Quite appropriately, “tiramisu” translates to something along the lines of “pick me up.”
And that’s exactly what it is—a sweet pick-me-up that’s well worth saving space for, no matter how much carbonara or cacio e pepe you may have already eaten. Coffee-dipped ladyfinger cookies and sweet, fluffy mascarpone come together in a beautiful symphony of flavors and textures in this heavenly dessert.
While savoring tiramisu after a meal at a Roman trattoria is a must at least once in your lifetime, there’s no need to deprive yourself until you make it back to Italy. This traditional Italian tiramisu recipe will do wonders to hold you over until then.
The history of tiramisu
According to the Accademia del Tiramisù, a gastronomic and cultural association dedicated to preserving and promoting Italy’s most iconic dessert, the restaurant Beccherie in Treviso gets credit for creating the first “official” iteration of tiramisu in the 1970s.
Though this was the first time a formal recipe for the dessert had been put together, the roots of tiramisù can be traced back nearly 200 years earlier. Legend says that the madam who ran a brothel in Treviso in the early 1800s would prepare the dessert for clients heading home at the end of the night. While this version of the story has been buried throughout history in favor of a more family-friendly version, there’s evidence to support that it does have its roots in Treviso around that time.
In the 1980s, tiramisu’s popularity exploded throughout the rest of the world, particularly in Italian-American restaurants in the United States. Today, it’s arguably the most famous Italian dessert in the world (except for possibly gelato) and enjoyed up and down the boot-shaped peninsula where it was born.
Devour’s tiramisu recipe
Today, there are nearly as many versions of tiramisu in Italy as there are nonnas. Each restaurant and home cook gives it their own twist: some include chocolate or Nutella, others brighten up the flavor with fresh fruit, and still others use gelato instead of the mascarpone-based custard.
This Italian tiramisu recipe is a classic one and comes straight from our team at Devour’s Rome Cooking School, located in the heart of Trastevere where we host our pasta-making class and pizza-making class. Our talented chefs not only make pizza and pasta, but also share a variety of other recipes, which we regularly post on our social media.
Italian tiramisu recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup brewed strong coffee or espresso (cooled)
- 4 large eggs (separated into yolks and whites)
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided into 2 (100 g in total)
- 16 oz mascarpone cheese (500 g)
- ~30 ladyfinger cookies (a.k.a. “Savoiardi” in Italian)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (for dusting)
Instructions
- Brew coffee: Brew 1 cup of strong coffee or espresso. Let it cool in a separate container.
- Prepare eggs: Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
- Make the cream mixture: In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with ½ cup of sugar until fully combined. Add the mascarpone to the egg yolk mixture and fully combine.
- Beat the egg whites: In a separate bowl, begin whisking the egg whites. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup of sugar, continuing to whisk until stiff peaks form and the mixture stays in place when you turn the bowl upside down.
- Combine mixtures: Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the yolk/mascarpone mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined.
- Submerge the cookies: Quickly dip each ladyfinger cookie into the cooled coffee (for about 1-2 seconds).
- Assemble the tiramisu: In individual bowls or a large dish, create a layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers. Add a layer of the mascarpone cream mixture on top of the cookies. Repeat layers if desired.
- Refrigerate: Keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.
- Dust with cocoa: Before serving, use a fine mesh strainer to dust the top with cocoa powder.
Top tips for making your homemade tiramisu
- You can make your tiramisu in one large dish or in several smaller ones—whichever you prefer.
- Don’t dip your cookies for too long, or you’ll risk the recipe being too soggy.
- Egg yolks are essential for making tiramisu. To ensure safety, use pasteurized eggs or cook the egg yolks and sugar together using a double boiler or a makeshift double boiler with a bowl and saucepan.
If you love Italian food and want to learn how to make it, join us at our Cooking School in the heart of Rome. Our modern, comfortable space (equipped with A/C which is ideal on hot summer days) is the perfect setting for a fun cooking experience with friends, family, or even on your own. Our guests always have a blast, and we know you will too. Learn more about our pasta-making class and our pizza-making class.
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