You’ll find this dessert on most Italian restaurant menus, but the recipe can often be over-simplified into a quick and easy trifle that lacks skill and charm. It should be the perfect ending to a meal – rich and light with just enough of a boozy, coffee hit to pick you up.
We’ve lightened things up a bit by incorporating another Italian dessert, zabaglione (a light custard), by whisking the egg yolks over hot water, and we’ve sprinkled a crunchy coffee and cocoa crumb over the top to add some texture. This is still a classic tiramisu, but even better.
Tips for next level tiramisu
1. Cream & mascarpone
We’ve kept the richness by using Italian mascarpone but lightened it and bulked it out with whipped cream. When folding the two together, do it delicately.
2. A zabaglione base
Similar to the Italian dessert zabaglione, we’ve whisked egg yolks over hot water to create a lighter, mousse-like base.
3. Which booze to choose?
Brandy, dark rum or whisky are sometimes used, but their high alcohol content can overpower the other flavours. We’ve opted for marsala, a Sicilian fortified wine, which has gentler vanilla and caramel undertones.
4. Swap the sponge
We’ve used sponge fingers, which are readily available, but if you can find them, the Italian savoiardi biscuits are wider, drier and hold their shape best once dipped in the coffee.
5. Type of coffee
The stronger the coffee, the better the flavour of the tiramisu. Use fresh, cold espresso for a good kick, but powdered instant
espresso is fine, too.
6. A quick dip
Rather than soaking the biscuits in the coffee until they become soggy, dip them for no more than a couple of seconds on each side so they’re still biscuity in the middle.
7. Make it crunchy
Instead of the usual dusting of cocoa powder on the top, we’ve used a crunchy coffee and cocoa crumb to give the finished dessert a different texture.
To add a subtle hint of warming spice, we’ve grated in some nutmeg. We’ve also added vanilla, which complements creamy desserts.
How to make it
Next level tiramisu
Serve 6
Prep 35 mins plus 3 hours chilling
Cook 5 mins
More effort
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 100g golden caster sugar, plus extra for the dish
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- whole nutmeg, for grating
- 150ml marsala
- 250g tub mascarpone
- 300ml double cream
- 200ml strong black coffee, cooled
- 24 sponge fingers or savoiardi biscuits
For the topping
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp fine espresso powder
- 1 tsp cocoa powder, plus extra for serving
Method
1. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, the vanilla, a grating of nutmeg and 50ml of the marsala using an electric whisk in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water for 10 mins, until pale and light. Put in the fridge to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone and cream together with an electric whisk until the mixture holds soft peaks. Gently fold the egg yolk and cream mixtures together with a spatula, being careful not to over-stir. Put the bowl back in the fridge to chill.
3. Scatter a little sugar over the base of a deep 20 x 20cm serving dish. Pour the coffee and the remaining 100ml marsala into a bowl. One by one, dip 12 biscuits in the coffee mixture on each side for a couple of seconds (don’t leave them too long or they’ll go soggy), then lay flat in the dish to cover the base. Spread over half the cream mixture. Dip the remaining biscuits in the coffee and arrange on top of the cream, then finish with a final layer of the cream. Cover the dish and chill for at least 3 hrs. Can be made up to two days in advance.
4. To make the crunchy topping, put the sugar and a splash of water in a saucepan, and stir to combine. Simmer over a medium heat until you have an amber-coloured caramel. Pour the caramel onto a parchment-lined baking tray and tilt to spread. While it’s still hot, dust with the coffee and cocoa powder, then leave to set until hard. Break into small pieces, then blitz in a processor to a rough crumb. Sprinkle over the tiramisu and dust with a little cocoa powder to serve.
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