soft center ♡

my mom’s favorite dessert ever. layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and the lightest mascarpone cream, finished with lots of cocoa powder. TRUE italian tiramisu has no whipped cream, if you see whipped cream then that is not traditional tiramisu. the mascarpone filling gets all of its fluffiness from eggs, the real italian way.

classic tiramisu (serves 6-8)

ingredients:

mascarpone cream

• 4 large eggs, separated
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided
• 2 cups (500g) mascarpone, room temperature
• pinch of salt

coffee soak

• 1¼ cups (300ml) strong espresso or coffee, cooled
• 2 tbsp coffee liquer (i use kahlua), optional
• 24–30 savoiardi (ladyfingers)

for finishing

• unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
• dark chocolate, finely grated, optional

instructions:

mascarpone cream

1. separate your eggs, placing the yolks and whites into two clean bowls.
2. add half of the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk (by hand or using electric beater) until they’re very pale, thick, and creamy.
3. add the mascarpone to the yolk mixture and gently whisk until smooth and combined. try not to overmix so you don’t deflate the egg!!
4. in a completely clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they begin to foam. gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until you have glossy medium-stiff peaks.
5. add about a third of the whipped egg whites to the mascarpone mixture and gently fold it through to loosen the mixture. careful not to deflate the eggs!
6. fold in the remaining egg whites in another 1–2 additions, being gentle so you don’t knock out all that air. you should end up with a really light, fluffy mascarpone cream.

assemble the tiramisu:

1. brew your espresso or strong coffee and let it cool completely in the fridge. stir in the liquer if using. pour the coffee into a shallow dish that fits a ladyfinger
2. quickly dip each ladyfinger into the coffee. it’s sort of a quick swish motion, you want each ladyfinger to be soaked but not dripping wet so they fall apart. they absorb liquid really quickly and will continue softening while the tiramisu chills
3. arrange the soaked ladyfingers in a single layer across the bottom of your dish. spread half of the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers.
4. add another layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, followed by the remaining mascarpone cream. smooth the top with a knife or spatula, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight so the flavours really marinate.
5. sight before serving, dust generously with cocoa powder and finish with some finely grated dark chocolate if you want 🙂

notes:

• eggs: because traditional tiramisu uses eggs that aren’t fully cooked, I’d use pasteurized eggs for this recipe, especially if you’re serving it to other people
• mascarpone: let it soften slightly before mixing, but don’t beat it aggressively. mascarpone can split if it’s overworked and we don’t want that. trust me.
• coffee: espresso is ideal, but strongly brewed coffee works too. even instant would work! whatever you use, make sure it’s completely cool before dipping the ladyfingers.
• ladyfingers: look for savoiardi, the dry Italian-style ladyfingers.
• alcohol: Kahlua is the one I use. you can leave it out completely for an alcohol-free version.
• dipping: seriously, be quick!! a fast dip on each side is plenty. soggy ladyfingers = soggy tiramisu. nobody wants soupy cake.
• chilling: this is sooo much better the next day. the overnight rest gives the ladyfingers time to soften and all the coffee and mascarpone flavors to come together.

i love this recipe, it truly is a showstopper cake and you will get complimented by whoever you serve it to. use it wisely 😉

love,

constance ❤