This tiramisu recipe is one of our favorite desserts. It’s made with layers of ladyfingers soaked in espresso and a light, creamy mascarpone filling. It’s so good.
My ideal tiramisu is rich but not heavy, sweet but not too sweet, and packs a good amount of coffee flavor. When everything is layered and chilled, the ladyfingers and mascarpone meld together into something incredibly delicious. When made well, I genuinely think tiramisu is one of the best desserts you can make at home.
If you’ve never made homemade tiramisu before, I’m so happy you’ve found us. This classic tiramisu uses simple, traditional ingredients and is easier to make than you might expect. It’s one of my go-to desserts for dinner parties, holidays, and anytime we want a make-ahead dessert that always impresses.
Key Ingredients
- Ladyfingers: Look for Italian ladyfingers (called Savoiardi). They are firm and dry with a light, sugary coating. They soften perfectly when dipped in coffee.
- Coffee: Use strong coffee or espresso. If you have an espresso machine, this is a great time to use it. The stronger the coffee, the better the flavor in your tiramisu.
- Marsala Wine: Marsala has a warm, nutty sweetness that tastes incredible with the coffee (almost like brown sugar). You can substitute dark rum, brandy, or a coffee liqueur like Kahlua. To make tiramisu without alcohol, simply leave it out or use a drop of rum extract (I share tips below the recipe).
- Mascarpone: This is the key to a creamy, rich filling. Mascarpone is similar to cream cheese, but it’s made from cream, so it tastes softer and naturally sweeter.
- Egg Yolks and Sugar: We make a simple Italian zabaglione, which is a gently cooked mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala. It sounds and looks fancy, but it’s easier than it seems, and it creates the light, silky texture tiramisu is known for.
- Cream: Instead of folding in raw egg whites, we use whipped cream to lighten the mascarpone filling. If you prefer the more traditional version with whipped egg whites, I’ve got you covered with tips below the recipe.
- Chocolate: I grate bittersweet chocolate between the layers. It melts slightly into the mascarpone and tastes incredible. Some recipes use cocoa powder, but I love the texture and flavor of real grated chocolate.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Tiramisu
Tip 1: Make a strong coffee mixture. Use strong coffee or espresso and flavor it with a little Marsala, sugar, and vanilla. Later on, you’ll dip the ladyfingers quickly into this mixture (so they soften but don’t get soggy).
Tip 2: Make the zabaglione. It sounds fancy, but it’s simple! You’ll gently cook the egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala over simmering water, while whisking constantly. The mixture becomes pale, thick, and silky. This step gives tiramisu its rich, classic flavor. (Here’s more about zabaglione including more ways to use it.)
I use my electric mixer for the whisking, which is much easier and keeps the egg yolks moving so they do not scramble.
Tip 3: How to tell when zabaglione is ready. You’ll beat the egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala in the double boiler for 5 to 8 minutes. As you do, they will go from frothy to pale and thick.
You can tell it is ready to move to the next step when, as you pull your whisk or beaters out of the mixture, it falls back as ribbons, leaving trails in the bowl (see below).
Tip 4: Add the mascarpone. When it’s ready, you’ll remove the zabaglione from the double boiler and beat in mascarpone. The mixture will be hot, and that’s okay.
Tip 5: Fold in whipped cream. Allow the zabaglione and mascarpone mixture time to cool on the counter. While it cools, make whipped cream. You want it thick with medium to firm peaks. Then, when the zabaglione mixture is no longer hot, fold in the whipped cream.
Tip 6: Assemble the tiramisu. Dip the ladyfingers quickly into the coffee mixture. They should soften, but not fall apart. Layer them in the dish, then spread the mascarpone filling, then grate the chocolate on top. Repeat to build two layers.
Tip 7: Chill. Tiramisu needs to rest in the fridge for at least 6 hours. During this time, the coffee, mascarpone, and chocolate meld together, and the ladyfingers soften into cake-like layers. Six hours is a minimum, but overnight is even better (and is why this is one of the world’s best make-ahead desserts!).
More Classic Dessert Recipes
- Berry Salad – served on a bed of whipped cream
- Chocolate Crème Brûlée
- Perfect Cheesecake
- Banana Pudding
More Marsala Wine Recipes
Our Favorite Tiramisu
- PREP
- TOTAL
Joanne and I both love this tiramisu recipe. In our standard recipe, you will use egg yolks and cook them in a double boiler with sugar and Marsala wine (it sounds difficult, but it isn’t, promise!). Then, you’ll fold in mascarpone cheese and whipped cream. I highly recommend watching our video showing you what each stage of this recipe looks like. If you’d prefer not to use whipped cream and would like to substitute with the more traditional egg whites, we have shared tips below the recipe.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
24 Italian ladyfingers (Savoiardi), from one 7-ounce package
¾ cup brewed espresso or strong coffee, at room temperature (175ml)
5 tablespoons dry Marsala wine, divided (75ml)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided (50g)
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature, 1 ¼ cups (225g)
¾ cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (175ml)
2 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, for grating (60g)
Directions
1Prep: Set aside a 9×9-inch baking or serving dish (holds 2 quarts).
2Make the coffee mixture: In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the warm coffee, 3 tablespoons of Marsala wine, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then set aside.
3Set up a double boiler: If you have a double boiler, use it. Otherwise, place a heat-safe bowl over a small saucepan so it sits above 1 to 2 inches of water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Once you know it fits, remove the bowl and set it aside. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
4Beat the egg yolks and sugar: With the bowl still off the heat, add the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of Marsala, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Beat with a handheld mixer on medium until frothy, about 20 to 30 seconds.
5Cook the zabaglione: Place the bowl over the simmering water and continue beating on medium speed until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and has tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Look for a thin ribbon that falls from the beaters when lifted from the bowl. Keep the water at a gentle simmer and do not stop mixing to avoid scrambling the eggs.
6Add the mascarpone: Remove the bowl from the saucepan and place it onto the counter. While the mixture is still warm, beat in the mascarpone just until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
7Whip the cream: In a separate bowl with clean beaters, whip the cream until medium to firm peaks form (the peaks should hold, then gently fall back).
8Fold everything together: Use a spatula to fold half of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream. The mixture should look light and airy.
9Layer the ladyfingers: Quickly dip half of the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture (don’t soak them) and arrange them in a single layer in the baking dish. Depending on the shape of your dish, you might need to break a few into pieces to fit them. If you don’t seem to have enough, spread the ladyfingers out a little.
10Add filling and chocolate: Spread half of the mascarpone filling over the ladyfingers. Grate half of the chocolate evenly over the top.
11Repeat the layers: Dip the remaining ladyfingers and arrange another layer. Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture on top, then grate more chocolate to cover.
12Chill: Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (overnight is even better).
13Serve: Before serving, add a little extra grated chocolate and let the tiramisu sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Slice and serve.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Tiramisu keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It actually improves as it sits. To freeze, cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The texture will soften slightly once thawed.
- Cream (UK/Australia): Use double cream or thickened cream. Both whip well and work the same as heavy cream.
- Alcohol substitutions: You can use dark rum, brandy, or a coffee-flavored liqueur like Kahlua. These taste stronger than Marsala, so reduce the amount or increase the coffee slightly. Always taste the coffee mixture before dipping the ladyfingers, and adjust to your preferred strength.
- Tiramisu without alcohol: Leave out the Marsala. Or, substitute it for rum extract. Use 1 ½ teaspoons of rum extract, and adjust to taste.
- Using egg whites instead of cream: Some classic tiramisu recipes fold in whipped egg whites rather than whipped cream, making the filling lighter and airier. To do this, whip 3 egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the mascarpone mixture instead of the whipped cream. Since the egg whites are not cooked, use fresh, high-quality, pasteurized eggs.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
This was easy and perfect, I subbed kalua and rum mixture for marsala. I’ve made it twice so far, huge hit
That’s wonderful! Thank you for coming back and letting us know!
Sorry I missed the stars.. it’s definitely worth 5 stars 🙂
No worries! We appreciate the extra comment 🙂
I’d never made this dessert in my life, I made it for my sons 40th birthday. Everyone raved about it and it tasted amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
That’s wonderful, Paula! Thank you so much for coming back and letting us know!
Big hit every Christmas and the best Tiramisu anyone who tasted it has eaten ever. Love this recipe. Often need a bit more coffee mix to soak the lady fingers. And a bit more cacao
Can this recipe be made without the Marsala wine?
Yes, there are tips in the recipe.
Ever since I found your recipe, and it’s been more than 3 years, I’ve been making it that way. It cuts well and the taste is outstanding. I only sprinkle it with cocoa, as the Italians do, not with grated chocolate.
So glad you enjoy it, Marina! I love the grated chocolate, but cocoa is lovely!
I just made this, but the filling came out very liquidy compared to the video. I used egg whites instead of cream. Could it be that the heat wasn’t high enough when I was mixing the yolks? They never really tripled in volume. Or is it normally more liquidy when using whites? Hopefully it will solidify in the fridge…
Hi Sarah, You might be on to something that your egg yolk mixture was not whipped enough. I’ve just updated the recipe with more visual cues to help you when making it. Here’s what I added “Place the bowl over the simmering water, and continue to beat on medium using the electric hand mixer until the mixture has tripled in volume, looks pale yellow, and the beaters leave distinct tracks as you move them through it, 5 to 8 minutes. (Look for a thin ribbon that falls from the beaters when lifted from the bowl.)”
I’ve been making this recipe now for 3 years , It’s my go to. Never fails. The best tiramisu recipe out there!
Yay! Thanks for coming back to leave such a kind review 🙂
I made this twice this week, once with the cream and once with egg whites. Both were good, but the one with egg whites was better texture-wise. Can’t wait to make again!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
That is great recipe..
Thank you for writing this recipe out, posting it and making a terrific video to go with it. This is basically the recipe I’ve used for years to make Tiramisù but I like your idea of using a hand mixer on the stove top to make the preparation easier. I made your recipe for tailgating this weekend and the Tiramisù turned out beautifully. Grazie!
Yes, we freeze tiramasu and can’t really tell the difference. That was done with home made mascarpone.
This was a great video that provided good instructions for making tiramisu at home. I used to make full size sheet pans of tiramisu using rectangular frames at the Mark Hopkins hotel in SF many years ago. Making it at home versus a commercial kitchen is very different, considering how big that hotel kitchen was! (I used a 60 quart mixing bowl to make the marscapone base…the recipe used 30 yolks.) In the pastry shop we used a thin layer of vanilla sponge cake at the bottom of each pan which was brushed with the coffee rather than lady fingers.(The soaked lady fingers were the third layer) Other than that, it is very similar. So I really appreciated your instructions. Thank you so much! It came out beautiful and delicious!
Hi!i really love your reciepes i have never baked/cooked something so good .
I searched high and low for a really great recipe before attempting a tiramisu and I’m so glad I chose this one, it turned out exactly as I wanted it – perfectly creamy and delicious. I used Kahlúa in place of marsala and followed the advice to halve the quantity as it is stronger, but found I ran out of liquid for dipping the ladyfingers – possibly due to overenthusiastic dunking of the first few! – so ended up adding an extra tablespoon of the liqueur anyway. If you wanted to avoid this you could make sure to have a little extra coffee prepared – but I didn’t find the extra booze overwhelming so next time I might use the full quantity of liqueur anyway. I made the recipe with cream because I already had some to hand but would be interested to try with egg whites next time – and there definitely will be a next time!
Omggg. The best Tiramisu receipe ever! Easy to make it and soo yummy. I made it on Sat morning and just had it for today Easter desert. Thank you for sharing the receipe and all the tips. This will be a keep!
An absolutely wonderful recipe that turned out perfectly on my first try. The tips made a massive difference, especially when my cream curdled and I had to resort to egg whites!
I have been making this since 2015! For 5 years it has been an absolute favourite and made me the Tiramisu Lady at any party and occasion. Thank you so much for that! I am making it for tonight too. Merry Holidays! Anna
I just made this recipe today, substituting coffee liquor for the Marsala wine. Absolutely AMAZING!!
Recipe could use more coffee. It was only 1/2 a cup. I would double it next time. Taste great and would highly recommend it. The videos were very helpful especially for someone whose making it for the first time.
This is a great recipe and it came out beautifully. I was my first time making tiramisu and the recipe gave so many helpful tips I was confident it would come out the way I like it. I did not use egg whites, and next time might use just a teensy bit more coffee, but only because I love it. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I am back here today to make it again!