A Japanese twist on the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu. The coffee soak is swapped with matcha and, when paired with the vanilla marscapone cream, offers a gentle earthy flavour.
Matcha has risen in popularity over the past couple years. The increased demand, combined with the poor harvest season and fewer tea farmers, has unfortunately led to a matcha shortage. My favourite matcha brands are Marukyu Koyamaen and Yamamasa Koyamaen, but both are often sold out.
When it comes to tiramisu, I usually prefer to make my own gluten-free savoiardi biscuits – though store-bought ones work perfectly fine if you’re short on time. In my classic tiramisu recipe, I suggest rotating the trays during baking. With my oven, I actually tend to avoid baking multiple trays at once, since the heat distribution isn’t even. So for more consistent results, I recommend baking one tray at a time if your oven behaves similarly, or bake one tray each in a seperate oven. The biscuits should be completely dried out once baked.
The matcha soak, as you’d expect, is made with matcha, water, and a touch of sugar. The first batch I made actually wasn’t quite enough, so I ended up preparing a bit more to fully soak the biscuits. The ratio I’ve included in the recipe gives a balanced, not overly strong flavour – but feel free to adjust the strength to suit your taste. If you prefer a more intense matcha flavour, simply use a bit more powder.
I’ve read a few recipes that also include matcha in the mascarpone cream. However, I prefer to keep it simple and allow the vanilla flavour the shine. It pairs well with the matcha-soaked biscuits and keeps the overall dessert balanced, not overpowering. I also stick to the traditional method for the cream: no whipped cream, just egg whites folded into the mascarpone mixture. Some say this technique makes the cream taste “watery,” but I find it results in a delicate texture that melts in your mouth. Also, good-quality mascarpone cheese with a high fat content does make a difference.
The tiramisu tastes best the day after, when all the flavors have had time to meld and the cream sets. So I hope you enjoy the recipe, and let me know if you have any questions!
Gluten-free Matcha Tiramisu
Gluten-free savoiardi recipe adapted minimally from The Loopy Whisk.
Ingredients
Savoiardi Biscuits
- 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
Mascarpone Cream
- 2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 65g caster sugar, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 250g mascarpone cheese
Matcha Soak
- 1.5 tbsp matcha powder, plus extra for dusting
- 1.5 tbsp caster sugar
- 200 ml hot water (80°C)
Method
Savoiardi Biscuits
- 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 and set aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl, add the egg yolks and remaining 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. These biscuits will puff up and spread.
- Mix together the 25g of caster sugar and 25g of icing sugar. Using a sieve, generously dust the sugars 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. If the heat distribution in your oven isn’t even, I recommend baking one tray at a time or in seperate ovens.
- 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
- 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.
Matcha Soak and Assembly
- In a shallow bowl, sift the matcha powder, then add the sugar and hot water. Use a matcha whisk or regular whisk to whisk until slightly frothy. Set aside to cool.
- Dunk the savoiardi biscuits into the cooled matcha mixture, soaking for about 2 seconds on the top/bottom before flipping over and repeating on the other side. Place the biscuits into your chosen vessel, arranged in a single layer with the entire bottom covered. It’s 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 matcha powder just before serving and enjoy!