Italian Dessert
Tiramisu
Ratings & commentsA classic no-bake Italian dessert: coffee-soaked sponge fingers under a light mascarpone cream, dusted with cocoa. Serves eight.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Hands-on
- 40 min
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Heat
- Mild
Plan ahead: Chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight, so the layers set.
About this Tiramisu
Tiramisu means "pick me up", and this is the classic: sponge fingers dipped in strong coffee, layered with a light, whisked mascarpone cream and finished with bitter cocoa. There is no baking, and it has to be made ahead, which makes it the ideal dinner-party pudding.
Ingredients
- 4 eachEggs, very fresh, separated
- 80 gSugar
- 400 gMascarpone, at room temperature
- 30 gCoffee, ground, to make 300 ml of strong coffee
- 200 gSponge Fingers, savoiardi
- 15 gCocoa, unsweetened, for dusting
- 30 gDark Chocolate, finely grated, to finish
Plus water and a little salt to taste.
How to prepare Tiramisu
Brew the coffee strong, using 30 g of coffee for about 300 ml of water. Pour it into a shallow dish and leave it to cool completely.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar for 4-5 minutes until pale, thick and creamy.
Add the mascarpone to the yolks and fold gently until smooth, without over-mixing.
In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the mascarpone mixture in two stages, keeping as much air in as you can.
Dip half of the sponge fingers into the coffee for about 2 seconds each: they should be soaked but not falling apart. Arrange them in a single layer in a dish about 20 cm square.
Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the sponge fingers. Repeat with a second layer of dipped biscuits and the remaining cream, and smooth the top.
Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Just before serving, dust generously with cocoa through a fine sieve and scatter over the grated chocolate.
The method was written by AI from the ingredient list. Cook with your own judgement, and check that everything is cooked through and safe to eat.
Tips
- Do not soak the sponge fingers for longer than 2-3 seconds, or the tiramisu turns to mush.
- It contains raw egg. Use very fresh eggs, and avoid serving it to young children, older people or anyone pregnant.
- It keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge, and the flavour improves on the second day.
Ratings & comments
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