Active Time
30 minutes
Total Time
7 hours (includes chilling)
Your spoon glides through a featherlight mixture of mascarpone- and whipped-cream-spiked zabaglione dusted with cocoa. A layer of ladyfingers soaked in espresso and liqueur completes the bite. A classic tiramisu recipe sounds and tastes like a dream but is remarkably easy to put together. Prep time for this no-bake dessert recipe is minimal, and most of the process is hands-off, as it chills in the fridge.
The history of Italian tiramisu is slightly less straightforward. Some say it dates to 19th-century Treviso, Italy; others believe it was invented in either Friuli or Veneto sometime between 1959 and the end of the 1970s. Whatever its origins, homemade tiramisu is as crowd-pleasing as ever. Authentic tiramisu usually features Tia Maria–soaked ladyfingers, but you can use Kahlua or any spirit with coffee flavor, or substitute equal parts Amaretto and vanilla extract. Instead of Marsala wine, swap in dark rum or brandy, or try strong brewed coffee in place of espresso. If your nearest grocery stores don’t have mascarpone cheese, make a facsimile for the mascarpone cream mixture by combining room-temperature cream cheese with a dash each of heavy whipping cream and sour cream. Sponge cake can stand in for the dipped ladyfingers, though it has a softer consistency, so the end result will be drippier (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Repurpose the unused egg whites in cocktails or meringues, or refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to four days.
Ingredients
8–10 servings
Preparation
Step 1
Stir 3 Tbsp. instant espresso powder and 1 Tbsp. sugar into 2 cups boiling water to dissolve. Add 3 Tbsp. coffee liqueur (such as Tia Maria) and stir to combine. Let cool.
Step 2
Beat 4 large egg yolks, ⅓ cup dry Marsala, and remaining ½ cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until pale yellow and tripled in volume, 5–8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat 1 lb. (2½ cups) mascarpone into egg yolk mixture until just combined.
Step 3
Beat 1 cup cold heavy cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.
Step 4
Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.
Step 5
Dipping both sides of each of 36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; from two 7-oz. packages) in coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13x9x3” baking dish with 18 savoiardi in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee mixture and arrange on top of filling in pan.
Step 6
Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.
Step 7
Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.
Do ahead: Tiramisu can be assembled up to 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated.
Editor’s note: This tiramisu recipe was first printed in the January 2009 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our best coffee-flavored desserts →
Leave a Review
Reviews (178)
Back to TopThis looks very similar to rose levy beranbaum’s recipe. Big difference is she uses 8 egg yolks!
Genevieve S
Saratoga Springs, NY
1/30/2024
This recipe is fantastic. Follow as written, and do not make substitutions, especially concerning the Tia Maria.
Jocelyn
Lakewood, Ohio
2/7/2022
This was okay. A little bland. I thought the Marsala and the coffee liqueur along with the espresso would boost the flavor profile - but it really didn't do it enough. Made it exactly as stated except set it in individual compote glasses. I would not make this tiramisu recipe again.
jsbjk
Winnetka, IL
12/11/2021
I'm a professional savory chef of 20+ years and this is my favorite tiramisu recipe I have ever made/tried/had. Everyone I have ever made it for has absolutely loved it. I also whip the zabaglione longer then recommended, until it is pretty thick, almost the consistency of a creamy salad dressing. I then cool it down most of the way before whipping the mascarpone in to it thoroughly, and then finishing with folding in the whipped cream. I had to experiment a little with bowl sizes to get the creamiest and fluffiest consistency that I wanted, but well worth the efforts - a little smaller but taller seemed to work better for me. I also add a little splash of vanilla paste to the whipped cream mixture, and I bet a little hazelnut or other coffee centric flavorings would be stellar in this as well. Awesome recipe that has always been a top performer for me.
mle-cooks
Colorado
4/13/2021
What's infuriating is that the video shows sweet marsala and that's what I bought and I come home and the recipe reads dry marsala, I'm making this for my mother's birthday, small mistake but pretty annoying!
damiencredd8938
Florida
7/29/2020
Followed the recipe mostly-except I realized I never replaced my instant espresso and decided to make a strong pot of coffee instead. It was Christmas and everything was closed, or I’d have gone out and bought the espresso. I used Kaluah for my coffee liqueur. I saw others say to beat egg yolks for 12 minutes, so I did that. It was a success!!!
Aldaschryve
Long Island, NY
12/26/2019
I made this for my sons bday and he said it was better than the restaurant stuff. The eggs took closer to 12 minutes, but my patience was rewarded. The smooth thick zab was luxurious. I used 3 T brown sugar in the coffee mixture, and reduced it in the zab by a few tablespoons, at the suggestion of other reviews. Based on other recipes I read, I let the completed tiramisu set in the fridge for a day to let the biscuits soften. Time consuming, and well worth it. Mine was plenty to fit a 9x13 pan
Llott0
Northern Virginia
5/6/2019
I used Kahlua and rum (Goslings) because that’s what I had, and it turned out luscious. Don’t be intimidated by the amount of espresso powder used in this recipe — it’s needed to flavor the sponge. Dip your ladyfingers for a second on each side, and you don’t end up with a soupy mess. The remaining liquid I used in a chocolate cake, but I’m sure you could also drink it! I love that this recipe cooks the eggs. It does take time to make the zabaglione but it’s so worth it. This restaurant-quality tiramisu is divine. You must try it!
cookbook03
Seattle. WA
4/27/2019
Fantastic! Made this for dinner with "foodie" friends and everyone raved. Wonderfully light. Used half the recipe in an 8x8 pan. Put the ladies fingers in the pan and then generously brushed with decaf espresso. Used about 3/4 cup of espresso. I do wonder though about the raw egg yolks. Does beating them over the baine marie kill any potential salmonella? If I want to make this for a pregnant friend should I hunt around for pasteurized eggs??
jeanwu1
Ottawa, Canada
12/2/2018
This is delicious. I used 8 Starbucks espresso shots in lieu of making my own. The filling as written is enough for an 8x8 pan. Would need to double the recipe for a 9x13 pan. Shave chocolate on top-yum!
carrpo5t
6/3/2018
This is the easiest recipe for a wonderful, decadent dessert . I used an 8 by 12 inch pan which I literally filled to the brim and had a small amount of filling left over. I'm sure it would work with the larger pan -- the filling layer would just be less thick. Using the savoiardi from my Italian deli worked wonders. I'm a slow cook yet made this dessert in half an hour. Do try it.
peony60
Vancouver, Canada
5/14/2018
This was my first attempt at tiramisu and I made it for Xmas dinner for 12 people. Everyone loved it. After reading reviews, I increased cream ingredients by 1.5 (6 yolks, etc). I substituted savignon blanc for Marsala and did not use Tia Maria, just brushed ladyfingers with strong hot coffee sweetened with 1 Tbls sugar, cooled. I lucked out and found soft ladyfingers and mascarpone at a grocery store 1 hour away. We live in a rural area but our guests appreciated the sophisticated dessert and cleaned their plates. Great do-ahead desert.
jennifer.kassebaum9211
Kansas
1/7/2018
Great recipe! I made two for two different Thanksgiving parties. Both were hits! After reading reviews, I also switched out Tia Maria for Kahlua as it's just easier to find. Whisking the egg yolks over a double boiler was no joke FYI. I didn't have enough zabaglione to pipe details on top. So make sure to use strictly half for each layer.
Anonymous
Chicago, IL
12/4/2017
I'm not sure why people are complaining about this recipe. It is very rich, tasty and just sweet enough using a dry Marsala (which is still sweet, but not cloying). I used a strong homebrewed espresso and Kahlua. The directions in the recipe for making the instant espresso are contrary to the 2 brands that I looked at which recommended 4 tablespoons per cup or in this case 8 tablespoons for the 2 cups. The remainder of the recipe was followed as written. However I used the directions of tripled in volume for the beaten egg yolks and not just the 8 minutes. I found that I needed about 12 minutes of beating with an electric hand mixer over the simmering water to achieve the volume. The marscapone was whipped with a fork to break it up before folding into the egg yolks as another reviewer suggested. All in all this recipe is a high caloric keeper for special occasions.
kitchen_spice
Central MA
10/26/2017
Delicious, though I made a few changes: I added extra whipped cream, toasted my ladyfingers before brushing them with the espresso mixture, and I added a layer of shaved dark chocolate to the top. The chocolate takes it to the next level without being overly chocolatey.
steingld1
Los Angeles, CA
7/24/2017
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