Easy Chocolate Tiramisu Recipe

This easy Chocolate Tiramisu is everything you love about the classic dessert, rich mascarpone cream, coffee-soaked sponge finger biscuits (also known as ladyfinger biscuits) and the addition of silky smooth pastry cream. This is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert and can be made up to three days in advance. In fact making it in advance gives all the flavors to get to know each other and makes it even better!

In this recipe article I’ll give you tips and tricks on how to make this dessert, serve it and you’ll be on your way to making a show stopping dessert that can easily be transported if made in a dish with a lid.

This recipe uses my Chocolate Pastry Cream recipe which you can find here. Make it up to three days in advance. This would also pair well with my French Vanilla Pastry Cream!

Check the bottom of this article for more crowd-pleasing holiday desserts!

What is Chocolate Tiramisu?

This layered dessert is so incredibly simple to make, but it’s so good! A rarity, minimal effort, big returns. Let’s break down what makes this tiramisu my new favorite dessert!

• Lady fingers / sponge fingers – these are soft Italian sponge biscuits. When soaked in the coffee syrup, they go a little cakey and soft.
• Coffee syrup – this is a key flavor component in tiramisu. It goes so nicely with the creamy mascarpone filling.
• Mascarpone filling – this is made a little simpler than most recipes. It’s whipped egg yolks and sugar with mascarpone whipped cream folded into it. Once you let the layered tiramisu set, this layer kind of sets and firms up a little but remains super fluffy and delicious.
• Chocolate pastry cream filling – I added my chocolate pastry cream as the final layer of this dessert because it’s silky smooth, pairs perfectly with the coffee and in my opinion, elevates this dessert.

Ingredients You Need To Make Chocolate Tiramisu

Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.

• Eggs – I used large And yes, I used them raw in the mascarpone filling. But you can use pasteurized eggs or pasteurize your own.
• Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar. You can use granulated sugar if you can’t find caster sugar.
• Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
• Heavy cream – this is the type of cream you use for whipping. You want to make sure your cream is cold straight out of the fridge.
• Mascarpone – is a type of Italian cheese that is similar to sour cream. It’s a great way to stabilize whipped cream.
• Instant coffee powder – I used the Nescafé coffee powder. You can use decaf if you wish.
• Frangelico – traditionally tiramisu has rum in it. Specifically, dark rum, but I don’t like the flavor so I used Frangelico because it’s hazelnut flavor. You can leave out the alcohol all together.
• Sponge finger / ladyfinger biscuits – these are soft Italian sponge biscuits that when soaked in the coffee syrup, are so delicious and go cakey.
• Chocolate Pastry Cream – I have a really good chocolate pastry cream recipe that goes perfectly with this recipe. It’s a classic French pastry cream laced with cocoa and chocolate. What you’re left with is a perfectly silky and pipeable pastry cream that can hold it’s shape as a filling in cakes, cupcakes and even this dessert!
• Cocoa powder – I added this on top of the cream layer because it stops the coffee-soaked biscuits from making the layered dessert soggy. The coffee syrup from the biscuits melds with the cocoa and creates a bonus chocolate layer.

How to make Chocolate Tiramisu!

1. Whip the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together.
2. Whip cream and mascarpone.

3. Fold both together. Chill.
4. Combine coffee syrup ingredients and mix.

5. Spread a thin layer of mascarpone cream in baking tin.
6. Dip sponge fingers in it.

7. Add a layer in the baking dish.
8. Add mascarpone cream and spread.

9. Dust with cocoa powder.
10. Add another layer of sponge fingers and spread pastry cream on top. To make the pastry cream, grab the recipe here.

11. Dust with cocoa powder.
12. Chill, slice and serve.

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

• You have better chances of serving up perfect slices of tiramisu using a flexible, silicone spatula. Making sure your tiramisu is set properly is really important too.
• Make sure you give your tiramisu enough time to chill before serving so it’s not sliding around on your guests plates.
• Make your chocolate pastry cream in advance to make layering up this dessert an easier process. You can make it up to three days in advance.
• Making this in a glass Pyrex dish that has a lid makes it a really easy dessert to transport to your next get together.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chocolate Tiramisu

What does it taste like?

The classic version is creamy, soft with a strong coffee flavor and a hint of cocoa. My chocolate version has a nice hit of silky smooth chocolate pastry cream which pairs perfectly with anything coffee!

How do I store this?

This dessert can be store in an airtight container to stop it from drying out and should always be chilled. Including when it’s served.

What size pan do you use?

I used a 9 x 13 inch (22cm x 33cm) baking dish that’s 2 inches (5cm) in height. You can use something similar in size. If you use something bigger you may end up with a flatter tiramisu.

Are the eggs cooked?

Not in my recipe. They’re generally safe to use raw. But if you’re not all about that raw egg life, you can use pasteurized eggs or pasteurize your own.

To pasteurize your eggs

If you want to be extra safe, you can use pasteurized egg whites. These are eggs that have been gently cooked to kill any food born illnesses, making them safe to eat raw. You can buy pasteurized eggs at some stores, but if you can’t find them here’s how to pasteurize eggs for this tiramisu:

1. Start with room temperature eggs.
2. Fill a medium pot with enough water to cover the eggs by an inch
3. Heat to 60°C / 140°F (use a thermometer to check).
4. Place the eggs in the hot water for 3 1/2 minutes.
5. Take the eggs out and cool them under cold water for a minute to stop the cooking process.
6. Dry the eggs and let them get back to room temperature before using.

Always keep pasteurized eggs in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.

Why don’t you use the egg whites in the mascarpone cream filling?

I actually don’t think it needs it. You still get super fluffy mascarpone filling.

Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes! 

If you loved this recipe, check these out!

• Christmas Gingerbread Trifle

• Christmas Candy Cane Brookies

• Linzer Cookies

• Baklava Recipe

• Delightful Gingerbread Cookies

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!

Easy Chocolate Tiramisu Recipe

This Decadent Chocolate Tiramisu recipe is a decadent layered dessert made up of luscious mascarpone cream, smooth chocolate pastry cream and coffee soaked biscuits.

Serves 12

4.7 from 11 votes

Author: Nick Makrides

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cool: 4 hours hrs

Total: 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 389kcal

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Ingredients

Mascarpone Cream

• ▢ 3 egg yolks, aprox 20g per yolk
• ▢ 40 g caster sugar, superfine sugar
• ▢ 14 g vanilla extract
• ▢ 375 g heavy cream, (whipping cream) cold
• ▢ 225 g mascarpone, cold (see notes)

Coffee Syrup

• ▢ 20 g instant coffee powder, see notes
• ▢ 40 g granulated sugar
• ▢ 125 g boiling water
• ▢ 60 g Frangelico, or rum (optional)
• ▢ 125 g milk

To Assemble

• ▢ 40 sponge finger biscuits, see notes
• ▢ 1 batch Chocolate Pastry Cream, see notes
• ▢ Dutch processed cocoa powder to dust

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Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]

https://youtu.be/pBTitN0y-YE

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Instructions

Chocolate Pastry Cream

• The top layer of my chocolate tiramisu has my Chocolate Pastry Cream which is silky smooth and pairs so perfectly with this classic dessert. You should make it a day in advance, up to three days to give it time to set and chill before layering. Make sure you give it a mix using a spatula before layering on to smoothen it out and make spreading it on easier.

Mascarpone Cream

• Whip egg yolks and sugar – Add the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl and whisk on high-speed using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. It will fall off the beaters in a ribbon.
• Whip mascarpone and cream – In a separate bowl, add the heavy cream and mascarpone and whip until you reach stiff peaks.
• Fold together – Add the egg mixture to the whipped cream and fold through using a spatula until well combined. Set aside in the fridge.

Coffee Syrup

• Prepare coffee mixture – Add the instant coffee powder and sugar in a large jug and mix using a spoon. Add the boiling water and mix until well combined and everything is dissolved. Add the Frangelico or rum (optional) and milk, and mix until well combined. You’ll dip the sponge finger biscuits in this.

Assembly

• I used a 22 x 33cm / 9 x 13-inch baking dish that’s 5cm / 2-inches in height. Anything around that size will work.
• Add mascarpone cream on bottom – Spread a thin layer of the mascarpone cream on the bottom of the dish.
• Layer coffee soaked biscuits – Dip the sponge finger biscuits in the coffee syrup, one by one, and place in the baking dish sugar side down. Place them next to each other and pack them as tight as you can. If you need to, cut some extra biscuits to fill in any gaps you can do that.
• Add mascarpone cream – Add all the mascarpone cream on top and spread evenly. Dust with cocoa powder.
• Add second coffee biscuit layer – Add another layer of coffee-soaked sponge finger biscuits on top.
• Add chocolate pastry cream and cocoa powder – Add the chocolate pastry cream and spread as evenly as you can. Dust with a final layer of cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, overnight is best. Slice and use a silicone spatula to take out and serve.

Notes

Mascarpone – is an Italian cheese that is similar in flavor to sour cream, but more creamy and less sour. Opt in for a better brand one as they tend to be thicker and make sure it’s cold straight out of the fridge! Make sure you give your mascarpone cheese a mix before using. Some brands are soft, some are firm and can cause your Chantilly cream to go lumpy.

Instant Coffee powder – I used Nescafé instant coffee powder. You can use less if you like, but a strong coffee flavor really makes this dessert iconic. You can use decaf if you like.

Sponge finger biscuits – also known as lady fingers or ‘Savoirardi’ biscuits are found at specialty Italian delis or at most supermarkets in the biscuit/cookie isle. Each packet usually has 30 cookies and brands vary in biscuit size. You’ll need 40 to make this recipe using the baking dish I used.

Chocolate Pastry Cream – I have a really good chocolate pastry cream recipe that goes perfectly with this recipe. It’s a classic French pastry cream laced with cocoa and chocolate. What you’re left with is a perfectly silky and pipeable pastry cream that can hold it’s shape as a filling in cakes, cupcakes and even this dessert! Make this up to three days in advance to let it chill and make the layering process easier. 

Vanilla extract – for this recipe, you want to use an alcohol-free vanilla extract otherwise you risk your eggs never whipping.

Eggs – you want to make sure your eggs are at room temperature for this recipe. If you live in a country where it is not safe to eat raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs in place of regular store-bought eggs.

Eating raw eggs – Generally, eating fresh eggs in their raw state is safe in most countries. But I understand that for some, the mere thought makes them feel anxious or afraid of salmonella poisoning.

To pasteurize your eggs

If you want to be extra safe, you can use pasteurized egg whites. These are eggs that have been gently cooked to kill any food born illnesses, making them safe to eat raw. You can buy pasteurized eggs at some stores, but if you can’t find them here’s how to pasteurize egg for this tiramisu:

1. Start with room temperature eggs.
2. Fill a medium pot with enough water to cover the eggs by an inch
3. Heat to 60°C / 140°F (use a thermometer to check).
4. Place the eggs in the hot water for 3 1/2 minutes.
5. Take the eggs out and cool them under cold water for a minute to stop the cooking process.
6. Dry the eggs and let them get back to room temperature before using.
7. Always keep pasteurized eggs in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. 

Storage – Tiramisu can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. 

Nutrition – is an approximate, is based on per serving and excludes the chocolate pastry cream. There are 12 servings in this recipe.

A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales!

Nutrition

Calories : 389kcal

Carbonhydrates: 29g

Protein: 7g

Fat: 25g

Saturated Fat: 14g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g

Monounsaturated Fat : 5g

Cholesterol: 185mg

Sodium: 80mg

Potassium : 158mg

Fiber: 0.4g

Sugar : 5g

Vitamin A: 1008IU

Vitamin C: 0.2mg

Calcium: 86mg

Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclosure

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