Tiramisu consists of coffee-soaked biscuits layered with mascarpone cream. After our trip to Italy a couple of years ago, it quickly became one of my favourite desserts.
Tiramisu is relatively easy to make and put together. As usual, there are a few notes for the components.
Savoiardi (Ladyfingers)
- You can either make you own savoiardi, or simply use store-bought if you are short on time.
- This gluten-free version uses a blend of white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch, as well as xanthan gum. To make normal savoiardi, replace the gluten-free flours with 140g of plain flour and remove the xanthan gum.
- The most important thing is that the biscuits must be completely dried out, so I like to leave them to cool in the oven with the door ajar.
- The savoiardi can be made up to a week ahead, so you don’t have to do all the components in one day.
Mascarpone Cream
- Traditional Italian tiramisu recipes do not use heavy whipping cream in the filling layer. It is made with raw eggs.
- I know raw eggs are a concern for some people, so I apologise if this does not suit you.
- Due to the eggs, the tiramisu will only keep for 2-3 days (but I guarantee it won’t last long!)
Coffee Soak and Assembly
- For soaking the biscuits, I simply use a generous amount of instant coffee dissolved in hot water. Use any coffee you prefer, and adjust the strength to your liking.
- You can add rum or alcohol to the coffee mixture. I personally do not find this necessary and prefer just the coffee.
- The tiramisu can be assembled in any vessel you prefer. I like to use this clear rectangular container so the layers of visible. You can serve it in individual glasses.
- When dipping the savoiardi in the coffee, the biscuits should be thoroughly soaked but not falling apart. If these are overly soaked, there may be a pool of coffee at the bottom of the vessel when the tiramisu is cut and served.
- There should be a good balance of biscuit to cream. I usually place the biscuits down, then add a generous amount of cream to cover it.
- Tiramisu is best served the day after it’s made, as it allows the flavours to develop and cream layer to properly set.
- You can finish it off with a dusting of cocoa powder or grated dark chocolate.
In the photo above, I was impatient and the light was disappearing, and cut the tiramisu before it was properly set. You will get a cleaner slice when it is set properly. So I hope you enjoy the recipe, and have a great week!
Gluten-free Tiramisu
Gluten-free Savoiardi
Adapted minimally from The Loopy Whisk.
- 3 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 120g caster sugar, divided
- 90g rice flour
- 30g potato starch
- 20g tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 25g caster sugar, for dusting
- 25g icing sugar, for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed. Gradually increase the speed and once foamy, add 60g of caster sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat to stiff peaks (be careful not to overwhip). Set the egg whites aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl, add the egg yolks and 60g of caster sugar. Beat on high speed until pale in colour and increased in volume, about 4-5 minutes.
- Fold half of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Then fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to knock out too much air.
- Sift the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and baking powder into the egg mixture. Gently fold until just incorporated and no more flour remains.
- Transfer the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle. Pipe 8cm long lines of batter onto the prepared trays, spaced 3cm apart (you want to leave enough room as these will puff up).
- Mix together the 25g of caster sugar and 25g of icing sugar. Uing a sieve, generously dust these over the piped biscuits.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown, rotating the trays halfway through. Reduce the temperature to 150°C and bake for a further 10-12 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the biscuits to cool for 20 minutes with the door ajar (I like to do this to ensure the biscuits are completely dried out).
- Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the biscuits in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
Mascarpone Cream
- 2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 65g caster sugar, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed. Gradually increase the speed and once foamy, add 25g of caster sugar a teaspoon at a time. Beat to soft peaks, then set aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl, add the egg yolks and 40g of caster sugar. Beat on high speed until pale in colour and increased in volume, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and mascarpone cheese to the egg yolk mixture, and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture in three batches. Set the mixture aside until ready to assemble.
Assembly
- 5 tbsp of instant coffee
- 500mL boiling water
- Cocoa powder, for dusting.
- Mix together the instant coffee and boiling water. Set aside to cool completely.
- Dunk the ladyfinger biscuits into the cooled coffee and place into chosen vessel. The biscuits should be arranged in a single layer, with the the entire bottom covered. It is okay if there are small gaps.
- Cover the biscuits generously with the mascarpone cream. You want to add enough so that the biscuits are not visible, and ensure that it is spread evenly across the biscuits and into the corners of the vessel.
- Repeat this layering process with remaining biscuits, finishing with a generous layer of cream. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Dust with cocoa powder just before serving and enjoy!