Simple Tiramisu Recipe  (2024)

Layers of coffee and liqueur-soaked ladyfingers mingle with layers of vanilla whipped cream and a custard made of eggs, milk, and mascarpone cheese. Top it all off with a sprinkle of cocoa powder and chocolate curls, and you have the dreamiest dessert under the heavens. But don’t let it intimidate you, this easy recipe for Tiramisu can be made in no time.

For my whole life, I have adored tiramisu, but I have never made it because honestly, it intimidated the heck out of me. I mean, just look at it! It looks difficult and sounds so fancy! But today, because I have always wanted to try it, and because I think we all need to step outside our comfort zone once in a while, I did! And friends, I am so glad that I did!!

Next to how delicious it is, being, of course, the best part, is that this tiramisu recipe is super easy to make! A no-bake dessert that you will make over and over again.

What is Tiramisu and What does it Mean?

Tiramisu, (tir·a·mi·su) pronounced/ˌtirəməˈso͞o/ is a coffee-flavored Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, and liquor, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavored with cocoa. The classic recipe has been adapted into many kinds of cakes and desserts. Just like this one I have made for you today.

In Italian, Tiramisu is spelled with an accent at the end – Tiramisù, the word for word meaning of it being “pull me up.” Tiramisu means “pick me up” or “cheer me up,” which is the perfect reason to eat it if you’re feeling blue, right? Heck, happy or sad, I encourage you to give this a try.

I can’t all of the credit for this decision I made to make this recipe though. I made it for our summer round of Freaky Friday!

What is Freaky Friday?

Freaky Friday is a day where a bunch of us food bloggers get together and each gets assigned one another’s blogs to make a recipe from.

It’s all done in secret and all at the same time on the same day we announce who we were assigned and what we made. It’s a chance for our readers to see some great recipes all in one place, and to find some new blogs to follow. And that day is TODAY!

For this round, I was assigned Kathleen of The Fresh Cooky!

The Fresh Cooky

I feel like I know Kathleen, just over time from her being in our group of bloggers, but I so enjoyed reading her About Me Page on her website. I learned so much more, and it made me love her and her recipes even more! She is a wife, a mother to two boys, and has a faith-filled heart. Kathleen lives in Colorado, and whenever anyone asks me about high-altitude baking, she is my go-to!

She believes in cooking and baking with fresh and real ingredients but still fesses up about the fact that some nights are busy enough that boxed mac n cheese and canned biscuits are okay for dinner. Like me, we value that family time of meals with our kids, and when it’s busy, that is the part that is important, right?

A long time ago, I saw Kathleen post the recipe for this tiramisu cake, and I made a mental note to make it if I was ever assigned her blog. So, as far as “trying to choose a recipe” from her site, I kinda already had my mind made up. BUT I have done a lot of digging around since then, and holy moly, I have a TON of others I need to make!

Sure she has amazing salads, side dishes and comforting soups and stews, but can we just talk about her desserts and co*cktails?! Her Blackberry Moscow Mule is happening, stat. I am seriously drooling over her Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream and I already have her Pan Bangin’ Sugar Cookies on my holiday must make list!

But for today, let’s just take in all of the goodness of this tiramisu recipe, shall we?

What is in Tiramisu?

The ingredients in tiramisu are all simple ones. In fact, you might just have most of them in your kitchen right now.

• egg yolks – they are not raw like some recipes. The egg yolks are made into custard.
• sugar – granulated sugar works great and dissolves nicely.
• whole milk – you are going to want to go full fat here.
• heavy cream – heavy whipping cream, no half & half for this one.
• pure vanilla extract – spend the extra for pure vanilla, you will be so glad that you did! I buy mine at the Mexican grocery store!
• mascarpone – full fat, no skinny substitutes here either.
• strong coffee – never a problem in my house!
• rum – I used dark rum, you can use light rum. Add some Kahlua, too, if you want to enhance that coffee flavor even more!
• unsweetened cocoa powder – to sprinkle on top.

• Whisk sugar and egg yolks together in a medium saucepan until incorporated. Whisk in milk. Place on the stovetop over medium heat, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, continuing to stir. Remove from the heat, cool for 10 minutes. The custard will be thick and will coat the back of a spoon.

• While the mixture cools, whip your cream and vanilla together until stiff peaks form.

• Place the whipped cream and the custard in the refrigerator. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, letting the wrap rest on top of the custard. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour. Longer if it’s not cold yet.

• Mix coffee and rum together. Set aside.

• After the custard is cooled, whisk in mascarpone cheese just until it’s smooth. Set aside. *mixture should NOT be runny.

• Fill the bottom of either an 8×8 or a 9×9 baking dish with a single layer of the ladyfingers.

• Drizzle them with 1/2 of the coffee/rum mixture. Give your dish a swirl to ensure that the ladyfingers are evenly coated but not soggy.
• In a separate shallow dish, repeat the same method with the ladyfingers and coffee/rum mixture to soak the other half of the ladyfingers.

• To assemble the tiramisu, using an offset spatula, layer half of the custard mixture over the ladyfingers in the baking dish, making sure the custard gets in between the ladyfingers. Next, spread half of the whipped cream over the top of the custard. Then, carefully top with the other half of the ladyfingers. Finish with another layer of custard and finally the remaining whipped cream.
• Cover and for refrigerate about 5-6 hours.

• To serve, top with a dusting of unsweetened cocoa.
• Top with chocolate curls or chocolate syrup if desired.

I got a little heavy-handed on the cocoa, but sorry not sorry. Kathleen’s recipe called for 1 Tablespoon, but I love my chocolate and this extra dose (about 1/4 cup I bet) was perfect!

Love it? Pin it!

If you can’t wait to try the best tiramisu recipe ever, then make sure you can find it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

FAQ and Tips about Making Tiramisu from Scratch at Home

Is there alcohol in Tiramisu? Yes. This simplified recipe uses rum, honestly, there is not much, and aside from the flavor it gives, you would probably not even notice it. Traditional tiramisu also uses Marsala wine, but I omitted that. For a Non-Alcohol Tiramisu, simply add a little more pure vanilla into the coffee, or even some coffee extract or espresso powder.

What are ladyfingers? Ladyfingers, or as the Brits call them, sponge fingers are a low-density, dry, egg-based, slightly sweet sponge cake shaped like a large finger, they are known in Italy as Savoiardi. I will say that I struggled to find them in the supermarket here. I looked high and low, then the cashier told me they were in the bakery! If you struggle to find them, you can grab them online, too.

What is a substitute for ladyfingers in tiramisu? If you can’t find them, you can use a sponge cake, cut into strips and baked for a few minutes until they are slightly crisp on the outside.

Why is my Tiramisu runny? First and foremost, make sure that you have cooked your custard long enough. Use full-fat Mascarpone, and take care not to mix it too much, as to separate the cheese curd and water. I used a whisk and gave mine a quick stir before adding in the custard. Make sure to refrigerate it long enough so it all sets up. I left mine in the fridge overnight. Not necessary, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any problems.

Can Tiramisu be made ahead? Yes! In fact, as I just mentioned, I made mine and left in the fridge overnight, before finishing off with the cocoa powder and chocolate curls. You can store your tiramisu dessert in the fridge, covered for about 4 to 5 days. (if it lasts that long!)

Please take a look at Kathleen’s Blog and find some great recipes for yourself! Along with all of these recipes from our Freaky Friday bloggers:

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Summer Edition Recipes:

1. An Affair from the Heart – Simple Tiramisu
2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes –Roasted Tomatillo Salsa {Salsa Verde}
3. Devour Dinner – Pepperoni Bread
4. Fresh April Flours – Bananas Foster Cake
5. The Fresh Cooky – Old Fashioned Lemon Squares
6. Hostess at Heart – Kentucky Butter Cake
7. House of Nash Eats – Apple Pie Ice Cream
8. Lemon Blossoms – Strawberry Cake
9. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Grilled Peach Burrata Arugula Salad
10. Life, Love & Good Food – Bruschetta with Tomato
11. Off the Eaten Path – Fresh Garden Salsa
12. Sue Bee Homemaker – Jalapeño Popper Dip with Bacon
13. The Speckled Palate – Lemon Zucchini Bread
14. Take Two Tapas – Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Let’s make some simple tiramisu!