 

Why Did My Mascarpone Filling Curdle?

Add the cold zabaglione to the cold mascarpone cheese and blend these together on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Stop the mixer midway through blending to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. 

Mascarpone does not need to come to room temperature before mixing it with the zabaglione. In fact, when you allow it to warm up, the likelihood of it curdling is higher. Just blend it cold, straight from the fridge. 

How Far Ahead Should I Assemble the Tiramisu?

It’s best to assemble tiramisu at least 2 hours ahead of when you plan to serve it. This gives the espresso mixture time to soak into the sponge. 

I cut the sponge cake in half and trim off any excess so it will fit in my baking dish. A 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish is the best size dish to assemble your tiramisu in. 

Start by pouring 1/2 cup of the espresso mixture into the baking dish. Press one of the ladyfinger sponge pieces into the baking dish over the liquid. This allows the cake to soak up the coffee mixture from the top and bottom. Pour another 1/2 cup of the espresso mixture over the top of the cake layer. Allow it to soak into the cake for 2 to 3 minutes.

Use an offset spatula to spread half of the mascarpone filling over the first cake layer. Cover the mascarpone layer with the remaining cake layer. Pour the remaining coffee mixture over the cake and allow it to soak for 2 to 3 minutes. Smooth the remaining mascarpone filling over the surface of the cake. 

How Do I Decorate My Tiramisu?

Classic Italian tiramisu is not topped with whipped cream. I don’t know who started doing that, but Italy is not pleased. Instead, a generous dusting of cocoa powder is sprinkled over the tiramisu before serving. So generous a sprinkle, in fact, that in some parts of Italy, I found the camerieri (servers) waiting to see if we’d choke inhaling it. We always did. They always laughed. Good times.

Use a tea strainer or a sifter to sift the cocoa powder over the surface of your tiramisu. 

Do I Serve Tiramisu Hot or Cold?

Tiramisu is a cold dessert. After sprinkling the cocoa powder over it, chill the tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. You can also hold off on the cocoa powder until just before serving it. 

How Do I Serve Classic Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a very rich, decadent dessert. As a result, you only need more coffee or a glass of milk to enjoy it. 

Once you’re ready to serve the tiramisu, slice a square from the whole cake and serve it just like that. 

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Store tiramisu lightly covered in plastic wrap or foil in the fridge for up to 3 days. Try not to keep tiramisu out a room temperature for a long period, or it will spoil quickly.

To freeze tiramisu:

1. Wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic film before sprinkling the cocoa powder over it.
2. Freeze it for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw the frozen tiramisu in the fridge and consume it within 3 days. 

Well, the secret is out. Many people have waited for this recipe, and here it is. I expect to receive gifts in the mail any day now. Be sure to share this amazing tiramisu recipe with your friends and family. Pin it to your dessert boards for easy finding, too.

Classic Tiramisu from Scratch

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 21 votes

This Classic Tiramisu is a coffee-flavored Italian dessert made with ladyfinger sponge cake and a mascarpone filling, all topped with chocolaty cocoa powder.

This recipe, which I brought back from Taormina, Sicily, is one that my friends and family absolutely adore.

Servings: 12

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Inactive Prep/Cooling 10 hours hrs

Total Time 11 hours hrs 27 minutes mins

Equipment

• 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish
• electric hand mixer

Ingredients

  

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For the Sponge Cake (See Notes for Alternatives)- Begin One Day Ahead

• 8 large eggs at room temperature, whites and yolks separated
• 1/2 teaspoons (2 grams) cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) granulated sugar separated
• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour

For the Zabaglione- Begin One Day Ahead

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) sweet marsala wine
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) cognac

For the Mascarpone Filling

• 2 pounds (904 grams) mascarpone cheese chilled
• zabaglione

For the Espresso Soak- May Be Prepared 1 Week Ahead and Stored in the Fridge

• 3 cups (700 milliliters) water heated to boiling
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) instant espresso powder
• 1/2 cup, firmly packed (220 grams) brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) vanilla extract

To Garnish

• 1/2 cup (50 grams) dutch-processed cocoa powder or as needed to cover the tiramisu

Instructions 

Prepare the Sponge Cake Batter (Begin One Day Ahead)

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

  Line a half-sheetpan with parchment paper. You can grease just the bottom of the sheetpan, but don't grease the sides at all.
• Add the egg whites to a very clean metal, glass, or ceramic mixing bowl.

  Begin beating the egg whites with a hand mixer at medium-low speed for 1 1/2 minutes or until frothy. 
• Add the cream of tartar to the bowl.

  Increase the mixing speed to medium and continue beating the whites for another 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
• Gradually sprinkle in 1/3 cup (about 70 grams) of the granulated sugar a little at a time while beating the egg whites. Once the sugar is beaten into the whites, increase the mixing speed to medium-high.

  Beat the egg whites for about 6 to 7 minutes. When you lift the beaters from the surface, they will hold a stiff peak.

  Tap the excess egg whites from the beaters against the side of your hand, not the bowl, to avoid deflating the whites. Set the whites aside and reattach the beaters.
• Using the same beaters (no need to clean them), beat the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together at medium-high speed for 5 to 6 minutes.

  After 5 to 6 minutes, the beaters will leave ribbons on the surface of the egg yolks and they will look pale lemony-yellow in color.
• Sift 1/3 of the all-purpose flour into the bowl of egg yolks. Gently fold in the flour with a large rubber spatula just until it's no longer visible. 

  Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the bowl. Gently fold these in until they are almost combined, as well. Continue adding the sifted flour and whites until you have a thick, fluffy batter.

Bake, then Dry Out the Sponge Cake

• Fill a 21-inch piping bag with the batter, ensuring you don't deflate it by handling it too rough.

  Cut 1 inch off the tip of the piping bag to create a hole from which to pipe.
• Pipe diagonal or straight lines on the prepared half-sheet pan.

  Bake the sponge cake in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 15 minutes or until the cake is puffy and golden brown.
• Allow the ladyfinger sponge to cool completely in the pan. Use a paring knife to separate the cake from the sides of the pan once it is cool. 

  Carefully remove the cake from the sheet pan by turning it onto a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper carefully and allow the sponge cake to dry out for 8 to 12 hours (or overnight).

Make the Zabaglione (Begin One Day Ahead)

• Add the egg yolks, sugar, marsala wine, and cognac to a metal or glass bowl.

  Fill a wide sauce pot 1/3 of the way with cold water and set the bowl over the sauce pot. Turn the stove up the medium-low and allow the water in the pot to come to a simmer while you whisk the contents of the bowl together. 
• Continue whisking the egg-sugar mixture constantly as it heats from below. Occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure the egg mixture cooks evenly for 6 to 7 minutes.

  Whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. 

  The mixture will go from a deep yellow color and runny to a really thick and dull opaque orange in color.
• Remove the top bowl from the pot and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

  Once cool, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until completely chilled. 

Prepare the Espresso Soak

• Stir in the instant espresso powder, brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice into the hot water.

  Set this aside to cool while you finish the mascarpone filling. 

Complete the Mascarpone Filling

• Add the cold zabaglione to the cold mascarpone cheese and blend these together on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

  Stop the mixer midway through blending to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. 

  Set the mascarpone filling aside.

Assemble the Tiramisu (Two Hours Prior to Serving)

• Cut the sponge cake in half and trim off any excess cake to ensure it fits in a 9 x 13 x 3-inch baking dish.  

  Pour 1/2 cup of the espresso mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
• Press one of the ladyfinger sponge pieces into the baking dish over the liquid.

  Pour another 1/2 cup of the espresso mixture over the top of the cake layer.

  Allow the espresso mixture to soak into the cake for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Use an offset spatula to spread half of the mascarpone filling over the first cake layer.

  Cover the mascarpone layer with the remaining cake layer.
• Pour the remaining coffee mixture over the cake and allow it to soak for 2 to 3 minutes.

  Smooth the remaining mascarpone filling over the surface of the cake. 

Garnish, Chill, then Serve

• Use a tea strainer or a sifter to sift the cocoa powder over the surface of your tiramisu. 

  After sprinkling the cocoa powder over it, chill the tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
• After 2 hours slice, then serve your tiramisu.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Skip making the sponge cake and use 2 7-ounce packages of ladyfingers, dipped in the coffee mixture and arranged in the baking dish instead.
• You can replace the cognac in this recipe with dark rum or brandy.
• Use 3 cups of strongly brewed coffee or espresso and omit the hot water and espresso powder.
• Replace the lemon juice with lime juice. 

Tips and Techniques:

• Tiramisu is not a quick-fix dessert, so plan to make this recipe over 2 days. 
• Instead of piping the sponge cake, you can scrape the ladyfinger sponge onto the parchment-lined sheetpan and use an offset spatula to smooth it out into an even layer. 
• Drying out the ladyfinger sponge overnight makes it stale, which allows it to soak up as much of the espresso mixture as possible without becoming soggy.
• Buy your marsala from a wine store or the wine aisle. Avoid using dry marsala wine or marsala wine from the cooking aisle. 
• For efficiency's sake, make the zabaglione right after taking the paper off the ladyfinger sponge. 
• Mascarpone does not need to come to room temperature before mixing it with the zabaglione. Allowing it to warm up increases the likelihood of it curdling. 
• It's best to assemble tiramisu at least 2 hours ahead of when you plan to serve it to give the espresso mixture time to soak into the sponge. 

Storage Instructions:

• Store tiramisu lightly covered in plastic wrap or foil in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Try not to keep tiramisu out a room temperature for a long period, or it will spoil quickly.

Freezing Instructions:

1. Before garnishing the dish of tiramisu with cocoa powder, wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic film.
2. Freeze it for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw the frozen tiramisu in the fridge and garnish it with cocoa powder.
4. Consume the thawed tiramisu within 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 883kcalCarbohydrates: 109gProtein: 19gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 291mgSodium: 108mgPotassium: 826mgFiber: 5gSugar: 60gVitamin A: 1361IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 186mgIron: 5mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cake, coffee, dessert, mascarpone, tiramisu

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