I just might be biased, but this is the best tiramisu I’ve had in my life! Though I won’t make this frequently, I’m obsessed with this recipe!! I was motivated to make my own tiramisu at home because I feel dessert shops don’t get the proportion of fingers to mascarpone cream right. I like mine well-balanced, not too heavy on the cream. But if you love cream, feel free to reduce the number of ladyfingers and slap on the cream heavy!

I’ve broken down the tiramisu recipe into 3 components for you to make it at home.

Prep time: 45 - 60 minutes

Fridge time: 12 - 24 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients for (1) mascarpone cream

• 250g mascarpone, room temp.

• 2 tbsp rum - I used this (for non-alcoholic ingredient swap, please read Notes, point 2)

Method for (1) mascarpone cream

• In a large bowl, add rum to room temperature mascarpone and whisk till smooth and set aside. You can also use a hand mixer.

Notes

1. It is an absolute must to leave the mascarpone out until it reaches room temperature so as to get a smooth texture after whisking

2. For a child-friendly, non-alcoholic version, you can add 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract instead

3. Instead of rum, you may also use brandy or amaretto

Ingredients for zabaglione

• 3 large egg yolks

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Method for zabaglione

• In a medium bowl, add egg yolks and sugar

• Place the bowl over a simmering pot of water, whisk the egg yolks and sugar with a hand mixer

• The mixture should turn from vibrant yellow to pale yellow-whitish in colour. As for consistency, it should be smooth and velvety.

Notes

1. Make sure not to boil the pot of water under the bowl of yolks & sugar. The water should be on a gentle simmer or hot enough to let out steam to lightly heat the bowl above it

2. The temperature is too high if the yolk & sugar mixture curdles. Unfortunately a curdled mixture is not usable as it is not the right consistency to go on to the next steps :(

Mixing the 2 components

• Add the whisked mascarpone and zabaglione together and combine well with a whisk

• Place the mixture in the fridge while you work on the other components

Preparing the heavy cream

• Using a hand mixer, whisk 240ml of heavy cream until soft peaks is achieved

• Fold the soft whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture that was sitting in the fridge

• You can use a hand whisk to combine everything well too

Ingredients for ladyfingers

• 200ml of espresso or strong black coffee

• Pack of ladyfingers

Method for ladyfingers

• Prepare a large dish or bowl for dipping the ladyfingers into the espresso/coffee

• The ladyfingers should just be dipped for 1 - 2 seconds on each side before assembling onto the base of the container/dish you plan to use to assemble the tiramisu

Notes

1. I used espresso from my espresso machine, but pulled each espresso shot for longer so it is more watered down than if I am making espresso for a latte.

2. Choose any kind of black coffee that is without sugar of your choice. I personally feel the coffee flavour should be strong, but if you don’t love or need a strong coffee taste profile, use what you think you will enjoy!

3. I did not specify the number of ladyfingers. I assembled my tiramisu without any space between each ladyfinger. If you prefer more cream, add less ladyfingers by spacing them further apart. But do be careful that it shouldn’t be too widely spaced or there won’t be enough structure to your tiramisu

4. Highly recommend choosing a container with airtight lid so it can keep safe in the fridge. But a dish with cling wrap will work too. The size of the container we used is approximately 24 x 18 cm.

• Add the mascarpone cream mixture to the top of the ladyfingers, ensuring you cover every corner and edge

• Then add another layer of ladyfingers

• Repeat another layer of mascarpone cream

• Dust a generous layer of cocoa powder to the top layer and voila!

• Let it sit in the fridge 12 hours minimum, but overnight is best before cutting into it!

Shop Essentials for Tiramisu