A Classic Tiramisu is one of those desserts that’s adored by many. Whether served at a dinner party or savoured as a treat after a long day, there’s something irresistibly comforting about it.
This Classic Tiramisu recipe captures the essence of this traditional Italian delight. With its layers of coffee-soaked Savoiardi biscuits, velvety mascarpone cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder, it offers a rich, satisfying experience.
What makes this recipe stand out is its simplicity and authenticity, following the official recipe certified by the Italian Academy of Cuisine. There’s no unnecessary cream or liqueur. Just the perfect balance of egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone, Savoiardi biscuits, coffee, and cocoa powder.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Perfecting the Tiramisu Cream
- Choosing the Right Coffee
- Assembling the Classic Tiramisu
- Why the Tiramisu Benefits from Resting
- The Finishing Touch
- More Sweet Treats
Ingredient Breakdown
- Instant coffee granules: A high-quality instant coffee gives the tiramisu its signature flavour. The richness of the coffee pairs perfectly with the creamy mascarpone.
- Savoiardi biscuits (or sponge fingers): These light, crisp biscuits are ideal for soaking up the coffee. They hold their shape well in the layers without becoming too soggy.
- Boiling water: Used to dissolve the coffee granules, this allows the coffee to infuse properly into the biscuits.
- Cocoa powder: The final dusting of cocoa powder adds a hint of bitterness that balances the sweetness of the mascarpone and coffee.
- Egg yolks: Key to creating the rich, creamy texture of the tiramisu, egg yolks form the base of the luxurious cream mixture.
- White caster sugar: Used to sweeten the egg yolks and help form the cream’s smooth texture.
- Mascarpone: A rich, creamy cheese that brings the tiramisu to life. It should be at room temperature for easier blending.
Perfecting the Tiramisu Cream
The cream mixture in this Classic Tiramisu is a delicate balance between egg yolks and mascarpone. This step is vital for creating the smooth, velvety texture that defines a great tiramisu.
To begin, whisk the separated egg yolks together with caster sugar until they become thick, pale, and creamy. This process is crucial because it helps aerate the mixture and gives it volume, ensuring the cream isn’t too dense.
Once the egg yolks and sugar have reached the right consistency, add the mascarpone. It’s important to beat the mascarpone into the egg mixture gently until just combined. Overmixing can cause the cream to curdle, ruining the silky texture that’s characteristic of this dessert. The result should be a luscious, thick cream that will perfectly complement the coffee-soaked biscuits.
Choosing the Right Coffee
One of the most important ingredients in Classic Tiramisu is the coffee. It provides the rich depth of flavour that perfectly complements the creamy mascarpone.
For the best results, it’s essential to use good-quality coffee granules. The instant coffee should have a robust flavour, as it will infuse into the Savoiardi biscuits and influence the overall taste of the dessert. Opt for a strong, full-bodied coffee that can hold its own against the richness of the mascarpone. Avoid overly bitter coffee, as this can overpower the dessert.
When preparing the coffee for the tiramisu, make sure to dissolve the granules in boiling water and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. This prevents the sponge fingers from becoming soggy too quickly. Soaking the biscuits for just a few seconds in the cooled coffee ensures the ideal texture, allowing them to absorb the flavour without losing their structure. With the right coffee, your tiramisu will have the perfect balance of bitter and sweet.
Assembling the Classic Tiramisu
The magic of tiramisu lies in its layers. Assembling the Classic Tiramisu requires a bit of patience but the result is well worth it. First, the Savoiardi biscuits are dipped into the cooled coffee. It’s essential to soak them for just a few seconds. Enough to absorb the coffee but not so long that they become soggy. The right balance ensures each layer of biscuits retains its structure and provides a slight crunch when you bite into the dessert.
Arrange the soaked biscuits in a single layer at the bottom of a dish, to form the first layer of the tiramisu. Then spread the mascarpone cream evenly on top of this first layer, creating a smooth, creamy blanket over the biscuits. Repeat this process to form another layer of soaked biscuits and cream. When assembling, it’s important to be generous with the cream, ensuring it covers every corner of the biscuits for the best flavour distribution.
Once the layers are stacked, cover the tiramisu with cling film. Leave it to chill in the fridge for at least six hours. However, the dessert benefits from being left overnight, as the flavours have time to meld together, and the texture improves.
Why the Tiramisu Benefits from Resting
One of the key aspects of this Classic Tiramisu recipe is the resting period. While many desserts are best served fresh, tiramisu is different. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. As the dessert chills, the coffee-soaked biscuits soften and take on the rich flavours of the mascarpone cream.
Resting the tiramisu allows the flavours to mingle and intensify, making each bite more indulgent than the last. It’s almost as if the dessert becomes more cohesive the longer it sits. This is why it’s often recommended to prepare tiramisu the day before you plan to serve it. By the time you take it out of the fridge, the layers will have melded together, creating a harmonious blend of coffee and cream.
The Finishing Touch
The final step in creating this Classic Tiramisu is the dusting of cocoa powder. This simple touch does more than just decorate the dessert. It adds a layer of bitter contrast to balance the rich sweetness of the cream and coffee-soaked biscuits. To get the perfect dusting, it’s essential to use good-quality, unsweetened cocoa powder. Sift the cocoa powder evenly across the top of the tiramisu, ensuring a fine, even coating.
The cocoa powder also enhances the visual appeal of the dessert, giving it a classic, elegant finish. When serving, it’s best to dust the cocoa just before you bring the tiramisu to the table, as the powder can absorb moisture from the cream if it sits too long. This final step elevates the tiramisu and makes it an even more indulgent treat.
More Sweet Treats
If this Classic Tiramisu has set off your sweet tooth, then worry not! Here are some more sweet recipes for you to try:
- Strawberry Tiramisu: This fresh and fruity take on the Italian classic swaps coffee and chocolate for fresh strawberries, layered with a delicious homemade vanilla cream and strawberry-infused sponge fingers.
- Maple Cinnamon Baked Peaches: These 5-ingredient Maple Cinnamon Baked Peaches are an absolute treat. Sweet, juicy peaches are halved and drizzled with a maple-cinnamon glaze, before being baked to golden perfection.
- Strawberry and Elderflower Galette: This easy galette is the perfect sweet treat or dessert, combining the summery sweetness of strawberries with the subtle flavour of elderflower.
- Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chewy chocolate chip cookies loaded with Snickers and dark chocolate. Need I say anything else?
See how I make these recipes and more over on my Instagram!
Classic Tiramisu
Tiramisu is my second favourite dessert of all time (the first is apple crumble)! It’s delicious, rich and so easy to make. It’s perfect for entertaining as it can be prepared in advance. In fact, I’d say that it actually benefits from it – the longer it sits in the fridge, the more the flavours are able to mingle.
There are lots of different ways of making tiramisu. Some use eggs, others cream. Among those that opt for the former, some use whole eggs, others yolks only. And some use them raw while others heat them over a bain-marie.
As it turns out, there’s a correct answer. Officially – because yes, there’s an official tiramisu recipe that is certified by the Italian Academy of Cuisine! – a proper tiramisu contains egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone, Savoiardi biscuits, coffee and cocoa powder. That’s it! No cream, no liqueur. This recipe is my take on a ‘proper’ tiramisu.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Desserts and Baking
Ingredients
For the tiramisu:
- 3 tbsps good-quality instant coffee granules
- 300 g Savoiardi biscuits (or sponge fingers)
- 300 ml boiling water
- good-quality, unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
For the cream mixture:
- 6 large eggs, yolks only
- 180 g white caster sugar
- 600 g mascarpone
Instructions
- Note: this recipe uses raw egg yolks. I know that this will make some people uncomfortable, but I assure you it’s safe! Both the Food Standards Agency and NHS confirm that it’s safe to eat raw eggs if they’re produced under the British Lion Code of practice, i.e. if they have the lion stamp on them.
- Combine the instant coffee granules and boiling water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Using a stand or hand mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick, creamy and pale in colour, around 3 minutes.
- Add the mascarpone and whisk until everything is well-combined and the mixture has the consistency of very thickly whipped cream. Be careful not to overmix it though; over-whisking will cause it to curdle.
- Working one at a time, dip each sponge finger into the cold coffee, turning for a few seconds until they are wet but not soggy. Arrange enough of the sponge fingers to cover the base of a deep 25 cm x 20 cm tin in a single layer. Top with half of the cream mixture, spreading it out into an even layer. Repeat with another layer of soaked sponge fingers and the remaining cream. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is best.
- Dust with cocoa powder right before serving and enjoy!
