Tiramisu is a timeless no-bake Italian dessert combining espresso-dipped ladyfingers and a lightly sweetened mascarpone cream. This recipe is from the late Maida Heatter and is easily the best homemade tiramisu recipe that I’ve ever tried.
I originally published this popular recipe in 2019 and have since added new photos and success tips. Lots of wonderfully helpful reviews below, too!
In 2019, I received a cookbook called Happiness Is Baking. This cookbook includes Maida Heatter’s favorite recipes with the foreword written by Dorie Greenspan. I, unsurprisingly, immediately fell in love with the newest addition to my cookbook shelves. This book is a collection of 100 foolproof and classic desserts including cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, tarts, and more that range from simple everyday cookies to outrageously indulgent chocolate soufflé cake.
For those not familiar, Maida Heatter is an icon, and especially in the baking world. Dubbed the Queen of Cake, her expansive culinary career included 9 cookbooks, recipes for the Times, a restaurant, and three James Beard Awards. Baker and author Dorie Greenspan once said, “Whenever someone tells me they want to learn to bake, I tell them to start with Maida Heatter’s books. That’s what I did.” This latest cookbook is a testament to Maida’s legacy. She leaves behind an incalculable amount of inspiration to bakers and cooks all over the world.
Her tiramisu is unbelievable and I’m honored to share it with you. This is a classic no-bake Italian dessert combining espresso-dipped ladyfingers and a creamy, lightly sweetened mascarpone cream. Nothing triumphant comes for free, so expect a fair amount of prep work. This recipe requires several bowls and a couple mixing techniques, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.
One reader, Roni, commented: “Amazing recipe!!! My husband was having some people over and wanted to do an Italian-themed dinner, so he asked me to make tiramisu, which I have never made before. Well, let me tell you, this recipe is really scrumptious and received great reviews! It’s a little labor intensive to make the cream filling, but boy oh boy, is it ever worth it. It’s so light, fluffy, and simply scrumptious. I will definitely be making this again! ★★★★★“
Tiramisu Layers
There are 2 components and 4 layers in tiramisu. Each component is layered twice.
- Espresso-Dipped Ladyfingers
- Mascarpone Cream
It goes: espresso-dipped ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, remaining espresso-dipped ladyfingers, and remaining mascarpone cream. Dust the whole thing with a dense layer of unsweetened cocoa powder to finish. Maida’s recipe calls for homemade chocolate ladyfingers, and if you own this cookbook, I highly recommend using her chocolate ladyfinger recipe included in it. Most Italian bakeries make fresh ladyfingers as well. However, if you’re desiring a simpler and more convenient approach, use a store-bought variety.
What Are Ladyfingers?
Ladyfingers (savoiardi in Italian) are a sweet, pretty dry, finger-shaped sponge cookie/cake. They’re a main ingredient in many desserts including trifles and tiramisu; and when layered underneath cream, ladyfingers take on a lovely moist cake-like texture. You can find ladyfingers in most large grocery stores, Italian markets, or you can purchase them online. Homemade, as the book uses, is an option too.
Overview: How to Make Tiramisu
The full written and printable recipe is below.
- Whisk espresso and Grand Marnier. Grand Marnier makes this a boozier tiramisu because there is alcohol in both the coffee mixture and the mascarpone cream. Grand Marnier’s flavor is great in this dessert, but you can skip it if desired. If you don’t have espresso, purchase espresso powder and follow the measurements in the recipe Notes.
- Dip half of the ladyfingers in the espresso mixture. Ladyfingers soak up a lot of liquid within 1 second, so make it a very quick dunk. You don’t want them overly saturated and soggy, because as the tiramisu chills, they’ll soften up underneath all the cream.
- Line dipped ladyfingers in bottom of pan. If needed, cut some ladyfingers to fill in any empty spaces.
- Beat mascarpone and rum together. Use quality mascarpone. I like BelGioioso brand (not sponsored—truly what I always use).
- Gently cook egg yolks and sugar. Egg yolks are a main ingredient in tiramisu. Use a double boiler or makeshift bowl/saucepan double boiler to cook egg yolks and sugar together. Maida’s recipe also uses the egg whites, which come soon after this step.
- Beat egg yolks into mascarpone cream mixture.
- Whip heavy cream and vanilla extract into medium peaks.
- Fold whipped cream into mascarpone cream mixture (similar to what we do for our fresh fruit tart filling).
- Beat the egg whites and salt together until foamy, then slowly pour in sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold egg white mixture into mascarpone cream mixture.
- Layer half of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers. An offset spatula helps.
- Dip and layer remaining ladyfingers.
- Top with remaining cream mixture, then chill for for 2–3 hours.
- Dust with cocoa. After chilling for a couple hours, dust the top layer with a dense layer of unsweetened or dutch-process cocoa powder. Use a sifter. This is a classic finishing touch to the entire tiramisu dessert.
- Chill overnight. You can chill it for up to 1 day, so it’s a great make-ahead dessert recipe.
The mascarpone, rum, and egg yolk mixture as well as the whipped cream:
The mascarpone mixture and whipped cream combined:
The whipped egg white mixture and the final mascarpone cream mixture:
Let’s layer:
How to Slice and Serve Tiramisu
As with most layered desserts, you can’t be nervous to just dive right in and start serving! Serve square portions. Make even cuts with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between each cut. A small metal serving spatula to remove the slices is massively helpful.
Tiramisu FAQ
This is one of the best homemade tiramisu recipes that I’ve had—and I definitely encourage you to try it! Here are 4 common questions I receive, along with my answers that will help you get started:
Dark rum is best, but you can use brandy or your favorite coffee liqueur.
Most tiramisu recipes use whipped egg whites OR whipped cream in the mascarpone cream layers. Egg whites contribute a more airy texture, while whipped cream makes the filling a bit more rich. This recipe actually uses both, so you’re getting both delightful textures.
Tiramisu is a no-bake dessert. The egg yolks are gently cooked on the stovetop, but the egg whites are raw. Purchase pasteurized eggs because they are safe to consume raw. If you can’t find pasteurized eggs, you can omit the egg whites entirely. See the recipe Notes for instructions.
This particular tiramisu recipe yields a large volume and the pan will be very full. Make sure your pan is large enough. I recommend a 9×13-inch dish with at least a 12–14-cup capacity. This 4-quart dish is wonderful too.
More Specialty Desserts
- Tiramisu Crepe Cake
- Crème Brûlée
- Amaretto Cheesecake
- Chocolate Soufflé
- Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Homemade Eclairs
Or view all my dessert recipes.
Print
Tiramisu
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Review the recipe notes and video tutorial before starting. Tiramisu tastes best when chilled overnight, so this is a wonderful make-ahead dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) very strongly prepared espresso, warm or room temperature*
- 5 Tablespoons (75ml) Grand Marnier (optional)
- 40–45 ladyfingers*
- 16 ounces (about 2 cups; 450g) mascarpone, cold
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) dark rum
- 4 large pasteurized eggs, separated*
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided*
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
Instructions
- You need a large 9×13-inch baking pan/dish with at least a 12-14 cup capacity. Set aside and have ready to go!
- Dip half of the ladyfingers: You will form 2 layers each of dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone cream. Let’s begin with the 1st layer of ladyfingers. Whisk the espresso and Grand Marnier together in a shallow bowl. One at a time, quickly dip each side of the ladyfinger into the espresso mixture. You don’t want to over-saturate the ladyfinger with liquid because then the ladyfingers will taste soggy. Just a quick dip on each side. Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in the baking pan to make one solid layer. If needed, cut some ladyfingers to fill in any empty spaces. Reserve remaining espresso mixture and ladyfingers for another layer.
- Begin the mascarpone cream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone and rum together on medium speed in a large bowl for a few seconds, just to combine. Do not overmix. Set aside.
- Prepare a double boiler for the egg yolks: If you have a double boiler, use it in this step. If you don’t, place a heatproof bowl over a small pot of simmering water over medium-low heat. Don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Using a whisk or eggbeater (I simply use a whisk), whisk the egg yolks and 1/4 cup (50g) of granulated sugar together until light and foamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the mascarpone mixture. Beat on medium speed until combined.
- Whip the heavy cream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for the tiramisu cream. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
- Beat the egg whites: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a *clean* whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt together on medium-high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase to high speed and slowly pour in the remaining 1/4 cup (50g) of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. (Do not over-beat as the egg whites will become dry.) Fold into the mascarpone cream.
- Spread half of the mascarpone cream evenly over bottom layer of ladyfingers. An offset spatula helps spread it neatly and evenly.
- Dip remaining ladyfingers: Dip remaining ladyfingers into remaining espresso mixture and arrange one-by-one on top of the mascarpone layer. Gently press each down so they are nice and compact. Using an offset spatula, spread remaining mascarpone mixture evenly on top. If you’re using a large enough pan, it should all fit (but it will definitely tower high!). Refrigerate uncovered for 2-3 hours.
- Add cocoa layer, then chill: After a couple hours in the refrigerator, sift or strain a dense layer of cocoa powder all over the top. Wipe the rim of the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 8-9 more hours and up to 1 day.
- Using a sharp knife, slice chilled tiramisu into servings. Wipe knife clean between cuts. A small metal serving spatula is helpful for removing the slices.
- Cover leftover tiramisu and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare tiramisu through step 8. Tightly cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer, evenly dust the top with cocoa, then thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. (Can thaw covered or uncovered.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Egg Separator | Double Boiler | Offset Spatula | Fine Mesh Sieve | Small Metal Serving Spatula
- Smaller Recipe: Halve this recipe for a 9-inch or 10-inch square baking pan.
- Espresso: For the espresso, combine 4 Tablespoons instant espresso powder with 1 cups hot water. This is stronger than brewed espresso and perfect for tiramisu. In a pinch, use super-super-strong black coffee.
- Grand Marnier: This addition makes this a boozier version of tiramisu because you have alcohol in both the coffee soak mixture and the mascarpone cream. Grand Marnier’s flavor is lovely in this dessert, but you can skip it and stick with just the dark rum.
- Ladyfingers: Ladyfingers (savoiardi in Italian) are a sweet, pretty dry, and finger-shaped sponge cookie/cake. They’re found in most large grocery stores, Italian markets, or you can purchase them online. You can also make them from scratch—there are many recipes online! I use 2 standard packages of ladyfingers for this recipe.
- Eggs: The egg yolks are gently cooked in this recipe, but if you’re concerned with eating raw egg whites, purchase pasteurized eggs because they are safe to consume raw. If you can’t find pasteurized eggs, you can omit the egg whites entirely. Skip step 6; and in step 4, cook the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
- Non-Alcoholic Version: Omit the Grand Marnier and replace the rum with milk.
Recipe reprinted in partnership with Little, Brown and Company. Recipe adapted from Happiness is Baking by Maida Heatter, foreword by Dorie Greenspan.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have been struggling to find a good tiramisu recipe for years, and this is now my go to! It’s labor intensive, but a labor of love, and the end result is well worth it. It can be tough to find ladyfingers that are appropriate for the recipe, my tried and true (and easy to find!) are in the Goya section of my local shop.
Absolutely follow every instruction for every separate mixture and fold in very gently. The mascarpone cream at the end is an absolute dream to spread across those waiting ladyfingers. Nonna would be proud of this recipe, thank you again!
Can you omit the eggs and add gelatin as the stabilizer instead
Hi Khay, we haven’t tested that substitution, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do give it a try.
Could you just do a Swiss meringue and avoid needing pasteurized eggs, but still get the fluffy marshmallowy addition of the meringue?
Hi Julia, if you can’t find pasteurized eggs, you can omit the egg whites entirely. Skip step 6; and in step 4, cook the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Can I make only 1/2 of this recipie?
Hi Jeannie, yes! You can halve this recipe for a 9-inch or 10-inch square baking pan. Enjoy!
Great recipe with simple steps. The prep was a breeze. Took 30 mins and then overnight in the fridge and it turned out great.
Very delicate, not sure if it is meant to be like this but great tasting with subtle sweetness.
Can I omit the rum completely?
Hi Emilia, you can replace the rum with milk.
Best in class! Great texture and taste. Can’t stop eating it!
I made this for a family gathering, and it was a huge hit. In fact, it’s the only thing our grandson requested for his 19th birthday get-together.
Could I use a small amount of orange extract in place of the Grand Marnier, and a small amount of rum extract for the rum taste? I need a non-alcoholic version but I’d love to keep some of the flavors. If yes, could you give me the measurements for the extracts? I did read your options to leave out the alcohol and replace the rum with the milk – just wondering about keeping some of those flavors 🙂
Hi Kimberly, we’re sure you could, but we haven’t tested it to say exactly how much you would need. Start with just a tiny bit and go from there. Let us know how it goes!
Turned out perfectly!!! ❤️
I’m about to try this for a gathering and was thinking of changing out the Grand Marnier for a homemade amaretto liqueur. Do you think this would taste ok?
Hi Amanda, it’s hard to say without testing it ourselves, but let us know if you give it a try!
My favorite recipe with a few minor tweaks
I have made this a ton of times and made a few minor tweaks to get it to what I feel is perfect. I use an extra deep lasagna pan and make this 3 layers of lady fingers to same amount of cream as the 2 layers seemed too much cream to cake like texture. Fit perfectly in the deep dish. Other change is the grand marnier was too orange like. Changed that to a coffee liqueur and sooo much better! Huge hit every time and better than a restaurant in my opinion!
Did anyone else have to use double the amount of espresso for the ladyfingers? Despite very quick dips, they DRANK the coffee. (I did not add the alcohol so there would have been some volume difference here, but not as much as I experienced!)
Made this recipe and I simply had to come over and rave about how fantastic the tiramisu was! Sally’s instructions are always straight to the point and the final product has everybody fawning over how delicious it was. Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
This recipe was divine! I made tiramisu for the very first time and it came out perfect. It was for a smaller gathering so I halved the recipe and used a local South African liqueur called Amarula in place of the Grand Mariner and rum. Everyone loved it! Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Sally!
First time making tiramisu, and it turned out perfectly! There’s a lot of steps but the instructions are so clear that it made the process super easy. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Curious if I can make this ahead? Looking forward to this recipe for my hubbys bday as my friend had made it previously and we enjoyed it.
Hi Amanda! It can be frozen – see recipe notes. You can also make it a day ahead of time and let it set in the fridge.
Hello Sally. Can I swap the mascarpone with cream cheese? Mascarpone is overly expensive and not readily available where I live and I would love to try this recipe
Hi Safiya, mascarpone is is a key ingredient in tiramisu, and we haven’t successfully tested any substitutes. You might try a quick Google search to see if there are any recipes developed with a different substitute. Hope you can give it a try soon!
This recipe is fool prof thanks to Sally! Looked perfect and tasted exceptional for Christmas Company! Followed recipe but soon learned that she was right when you said just a quick dunk of the ladyfingers, once on each side!!! Otherwise you get to the second layer and you are almost out of liquid. Another winning recipe! Thanks Sally!
another amazing recipe by my girl sally. def needed more then one cup of espresso tho!
Hi! I want to make this for Xmas.. is the day before okay? Also – where do I get pasteurized eggs? I don’t see them at my store. Is there a certain brand? And when using a pasteurized egg, do the whites whip up the way they should? Thank you!
Hi Jen, Yes you can make this the day before. If you can’t find pasteurized eggs, you can omit the egg whites entirely. See the recipe Notes for instructions.
Hi again! Thank you! I made this recipe with my daughter and it was a hit. I ended up tempering the eggs I had and just used the whites the way they were and it was fine! The only thing different I would do is maybe add a small amount of sugar to the cream with the vanilla but otherwise I’d is delicious and we’d make it again. Thanks for the response and the recipe! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I am a huge fan of your recipes and I made your Tiramisu before one day ahead and it was wonderful, do you think two days before would be okay?
Hi Kathy! It may get a little too soft.
Grand Marnier is french. Tiramisu is Italian. Italians use marsala. They also don’t waste time cooking the eggs. Your recipe is not tiramisu, it’s similar, it probably tastes good but you cannot remotely call it tiramisu any more than you could make american apple pie out of aubergines.
Thank you for sharing. As noted, both are optional in this recipe. There are many ways to make tiramisu and I’m sharing the way that the late pastry chef Maida Heatter made it.
This recipe is delicious. I’ve made is several times. There are many ways to flavor tiramisu, just like each Italian home has its own recipe for red sauce. Cooking the eggs or choosing pasteurized eggs makes this recipe accessible for people who simply can’t risk raw eggs due to health reasons. Your comments are overly harsh and unnecessary, especially since you are “reviewing” a recipe you’ve clearly never tried.
I have a wonder as to why this recipe suggests to put the cocoa powder on 8-9 hours before serving as this can easily cause it to soak up moisture from the cream and have a worse appearance, rather than dusting the tiramisu before serving. To be fair my cream was a bit thin due to undermixing the egg whites, but the query stands.
Hi, some like how dark the cocoa powder becomes after soaking into the cream layer. Feel free to dust right before serving.
I just made this for a holiday party tomorrow night. It was pretty easy and the zabaglione was much simpler here than another recipe I make. My only tinsy worry is it set up very solid. I’m hoping it is still creamy when it’s out of the fridge and served.
It was perfect! Not only that, it was scarfed up and everyone raved. I suspect they have a little love for the taste of a boozy dessert, but that’s all the better, it slayed. Thank you!!
(I’m making it again for another party tomorrow night.)
Hi, I do love a boozy tiramisu and was wondering if Baileys AND Gran Marnier work well combined together in the tiramisu? Or should I keep them separate- either Gran Marnier OR baileys? Has this been done before or have there been any popular preferences mentioned in the past ? Thank you !!
Hi Louisa, we haven’t tried using them together, so are unsure of the results. If you decide to try it, please let us know how it tastes!
I’m planning to make this in a couple of weeks. What do you think of using Kahlua (coffee liqueur & rum) for soaking the lady fingers?
Hi Marcia, We’ve tried this recipe with Kahlua instead of the Grand Marnier and the feedback was all positive.
Has anyone made this for a larger crowd? I want to serve it in a 10×15 dish. Should I double or 1.5x the recipe?
I just made this recipe, but had to use a 7.5×10.5 dish because there were not enough ladyfingers to cover 2 layers of a 9×13 dish, and I ended up with plenty of leftover filling. So I’d recommend doubling the ladyfingers (and probably tripling the amount of prepared espresso, just in case) and 1.5 the rest of the ingredients for the filling.
Writing from KCMO, grand mariner wasn’t in my liquor cabinet, and 25 bucks for something I didn’t really want wasn’t happening lol
And to my surprise espresso powder was hard to find late at night, so I ended up boiling down my coffee into a heathen black liquid, added a smidge of v.s.o.p. dark rum and some ‘mulled honey’ I had. I wish I’d just been able to find some cognac, but I’m in a brandy/whiskey/beer country lol
I actually use Kahlua instead of Grand Marnier and think it’s amazing. Not sure if that would be readily available where you are, though.
Hey Sally, is it possible to cook the egg whites as well using double boiler? I prefer the egg whites over cream and want to know if this is an option to use egg whites safely.
Thanks!
Hi Sally, we purchase pasteurized eggs for this recipe because they are safe to consume raw. If you can’t find pasteurized eggs, you can omit the egg whites entirely. See the recipe Notes for instructions. If you want to cook the egg whites first for safety, have a look at this recipe for instructions. I would recommend letting the egg whites cool before folding into the mascarpone. Hope this helps!
Hey Sally! I want to make this recipe but don’t have grand marnier or dark rum, and it’s really expensive here. I do have coffee liquer and cream liquer, and may be able to get my hands on golden rum. I was wondering if substituting the Grand Marnier with the coffee liquer and dark rum with golden rum woud work? Thanks in advance!
Hi Cande, you can be a bit flexible with the liqueurs here, so that should work. Or, since the Grand Marnier is optional, we’d recommend using the coffee liqueur to sub the dark rum instead. Hope you enjoy the tiramisu!