Do you Tiramisu? I have always been intimidated by this lovely layered, traditional Italian dessert; so today, I’m going to show you how very easy it is to make a Traditional Tiramisu! With a not-to-sweet, creamy mascarpone custard, light vanilla whipped cream, layered between rum and espresso soaked ladyfingers. Bellissimo!
EASY TRADITIONAL TIRAMISU
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If you are looking for an elegant, make ahead, simple dessert recipe; Traditional Tiramisu is the one! Recently while at a Favorite Things Party (<— check it out!), my friend, Natalie brought this amazing traditional tiramisu! I love receiving recipes from friends, how about you? Her recipe was AMAZING and I love that she made her own tweaks, like I tend to do which I will note below in the step-by-step.
Post update: I just learned that this recipe was actually discovered first by Natalie’s teenage son, who wanted to make an Italian dinner for Natalie on Mother’s day by himself! Bravo Bendor!!
FOUR SIMPLE STEPS TO HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL TIRAMISU
- Make custard, cool and whisk in mascarpone cheese…Mascarpone Custard, DONE!
- Whip whipping cream, so easy!
- Drizzle coffee and rum mixture over ladyfingers…voilà
- Layer and refrigerate until ready to serve! Ahhh, dreamy!
HOW DO YOU MAKE TRADITIONAL TIRAMISU?
INGREDIENTS FOR TRADITIONAL TIRAMISU
- Egg yolks (scramble up the whites for a dog, or make an egg white omelet, then you’ll feel better about eating this dessert! HA)
- Granulated sugar, I use all natural cane sugar, which is unrefined, you may substitute refined white sugar
- Whole milk
- Heavy cream (no substitutions here, the real, full fat kind)
- Pure vanilla extract
- Mascarpone cheese (typically found in the deli section, near the fresh mozzarella, parmesan, you’ll need two tubs)
- Strong brewed coffee, room temp
- Rum, light or dark (or see notes below for other alcohol options or to omit entirely)
- Ladyfingers
- Optional chocolate drizzle and chocolate curls
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Start by gathering your ingredients; look at these lovely, simple ingredients.
Best way to separate yolks from whites?
- Personally, I use the shell to shell method, where you crack your egg, open it and slip the yolk from shell to shell allowing the whites to drip into a bowl beneath.
- I’ve also used the hand method; crack an egg and pour entire egg into your hand, slowly opening your fingers just enough to allow the whites to slip through, then sliding the yolk into a clean bowl. If both those methods scare you or gross you out (I get it) then you can always buy one of these handy dandy yolk separators.
Place egg yolks in a medium saucepan, whisking sugar until well blended. If using all natural cane sugar, whisk a little longer than normal to incorporate the coarser crystals of all natural cane sugar. Whisk in milk and stirring constantly, cook over medium heat, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Boil gently for 1 minute, then remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or more if needed.
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Once custard is cool, in a separate large batter bowl, beat heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form, refrigerate until ready to use. Psst, I love that Natalie increased the whipping cream to the full pint, afterall, what do you do with the leftovers?
Whisk the softened mascarpone into the yolk mixture, whisking until smooth, set aside. If your Tiramisu cream is runny, read to the end of the post for reasons and fixes.
Assembling Tiramisu!
The original recipe calls for this to be in a 7×11 dish, which is fine, but Natalie’s notes and I completely agree are to put it in a deep 8×8 or 9×9 pan, makes it more compact, with thicker tiramisu cream layers between. Choose your preference.
In a 1 cup measuring cup, mix the coffee and rum (see notes below to make without rum), Natalie doubled from the original recipe, I concur! Layer ladyfingers evenly on the bottom of your chosen dish. Drizzle 1/2 of the coffee – rum mixture over the top, they do not need to be completely soaked, but should be evenly drizzled, I ended up adding a couple additional tablespoons of coffee to the lady fingers. Swirl your plate around so that the ladyfingers soak up the liquid.
WHAT ARE LADYFINGERS?
“Ladyfingers (sometimes known by their Italian name savoiardi,sponge fingers in British English, or as Boudoir in French) are low density, dry, egg-based, sweet sponge biscuits roughly shaped like a large finger. Plain ladyfingers are commonly given to infants, being soft enough for teething mouths, but easy to grasp and firm enough not to fall apart. Source
Layer half the mascarpone custard on top of the lady fingers, smoothing out. I even gave the dish a little gentle “smack” on the counter to get the custard to settle between the lady fingers.
Spread half of the vanilla whipped cream on top of the mascarpone custard, smooth out evenly. I like using an offset spatula for things like this, makes the smoothing go a lot quicker.
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In a separate dish or shallow bowl, lay out ladyfingers and pour reserved coffee-rum liquid over the tops, until evenly drizzled.
Carefully place ladyfingers on top of whipped cream-custard layer, they should not be too soggy, but a couple of mind did get soaked and it didn’t seem to impact the texture or taste of the tiramisu dessert. Repeat layering with custard and whipped cream, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Before serving, give the top a good dusting with unsweetened cocoa powder. The easiest way to get this dessert plated pretty is by using amini spatula, I have three and I use them for everything from brownies, to cornbread, to serving up other no-bake recipes like myDirt Cake. If desired, drizzle a little chocolate sauce and/or chocolate curls to dress it up even more!
QUESTIONS AND TIPS ABOUT TRADITIONAL TIRAMISU
Can Tiramisu Be Made the Day Before?
YES! This easy Italian dessert can be made the day before, in fact, I dare say it is a bit better! BUT, I’ve made it both ways, the day of serving and the day before serving — either way you won’t be disappointed! Oh and if you have leftovers, bravo!!
Why is My Tiramisu Cream Runny and What Can I do About It?
There could be a few reasons why it’s runny, here are the most common.
- Using a low or non-fat mascarpone can cause it to be runny, there is more water in low – non-fat versions. Go for the full fat version. I am of the persuasion that non-fat dairy items cause us to be fat…read more about that here.
- Overbeating the mascarpone, it can cause curdling and separation of the cheese curds and water.
- Not cooking your custard long enough, it should be thick and pudding like when you take it off the stovetop.
- Mixing the mascarpone into the egg custard mixture before the mixture is completely cooled.
What can I do if my tiramisu cream is runny?
- Right off the bat, if you notice runniness or separation, pour off the runny portion.
- The easiest way however; is to refrigerate mascarpone custard for a couple of hours, it will set up.
- If you’ve already assembled your tiramisu and it’s pretty runny, allowing it to sit in the fridge will firm it up. The moisture will be absorbed by the ladyfingers and all should be good!
- Bottom line? These are delicious, simple, quality ingredients, runny or not, it should taste amazing!
Can you make Tiramisu without alcohol?
Absolutely! Simply increase your coffee or add water to the coffee to equal the liquid portions out.
SUBSTITUTIONS & OTHER TIRAMISU QUESTIONS
- What other alcohol works with tiramisu? Try a nice Marsala or Madeira wine, a Tawny Port, amaretto or coffee liquor are also acceptable choices. Other sweet liquors like Irish cream, orange or chocolate liquor will blend well with tiramisus coffee and cocoa flavors. Change it up!
- Individual Tiramisu desserts. You may have to get creative about cutting your ladyfingers, but simply choose your dishes or cups and layer away!
- Can I substitute cream cheese for mascarpone? Not easily, but it can be done. “Mascarpone is a cream cheese with a high fat content and a slightly sweet taste. It is difficult to find a substitute and regular cream cheese has a lower fat content and a more acidic flavour. However you could try beating together 225g (8 ounces) full fat cream cheese with 60ml (4 tablespoons/1/4 cup) double or whipping cream and 30g (1 ounce/2 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter until just blended. This will give the equivalent of around 300g (10 ounces/1 1/4 cups) mascarpone.” Source
- I can’t find ladyfingers, now what? Instead of the Italian Savoyardi (ladyfingers/sponge fingers) a vanilla or plain sponge cake would be the best choice. Slice the cake into “finger sized” portions and leave it on a wire rack to dry out for a day or two so that when it is dipped into the coffee mixture it absorbs liquid without breaking up too much.
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Easy Traditional Tiramisu
Traditional Tiramisu is an Italian dessert recipe with layers of mascarpone custard, whipped cream, layered between rum and espresso soaked ladyfingers.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks (scramble up the whites for a dog, or make an egg white omelet, then you'll feel better about eating this dessert! HA)
- 3/4 cup all natural cane sugar, refined white sugar may be substituted
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream (no substitutions here, the real, full fat kind)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 lb (2-8 oz tubs) mascarpone cheese, softened (found in the deli section, near fresh mozzarella, parmesan)
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, room temp (make 3/4 cup or so, you may need a little extra)
- 4 tablespoons rum, light or dark (or see notes below for alternative alcohol options or to omit entirely)
- 1 (about 7 oz) package ladyfingers (or two 3 oz packages)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for dusting
- Optional chocolate drizzle and chocolate curls
Instructions
Place egg yolks into a medium saucepan, whisking sugar until well blended. If using all natural cane sugar, whisk a little longer than normal to incorporate the coarser crystals of all natural cane sugar. Whisk in milk and stirring constantly, cook over medium heat, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Boil gently for 1 minute, then remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, custard should be thick and coat the back of a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or more if needed.
Once custard is cooled, in a separate large batter bowl, beat heavy cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form, refrigerate until ready to use.
Whisk the mascarpone into the yolk/custard mixture, whisking just until smooth, set aside. If your Tiramisu cream is runny, read to the end of the post for reasons and fixes.
Assembling Tiramisu
In a 1 cup measuring cup, mix coffee and rum (see notes to make without rum). Layer the ladyfingers evenly on the bottom of 9x9 dish or 7x11. Drizzle 1/2 of the coffee - rum mixture over the top, they do not need to be completely soaked, but should be evenly drizzled, if needed add a few additional tablespoons coffee. Swirl your dish around so that the ladyfingers soak up the liquid.
Layer half the mascarpone custard on top of the lady fingers, smoothing out. I even gave the dish a little gentle "smack" on the counter to get the custard to settle between the lady fingers. Spread half of the whipped cream on top of the mascarpone custard, smooth out evenly. I like using an offset spatula for this.
In a separate dish or shallow bowl, lay out ladyfingers and pour reserved coffee-rum liquid over the tops, until evenly drizzled. Carefully place ladyfingers on top of whipped cream-custard layer, they should not be too soggy, but a couple of mind did get soaked and it didn't seem to impact the texture or taste of the tiramisu dessert. Repeat layering with custard and whipped cream, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Before serving, give the top a good dusting with unsweetened cocoa powder. The easiest way to get this dessert plated pretty is by using a mini spatula, I have three and I use them for everything from brownies, to cornbread, to serving up other no-bake recipes like my Dirt Cake.
Notes
Can Tiramisu Be Made the Day Before? YES!
Why is My Tiramisu Cream Runny and What Can I do About It?
- Using a low or non-fat mascarpone can cause it to be runny, there is more water in low and non-fat versions. Go for it with full fat version. Plus I am of the persuasion that non-fat dairy items cause us to be fat...read more about that here.
- If you beat the mascarpone too much, it can cause curdling and separation of the cheese curds and water.
- Not cooking your custard long enough, it should be thick and pudding like when you take it off the stovetop.
- Mixing the mascarpone into the egg custard mixture before the mixture is completely cooled.
What can I do about it if my tiramisu cream is runny?
- Right off the bat, if you notice runniness or separation, pour off the runny portion.
- The easiest way however; is to refrigerate your mascarpone custard for a couple of hours, it will set up.
- If you've already assembled your tiramisu and it's pretty runny, allowing it to sit in the fridge will firm it up. The moisture will be absorbed by the ladyfingers and all should be good!
- Bottom line? These are delicious, simple, quality ingredients, runny or not, it should taste amazing!
Can you make Tiramisu without alcohol?
Absolutely! Simply increase your coffee or add water or even orange juice to the coffee to equal the liquid portions out.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND OTHER QUESTIONS
- What other alcohol works with tiramisu? Try a nice Marsala or Madeira wine, a Tawny Port, but amaretto or coffee liquor are also acceptable choices to add. Other sweet liquors like Irish cream, orange or chocolate liquor will blend well with tiramisu's coffee and cocoa flavors. Change it up!
- Individual Tiramisu desserts. You may have to get creative about cutting your ladyfingers, but simply choose your dishes or cups and layer away!
- Can I substitute cream cheese for mascarpone? Not easily, but it can be done. "Mascarpone is a cream cheese with a high fat content and a slightly sweet taste. It is difficult to find a substitute and regular cream cheese has a lower fat content and a more acidic flavour. However you could try beating together 225g (8 ounces) full fat cream cheese with 60ml (4 tablespoons/1/4 cup) double or whipping cream and 30g (1 ounce/2 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter until just blended. This will give the equivalent of around 300g (10 ounces/1 1/4 cups) mascarpone." Source
- I can't find ladyfingers, now what? Instead of the Italian Savoyardi (ladyfingers/sponge fingers) a vanilla or plain sponge cake would be the best choice. Slice the cake into "finger sized" portions and leave it on a wire rack to dry out for a day or two so that when it is dipped into the coffee mixture it absorbs liquid without breaking up too much.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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KitchenAid KHM7210CU 7-Speed Digital Hand Mixer with Turbo Beater II Accessories and Pro Whisk - Contour Silver - OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Better Balloon Whisk
- Anchor Hocking 2 Quart Glass Batter Bowl With Lid (81106L11)
- OXO Good Grips Offset Icing Spatula
- Lodge STW8SQ33 Stoneware Baking Dish, Blue
- Balocco Savoiardi Ladyfingers - 1.1 Pound
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 178mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 7g
The nutritional information is estimated and may not be entirely accurate, at times it pulls information for suggestions and options which may increase calories, etc.
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This tiramisu looks incredible Kathleen! My whole family adores tiramisu!! Thank you for the great instructions, they are sure to be helpful when making this beautiful dessert.
Thank you so much Tasia!!
Oh YUMMO!! This looks delicious, Kathleen!
Thank you so much Kelsey!!
Hello! Before adding the marscapone, is the custard supposed to look a little grainy? Thanks!
Hi Emily, it should be smooth, it might be that your eggs “scrambled” a bit when adding, but the taste and finished outcome should all still work fine! Hope you love it!