Simple Tiramisu

This tiramisu is simple to make and tastes amazing! Ladyfingers are soaked in coffee then topped with airy and light cream. This dessert is perfect for any occasion!

Tiramisu may seem like a difficult dessert, but let me tell you – it’s so simple to make! This fancy, no bake dessert can be done right in your kitchen! You will love how simple it is to make it. But most of all you will love its light and creamy, coffee flavor. The easy part is making the tiramisu. The hard part is waiting for the tiramisu to set. If you’re like me, you’ll want to dig in to the dessert right away!

What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert. Espresso dipped lady fingers are layered between airy mascarpone cream then dusted with cocoa powder. Tiramisu is light, airy and has a strong coffee flavor. So if you love coffee, you will love this dessert!

What’s in Tiramisu?

There are many different versions of how to make tiramisu. Tiramisu consists of lady fingers, espresso and cream. The espresso is used to soak the lady fingers. This makes the lady fingers soft and gives the dessert its coffee flavor. Liquor is also added to the coffee to give it an extra kick. For the cream, some recipes use whole eggs, others only use egg yolk and some have no egg at all. This recipe only has egg yolks. The eggs yolks make the cream thick and rich. Mascarpone cheese is mixed with the egg yolks. Then the cream is folded into heavy whipping cream. Heavy whipping cream makes the cream light and airy.

What are lady fingers?

Lady fingers are sweet sponge biscuits. They have a sugary top and are quite hard. They soften once they are dipped in espresso and sit in the refrigerator. I would not recommend substituting lady fingers. Although, sponge cake be substituted but the final result of the dessert would be different.

Making the Tiramisu

Before starting make sure you have espresso or very strong coffee prepared and cooled. Mix the coffee with liquor. You can also omit the liquor and it will still taste amazing. Set aside.

In a double broiler cook egg yolks with sugar for 10 minutes. The mixture will be a light yellow color. If the egg yolks are hot, cool for a few minutes until they are warm. Transfer egg yolks to a mixer and whisk for a few minutes until they are thick.

Add the mascarpone cheese and whisk until well incorporated. Add the heavy whipping cream and whisk on low for 1 minute. Finish mixing the cream with a spatula until combined.

Assembly

Dip lady fingers into the coffee and place into baking dish. Once the first layer of lady fingers is done, place a generous amount of cream and spread evenly over the lady fingers. Repeat another layer of lady fingers and cream. You will have to layers of lady fingers. Dust top with cocoa powder. Let the tiramisu set in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Tips

Dipping the lady fingers

• Don’t soak the lady fingers in the coffee. This can cause the tiramisu to be mushy. You can either dip the lady fingers quickly or hold the lady fingers for a few seconds.

Pan sizes

• I used an 11.5×7 inch baking dish. This makes a perfect sized tiramisu. I haven’t tried using a smaller baking dish but I think you should be able to use a 9×9 or 8×8 baking dish. You will just have more cream in between the layers. I wouldn’t do a bigger baking dish as there might not be enough cream.

Liquor

• Liquor is added to the coffee. You can use marsala, rum, amaretto or coffee flavored liquors. Liquor can also be omitted if you prefer.

ENJOY!

Other desserts you may like

• Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
• Panna Cotta
• Creme Brulee

If you made this recipe I would love to hear from you! Comment and rate below. I would also love to see your creation! Share your photo by tagging tasty_treat_pantry on Instagram.

Print

Recipe