I learned this Tiramisu recipe from my time at the Culinary Institute of America back in 1980. It’s so good I’ve been making it for over 40 years. It has a light and airy texture with a nice balance of sweetness, coffee flavor, and a hint of rum. The mascarpone cheese gives it a creamy taste, while the cocoa powder on top adds a rich chocolate note.
Yields enough for 8 tiramisu.
Lady Fingers (Sponge Cake)
| Ingredients | Instructions |
|---|---|
| • 3 eggs (whites and yolks separated) | 1. Separate the eggs, placing the whites into a clean mixing bowl and the yolks into a separate, smaller bowl for later. (Room temperature eggs work best). |
| • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for the egg whites) | 2. Whip egg whites first, adding sugar slowly once they start foaming. |
| • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1/8 teaspoon salt | 3. Prep dry ingredients: Sift flour, cornstarch, and a salt to make a fine powder. |
| • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for egg yolks) • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste | 4. Beat egg yolks with vanilla bean paste until pale yellow (about 4–5 second ribbon). Add sugar slowly while beating. |
| 5. Fold whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture gently from the sides across the bottom of the bowl. | |
| • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1/8 teaspoon salt | 6. Add half the sifted flour mixture, then the rest, folding carefully to keep air incorporated. |
| 7. Cut a 1/2-inch opening in a pastry bag, fill it with batter, and pipe 4-inch long lines onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle with powdered sugar. | |
| 8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 13–15 minutes and let cool slightly until warm before removing. |
Mousse (Mascarpone Base)
| Ingredients | Instructions |
|---|---|
| • 1 pound mascarpone cheese (softened) • 2 oz Myers’s Rum • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste • 1/4 tsp salt | 1. In a large bowl, combine the rum, vanilla bean paste, and salt. |
| • 6 eggs | 2. Separate the eggs, placing the whites into a clean mixing bowl and the yolks into a separate, smaller bowl for later. (Room temperature eggs work best). |
| • 6 egg whites • 1/2 cup powdered sugar | 3. Whip the egg whites with half a cup of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to separate bowl. |
| • 6 egg yolks • 1/2 cup powdered sugar | 4. Beat the egg yolks with half a cup of powdered sugar until light yellow (5-second ribbon). Stir into mascarpone. |
| • 2 cups heavy cream | 5. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Take the whipped whites from step 3 and gently fold them into the mascarpone. Finally, fold in the whipped cream. |
Coffee Syrup
| Ingredients | Instructions |
|---|---|
| • 4 oz dehydrated coffee (instant or espresso powder) • 3.5 oz granulated sugar • 2 oz Kahlua (or coffee liqueur) • Hot water (to make a quart of syrup) | 1. Combine dehydrated coffee, sugar, Kahlua, and hot water to make a quart of syrup. Use warm or cold. Refrigerate for up to 30 days. |
Assembling Tiramisu
| Ingredients | Instructions |
|---|---|
| • Prepared ladyfingers (from Step 1) | 1. Briefly soak the ladyfingers in the coffee syrup until evenly coated but not soggy. Place them on a tray to drain slightly. |
| • Prepared ladyfingers (from Step 1) • Mousse mixture (from Step 2) | 2. Spread a thin layer of mousse in your dish, then top with a layer of soaked ladyfingers (slightly overlapping and gently pressed to adhere). Repeat these layers 2-3 more times as desired. |
| • Cocoa powder (for dusting) • Optional: Shaved chocolate or cocoa powder for garnish | 3. Dust the final top layer generously with cocoa powder and garnish with shaved chocolate if using. |
| 4. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to set. |
Tags: Dessert, Italian, Tiramisu, Coffee, Mascarpone, Ladyfingers, Homemade Tiramisu, Italian Dessert, Coffee Flavor, Mascarpone Cheese, Ladyfingers Recipe, Easy Tiramisu, Best Tiramisu Recipe