Tiramisu (rich and creamy)

Tiramisu is a soft, rich, and creamy coffee layered dessert that’s quick and easy to put together and truly melts in your mouth. Think layers of light and fluffy mascarpone, sponge fingers biscuits soaked in strong coffee espresso and cocoa powder in between each layer. It’s easy to make ahead of time, and if you let it rest in the fridge for a day or two, the flavors meld together to create a deeply rich coffee dessert.

Hey team, Nick here! Let’s get something out of the way. My tiramisu is not a traditional tiramisu recipe. It’s pretty close except for one thing, I use cream in my mascarpone layer. And no, It doesn’t come out greasy or heavy, it’s super light and fluffy and rich in flavor. And just like a good tiramisu, mine is even better the next day, it’s super easy to slice and serve which makes it perfect for busy holiday get togethers.

Related – I usually make my chocolate tiramisu for Christmas every year. It has a rich chocolate pastry cream layer which takes it over the edge! It’s actually the version of tiramisu I grew up with. I had no idea it wasn’t actual tiramisu until I was well into my 20’s.

I started my testing for this recipe with homemade sponge fingers (Savoiardi) and I thought for sure it would better. It turns out store bought ones a drier and better at soaking in the espresso syrup. Plus, they’re quicker and easier to use.

When you think about it, tiramisu just comes down to three simple elements. The cream, the coffee and the biscuits. It all comes together really easily and quickly and the payoff is a luscious and smooth dessert that is great for making ahead of time. Leave it in the fridge, get on with everything else and serve cold when you’re ready!

The coffee you use makes a difference (ask any Italian)

In fact in my earlier testing, I tried using instant coffee, (which is ok in my books), served it to my Italian neighbor and he said I needed to try making it with the cafetera. Why? Because of the flavor. And frankly, he was right. The instant coffee powder is ok, the cafetera brings a much richer coffee flavor to a dessert that is all about the coffee!

To make it in the cafetera.

Fill the bottom of a 9 cup (420ml) cafetera )or whichever size you have) with boiling water and add ground coffee to the basket. Screw the top on firmly, heat gently, and remove the pot immediately once the top chamber is full.

Can I use different coffee?

• You could use instant coffee, and I’ve left the simple instructions for that in the recipe notes. I personally think that’s ok, but the flavor is different.
• You can also use your espresso machine to make the coffee you need. It’ll take a little longer to brew enough, but it’s totally doable.

How to finish the syrup.

Add the hot coffee into a heat proof jug, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Then add the milk and liquor (optional) and mix. I like using milk in my syrup because it helps add a little more rich creamy flavor. But if you don’t want to use milk, that’s fine. Replace it with more espresso.

Which biscuits to use

First off, you can use any brand of biscuit. What I look out for is the shape. I don’t want ones that look homemade (flat and wide), I want the ones that look uniform in size and shape because they give you a better looking slice.

The most important thing to keep in mind is how much to soak the biscuits. Each brand will need a different amount of soak. What I mean by that is that some biscuits soak in more coffee syrup than others.

How to test your biscuits – I’d start by soaking one biscuit first. Give it one quick dunk in the syrup. Let it sit for five minutes to see how soft it gets. You want the biscuit to soften like cake, with the syrup reaching most of it, but not all the way to the centre.

Making the mascarpone cream

A traditional Italian tiramisu uses no cream because it can weigh the cream down and make it dense and greasy. Not mine. It comes out super creamy, light and fluffy.

• Whip the egg yolks, vanilla and sugar together until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. It will fall off the beaters in a ribbon.
• Whip the cold cream and mascarpone in a separate bowl until you reach stiff peaks.

• Fold the cream and egg mixtures together.

Tip – You want to make sure you reach stiff peaks because it will make the cream layer strong enough to hold its shape when you slice into the entire thing.

Using raw eggs 

I use raw egg yolks in the cream because they provide a rich flavor. Pretty much every tiramisu recipe has raw eggs in it for this exact reason.  Are they safe to eat? – Yes. Raw eggs are generally safe to eat. But if you’re concerned, especially with children or pregnant guests, I’ve included notes in the recipe card with simple steps in the notes on how to safely pasteurize your eggs at home.

Let’s layer the whole thing together

• Add a generous dusting of cocoa powder on the bottom of the dish. That’s going to soak in any excess syrup in the biscuits.
• Then add a row of soaked biscuits. You can break any biscuits up to fill any gaps in your dish if you need to before soaking them.

• Dust with more cocoa powder
• Then add half of the cream and spread evenly.

• More cocoa powder
• Before you add the next layer of soaked biscuits.

• Cocoa powder again
• Then the rest of the cream

• This is optional, but I like to use a ridged cake scraper to create a patterned look on top of the tiramisu.
• Dust with cocoa powder.

• Use a paper towel to wipe away the cocoa powder around the sides of the tin. Then this thing goes in the fridge (covered) for 12 hours. It’s even better the next day or two days!

The baking tin I used – 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. Halve the recipe for a 23cm / 9-inch square baking tin.

How to get clean slices.

Use a large knife to slice through the tiramisu creating 12 slices. I use a bendy silicone spatula to get it under the slices and lift it up. That’s the best way I know to get them out.