Tiramisù
Coffee, mascarpone and savoiardi dessert
Coffee-dipped savoiardi layered with mascarpone cream and cocoa: a chilled dessert with a gentle bitterness beneath its rich, soft layers.
Tiramisù with a cherry garnish.Soft layers.
A coffee finish.
Tiramisù layers coffee-dipped savoiardi biscuits with mascarpone cream and a dusting of cocoa. The biscuits soften as the dessert chills, giving each spoonful a contrast of rich cream and coffee. The version here uses egg yolks, with no whipped cream or liqueur.
Treviso in Veneto has a strong association with the dessert, notably through Le Beccherie restaurant. Friuli Venezia Giulia also has documented local traditions and competing origin claims. It is more useful to recognize those connections than to name a single undisputed birthplace; today you will find tiramisù throughout Italy.
Regional connections: Friuli Venezia Giulia · Veneto
Explore by food: Desserts
Let’s make tiramisù.
A yolk-and-mascarpone version with two biscuit layers. Use pasteurized yolks and leave time for a full chill.
One 20 × 20 cm dish
What you’ll need
- 90 gpasteurized egg yolks, suitable for uncooked use (about 5–6 large yolks)
- 125 ggranulated sugar
- 500 gmascarpone, chilled
- 250 gsavoiardi (crisp ladyfinger biscuits)
- 300 mlstrong coffee, freshly brewed
- 2 tbspunsweetened cocoa powder
This is an uncooked egg cream: use commercially pasteurized yolks labeled suitable for uncooked use. Freshness alone is not a substitute. The 6 hours 30 minutes total includes the minimum chill; overnight chilling is also suitable. Keep covered in the fridge and use within 2 days.
How to make it
- 01
Cool the coffee
Brew 300 ml strong coffee and pour into a wide, shallow bowl. Let it cool completely, about 15–20 minutes; a bowl set over cold water speeds this up. Keep the mascarpone and pasteurized yolks refrigerated until you are ready to use them.
- 02
Make the mascarpone cream
Using an electric whisk, beat the pasteurized yolks and sugar for 4–5 minutes, until pale and thick. In another bowl, stir the mascarpone briefly to loosen it, then fold in the yolk mixture in 3 additions until smooth. Do not keep beating once combined.
- 03
Build two layers
Quickly dip half the savoiardi in the cooled coffee, turning once; about 1 second per side is enough. Arrange in a single layer in a 20 × 20 cm dish, breaking a few to fit. Spread over half the cream. Repeat with the remaining biscuits and cream. Discard any unused dipping coffee.
- 04
Chill thoroughly
Cover without touching the cream and refrigerate at 4°C/40°F or below for at least 6 hours. This gives the biscuits time to soften and the cream time to settle. Keep the dessert refrigerated until you are ready to portion it.
- 05
Dust and serve
Just before serving, sift the cocoa evenly over the top. Cut or spoon into 6 portions, keeping the remaining dessert chilled. The layers should be soft and spoonable rather than firm like a baked cake.
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