Authentic Italian Tiramisu Recipe from Italy (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional tiramisu made of? ›

Traditional tiramisu contains ladyfingers (savoiardi), egg yolks, sugar, coffee, mascarpone, and cocoa powder. A common variant involves soaking the savoiardi in alcohol, such as Marsala wine, amaretto or a coffee-based liqueur.

Spongy lady finger biscuits are dipped in coffee, covered in layers of creamy mascarpone and sprinkled with dark chocolate powder—it's definitely the “pick-me-up” dessert we crave in Italy. And lucky for you, Rome is packed with delicious places to enjoy it.

Alcohol: I prefer Kahlua, but use any of the following: Marsala wine, rum (dark is best!), brandy, or Amaretto. Make it Alcohol-Free: Omit the Kahlua entirely from the coffee mixture and replacing it with coffee in the mascarpone mixture.

Room Temperature Ingredients

One of the first steps to making the perfect Tiramisu is by making sure that your eggs and mascarpone cheese are at room temperature. Also be sure to use the freshest of ingredients. If the eggs are closest to the expiration date, then they can cause your tiramisu to break down.

Ingredients you'll need:

Ladyfingers: I buy them, but you could make them from scratch. Mascarpone: it wouldn't be true tiramisu without mascarpone, but if you absolutely must, you could substitute cream cheese. Coffee: I use espresso. Heavy Whipped cream.

Make sure to quickly dunk the lady fingers in the coffee soak - too long and they can go soggy!

With that in mind many tiramisu recipes will feature a good espresso or espresso blend coffee. A medium to dark roast coffee will be the best option as you will get the most prominent coffee flavours rather than a light roast which doesn't have that same bite and will have lighter, fruitier notes.

Marsala Wine: It tastes like nutty brown sugar, which is why it's so delicious mixed with coffee in this tiramisu recipe! You can substitute dark rum, brandy, or a coffee-flavored liqueur (like Kahlua). To make tiramisu without wine, leave it out or use a bit of rum extract instead (tips are below the recipe).

Once you whip it up, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. This gives the dessert time to develop its rich cocoa flavor. When storing the tiramisù in the refrigerator, be sure to cover with a lid or wrap tightly with plastic wrap so that no odors from the refrigerator seep into the dessert.

Should eggs be cold or room temperature for tiramisu? ›

Let it sit on the counter for a little and bring it to room temperature as you prepare the egg yolks.

The best part is that tiramisu can be made two days before or even the night before and it is so delicious. The combination of the espresso and the creamy sweet Italian cream cheese mascarpone is what makes this an unbeatable classic dessert to whip up during the holiday season!

A creamy dessert of espresso-soaked ladyfingers surrounded by lightly sweetened whipped cream and a rich mascarpone, tiramisù relies heavily on the quality of its ingredients.

Traditional tiramisu, an Italian dessert, typically contains alcohol in the form of a liqueur. The alcohol is used to enhance the flavor and is an integral part of the dessert's traditional recipe. The most commonly used liqueur in tiramisu is Marsala wine, which is a sweet fortified wine.

Does tiramisu contain alcohol? Traditionally, yes. The ladyfingers which form the base of the cake are usually brushed with or soaked in a mixture of coffee and a liquor such as amaretto, cognac, or rum. It's not a lot of alcohol, perhaps a tablespoon or two, but it is usually there.

These are the ingredients you'll need to make this decadent tiramisu cake recipe: For the cake: white cake mix, water, egg whites, vegetable oil, and instant coffee powder. For the coffee syrup: coffee and coffee-flavored liqueur. For the filling: mascarpone cheese, confectioners' sugar, and coffee-flavored liqueur.