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Two pieces of Berry Tiramisu on white plates in front of a colander filled with fresh berries.

Berry Tiramisu

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: European, North American
Keyword: berry, tiramisu
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 21 minutes
Macerating and Cooling Times: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 21 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 873kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
Begin this recipe a day in advance to ensure it's perfect for serving. 
Prep time includes allowing the ladyfinger sponge to stale out for best flavors. This time doesn't apply if you're using store-bought ladyfingers.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 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:
  1. Freeze the tiramisu before covering in whipped cream.
  2. Tightly wrap the dish containing the tiramisu in two layers of plastic film and one layer of foil.
  3. Freeze the dessert for up to 3 months.
  4. Thaw the berry tiramisu in the fridge overnight as serve as instructed in the recipe above. 

Nutrition

Calories: 873kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 310mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 1999IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 1mg