Classic Tiramisu
No cream, no gelatine, no baking. Whipped egg yolks and mascarpone over coffee-soaked savoiardi, set overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
- 480
- Calories
- 9g
- Protein
- 32g
- Fat
- 36g
- Carbs
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 100 g caster sugar
- 500 g mascarpone
- 300 ml strong espresso, cooled
- 3 tbsp marsala or dark rum
- 24 savoiardi (hard ladyfinger biscuits)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- 1Make the coffee and leave it to cool completely, then stir in the marsala and pour it into a shallow dish. Warm coffee turns the biscuits to sludge.
- 2Separate the eggs into two large bowls.
- 3Whisk the yolks with the sugar for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale, thick and roughly tripled in volume. Lifting the whisk should leave a ribbon that sits on the surface for a couple of seconds.
- 4Add the mascarpone in three additions, folding gently after each. Do not beat it — mascarpone splits into a grainy, weeping mess if it is overworked, and there is no way back.
- 5Wash and dry the whisk thoroughly, then whip the egg whites with the pinch of salt to soft peaks. Any trace of fat or yolk will stop them rising.
- 6Fold a third of the whites into the mascarpone mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two goes, cutting down and turning the bowl rather than stirring.
- 7Dip each savoiardo into the coffee for one second per side. One second. They are dry and porous and will keep absorbing after they leave the dish; any longer and the base of the tiramisu turns to soup.
- 8Lay a tight single layer of soaked biscuits in a 20 x 30 cm dish, then spread over half the cream.
- 9Repeat with a second layer of biscuits and the remaining cream, smoothing the top.
- 10Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. It needs this time to set — served early it will not hold a slice.
- 11Dust generously with cocoa through a sieve just before serving, not before chilling, or the cocoa turns damp and patchy.
Tiramisu has no cream in it, is never baked, and does not contain gelatine. Nearly every shortcut version fails on one of those points, and the result is a coffee trifle rather than a tiramisu.
What holds it together
The structure comes entirely from air and fat. Whipped egg yolks provide volume and richness, mascarpone provides body, and whipped egg whites lighten the whole thing so it sets soft rather than dense.
That is why the chilling time is not optional. Six hours in the fridge lets the fat firm up and the biscuits soften into the cream, and until that happens it will slump on the plate.
Do not overwork the mascarpone
Mascarpone is an emulsion of very high-fat cream. Beat it hard, especially cold and especially with a machine, and the fat separates out — it goes grainy and starts to weep liquid, and nothing rescues it.
Fold it in gently, in additions, with a spatula. If it is fridge-cold and stiff, let it sit out for twenty minutes first; cold mascarpone forced into a mixture is the usual cause of splitting.
One second per side
Savoiardi are dry, hard and extremely porous. They keep absorbing liquid for a minute or two after they come out of the coffee, so what looks barely wet when you lay it down will be perfectly soaked by the time you assemble the next layer.
Count one second a side and no more. Soggy savoiardi collapse and release liquid into the cream overnight, which is why so many home tiramisus have a puddle at the bottom.
Soft sponge fingers are a different product and will not work — they turn to paste instantly.
About the raw eggs
The classic recipe uses raw yolks and whites. If that is a concern — pregnancy, young children, anyone immunocompromised — use pasteurised eggs, which most supermarkets carry, or make the yolks into a zabaglione by whisking them with the sugar and marsala over a pan of barely simmering water until thick, then cooling before adding the mascarpone.
Coffee and alcohol
The coffee should be strong and properly bitter, because it is the only thing balancing a very rich cream. Espresso is ideal; strong moka pot or a concentrated filter brew both work.
Marsala is traditional. Dark rum, brandy or coffee liqueur are all common. Leave the alcohol out entirely and add an extra shot of coffee — the dessert is still good.
Nutrition
Around 480 calories a slice from eight, most of it fat from the mascarpone. It keeps in the fridge for three days and is arguably better on day two. It does not freeze — the egg foam collapses.
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