Classic Tiramisu from Scratch

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cake, coffee, dessert, mascarpone, tiramisu

Prep Time: 1 5

Cook Time: 22

Inactive Prep/Cooling: 10

Total Time: 11 27

Servings:

Calories: 883kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

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.

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Equipment

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

Ingredients

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 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 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:

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

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