Tiramisu Recipe

Is there anything more deliciously indulgent than a slice of this espresso-infused tiramisu recipe? This Italian dessert is one that registered dietician Kristin Carli of Mostly Green shared with Mashed, and to our surprise, although the impressive-looking treat seems like it would be difficult to master, you really can make tiramisu at home with little fuss and mess. Still, Carli noted, "This is definitely a special-occasion dessert." 

But don't let that notion intimidate you. Carli walks us through all the steps to turn out a tiramisu you can enjoy solo because you feel like being fancy or serve to family and friends for a celebration. You will only need nine ingredients, including alcohol. But as Carli noted, "I would skip the rum if you are serving this to kids." Otherwise, don't be afraid of imbuing your after-dinner sweet course with a bit of booze. Speaking of which, why not pair your cake with a cocktail? Just sayin'.

To get started on this tiramisu recipe, gather the ingredients, some of which will be speciality items, and some of which you for sure have hanging out in your kitchen cupboards. Firstly, this recipe calls for espresso, with Carli noting, "I used Nespresso, but coffee or espresso works fine." You will also need rum — again, this is optional, depending on who is eating this treat — as well as egg yolks, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, ladyfingers, and unsweetened cocoa powder. 

Not familiar with ladyfingers? They are basically biscuits with a sponge cake-like texture that are shaped like fingers, thus their name. Meanwhile, the cheese used for this recipe may also be new to some. As Carli explained to Mashed, "Mascarpone is not sweet or salty, but especially creamy." 

Incidentally, this creamy ingredient not only pairs perfectly with this Italian treat but can also be used to create the creamiest mac and cheese ever!

The first step to making Carli's tiramisu recipe is to allow your espresso to come to room temperature and then stir in your rum, if you are using it. She also notes you want to allow your eggs to come to room temperature. You will take a large glass bowl and add to it just the egg yolks and sugar. Beat the mixture, with the goal being for the ingredients to get light and pale. Once this effect is achieved, go ahead and add just a quarter cup of the heavy cream, and whisk the mixture again.

Now, place the bowl over a saucepan, which you have filled with simmering water. You will cook the mixture for ten minutes, whisking constantly. See, you get a forearm workout while whipping up this yummy treat! You want the egg, sugar, and cream mixture to reach 170 degrees, with Carli telling Mashed, "Use a food thermometer to determine that the mixture comes to the right temperature." 

Then, remove the filling from your double boiler. At this stage, add you vanilla extract and whisk the mixture one more time. Now, allow the mixture to cool.

Once your sugar and cream mixture is cooled, you will add the mascarpone cheese, with Carli noting your should mix all of the ingredients until they are well-combined. 

Now comes the tricky part of this tiramisu recipe, or at least it can be. This is when you will use another bowl to whip the rest of your heavy cream into stiff peaks. We know — many an aspiring home cook has struggled with creating whipped cream. That is why we asked Carli for some tips. "The best advice to achieve stiff peaks in your whipped cream would be to use a stand mixer on high," she told Mashed. 

Using a whisk instead? Experts recommend a traditional beating motion instead of moving your cooking tool from side-to-side. The final step of creating your tiramisu filling to is fold your whipped cream into your yolk and cheese mixture. And now, it's time to layer up this beautiful dessert!

Go ahead and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray for this tiramisu recipe. You will dip each ladyfinger into your room-temperature espresso — do this one at a time — and line the bottom of the baking dish with the coffee-infused biscuits. We know — this is starting to look super tempting! No judgement if you sneak a taste of a cookie. Once you have fully lined the bottom of your baking dish, spread half of your yolk and cheese mixture over the ladyfingers.

You will repeat this process with another layer of espresso-soaked ladyfingers and then the final layer of the yolk and cheese mixture. But as ready as you are to sample your sweet treat, we are sorry to report you should wait. Carli advises a few final touches before serving up the tiramisu you should be seriously proud you produced at home, nary a restaurant dessert menu in sight.

To truly pull off a professional-looking tiramisu recipe, Carli recommends using a fine mesh strainer to gently dust the top of your masterpiece with a layer of cocoa powder. Yum! At this stage, you will cover your creation with foil and refrigerate it for 24 hours. We promise the wait will be well worth it. Why bother with this step? As Carli told us, "I recommend refrigerating the dessert so that the tiramisu can chill thoroughly." Because you wouldn't want your hard work to result in a runny dessert when you go to serve a slice. Carli told us this is possible if the steps are rushed and the tiramisu "gets too warm."

Besides, a dessert you can make ahead of time and then pull out to serve with no extra work is always nice to have on hand. Um, can we come over when it's ready?