Traditional Tiramisu Recipe with Mascarpone & Tia Maria

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Tiramisu is a light and airy, no bake, Italian dessert made with layers of creamy mascarpone and coffee dipped ladyfingers. This traditional tiramisu recipe is made in the authentic Italian way with whipped, raw eggs and mascarpone cheese.

A small, square piece of tiramisu on a plate with the side view showing layers of sponge fingers and creamy mascarpone. The top is dusted with cocoa powder and a large dish of tiramisu is in the background.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe
🥘 Ingredients
🔪 Step by step instructions
💭 Expert tips
❓ Frequently asked questions
🍨 Other dessert recipes
📖 Recipe

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

This tiramisu recipe is made in the traditional way using raw eggs, mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers dipped in strong coffee. There is no cream, which helps to keep this recipe light and airy. I like to try and keep things as authentic as possible and this Tiramisu comes straight from Italy. The recipe is adapted from a chef who works at Tenuta Torciano; a little winery in Tuscany. We visited Torciano whilst on our Italian honeymoon in 2017.

Making tiramisu this way may not be to everyones taste. As this is a no bake dessert the eggs are actually raw when served. However, this is what makes this dessert so incredible and the best tiramisu always uses raw eggs and no cream. Below I will show you how to prepare the eggs and tiramisu dessert properly so that you feel confident about serving up this traditional tiramisu recipe.

Please note that young children, pregnant women and those who are clinically vulnerable should avoid foods containing raw eggs, including tiramisu. In general I recommend using fresh eggs that have a lion stamp (UK). If you are not UK based then you should try to use fresh, pasteurised eggs.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this traditional tiramisu recipe you will need:

Ingredient notes

Ladyfingers: Use hard, crisp sponge fingers (not soft). The traditional tiramisu biscuits that are used in a traditional tiramisu are called Savoiardi. I used a deep dish (23x18x7cm) for this recipe and so needed 48 ladyfingers across 3 layers. You may need more or less depending on the size and depth of your dish.

Strong coffee: Freshly brew the coffee and if you can, use an espresso machine or ground coffee in a cafetiere. If you don't have access to these you can substitute for instant coffee.

Coffee liqueur: Optional - leave out if you prefer. I like to use Tia Maria, but any coffee liqueur will do.

Mascarpone cheese: Choose a good quality, full fat mascarpone cheese.

Eggs: As mentioned above, the eggs in this recipe will remain raw so make sure to use fresh eggs with the lion stamp (UK). Or if not in the UK use fresh, pasteurised eggs.

Caster sugar: The caster sugar (or bakers sugar) is essential in this recipe. It is added to the egg yolks and when whisked together the yolks become thick and creamy. This is known and a sabayon.

Cocoa powder: For dusting on the top of the finished dessert. Leave this off if you prefer and simply scatter with grated chocolate.

Cadburys flake: I love to top my tiramisu with both cocoa powder and crumbled bits of cadburys flake chocolate. If you can't get any flake, just substitute with normal milk chocolate and grate over the top.

🔪 Step by step instructions

Start by separating the eggs, placing yolks in one bowl and whites in another. Make sure no yolk is mixed in with the whites.
Next set up a stand mixer with whisk attachment or use an electric hand whisk. Place the egg yolks and caster sugar into the mixer and whisk together on high for 5 minutes until the yolks are pale and creamy.
Change the attachment on the mixer to the paddle (or use a spatula). Add the mascarpone to the creamed yolks and mix together until well combined and thick and creamy.
Transfer the mascarpone to separate large mixing bowl and clean out the stand mixer bowl. Reattach the whisk attachment (or use a clean mixing bowl and electric whisk). Add the egg whites to the mixer and whisk until stiff white peaks form.
Next add the whisked egg whites to the mascarpone mixture one third at a time. Use a spatular to gently fold the whites into the mixture in between each addition.
Now its time to build the tiramisu. Have the creamy mascarpone mixture ready to use along with a large rectangular dish for the tiramisu. In a smaller bowl mix together the coffee and coffee liqueur. Briefly dip each lady finger into the coffee mix then place in the bottom of the rectangular dish. Repeat until the base is covered with a lager of ladyfingers.
Next spoon about a third of the mascarpone mixture over the sponge fingers and smooth out to cover all the sponge using the back of a spoon. Add a second and then third layer of coffee dipped sponge fingers and mascarpone mixture. TIP: The layers in order from the bottom should be: ladyfingers, mascarpone, ladyfingers, mascarpone, lady fingers, mascarpone. If you prefer you can use a shallower dish and just do two layers.
Finish the tiramisu by dusting over cocoa powder and scattering over crumbled or grated chocolate.
Finally, wrap the tiramisu dish in cling film and place into the fridge to chill overnight. Tiramisu is best eaten the next day when the whole thing has chilled completely, the mascarpone cream has set and the sponge has softened.

💭 Expert tips

This is a no bake dessert with raw eggs so make sure you use fresh, lion stamped (or pasteurised) eggs.
Make absolutely sure no yolk goes into the egg whites, as this will stop the whites from whipping up into stiff peaks.
Fold the mascarpone into the yolks using the paddle attachment on the stand mixer or using a spatula. Whisking may cause the mascarpone to curdle.
Use hard, crisp sponge fingers (not soft sponge).
Don't soak the ladyfingers for too long in the coffee. They literally just need a quick dunk in and out. If the sponge is too soggy the excess liquid will leak into the rest of the dessert.
Once made, chill over night and eat the next day. Tiramisu is always best eaten on the second day when it has set and the sponge has softened.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Does tiramisu have raw eggs?

Traditional Italian tiramisu uses raw eggs as does this recipe. For safety it is advised that young children, pregnant women and those who are clinically vulnerable should avoid foods containing raw eggs, including tiramisu. In general, I recommend using fresh eggs that have a lion stamp (UK). If you are not UK based then you should try to use fresh, pasteurised eggs.

Can you substitute raw eggs in tiramisu?

If you would prefer to not use raw eggs you can replace the egg whites with whipping cream (500 ml / 2 cups) and lightly cook the yolk and sugar. To cook the yolks, place the yolks and sugar in a glass mixing bowl and balance this on the top of a pan with a small amount of simmering water in the bottom (double boiler). Whisk the yolks and sugar over the pan allowing the steam to gently cook the yolk. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl.

Why is my tiramisu watery?

Watery tiramisu occurs when the sponge ladyfingers have been soaked in the coffee for too long. The excess coffee drains into the rest of the dessert during chilling and makes the whole thing watery. Remember to dunk the sponge fingers briefly in the coffee; in and out.

How to store?

Once made wrap the tiramisu dish tightly in cling film and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Tiramisu is always best eaten on the second day after it has chilled overnight.

Can you freeze tiramisu?

Dairy does not freeze or defrost well so I don't recommend that you freeze this dessert.

A large rectangular dish of traditional tiramisu topped with cocoa powder and flake chocolate with a small bowl of chocolate in the foreground

This post was first published in September 2017. Updated in March 2021 with an improved recipe, new images, step-by-step photos and recipe tips.

If you would like to access the original recipe you can do so here: Original Tiramisu recipe 2017

Traditional Tiramisu Recipe