Description
A silky, no-bake Italian dessert featuring layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and a rich, airy mascarpone cream. This recipe balances texture and flavor for a restaurant-quality treat that is surprisingly easy to make at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz (450g) mascarpone cheese, cold
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (480ml) strong espresso or coffee, cooled
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, for coffee)
- 2–3 tablespoons Marsala wine, dark rum, or coffee liqueur (optional)
- 24–30 ladyfingers (Savoiardi)
- Dark chocolate, for grating
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
- Brew strong espresso or coffee and let it cool completely to room temperature. Stir in optional sugar and alcohol if using.
- In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes until pale, thick, and fluffy.
- In a separate cold bowl, whip heavy cream and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Add mascarpone to the beaten egg yolks and beat on low speed just until combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream until uniform.
- Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the cooled coffee mixture (1-2 seconds per side) and arrange in a single layer in a 9×13 inch dish.
- Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the first layer of ladyfingers.
- Dip another batch of ladyfingers in coffee and layer them over the cream.
- Spread the remaining mascarpone cream over the second layer of ladyfingers.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
- Before serving, grate dark chocolate over the top and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Slice with a hot knife and serve cold.
Notes
Keep all ingredients cold to ensure the cream whips properly. Do not over-soak the ladyfingers or they will become soggy. For safety, use pasteurized eggs if serving pregnant women, children, or the elderly. Do not freeze this dessert as the texture will become grainy.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 120
- Fat: 24
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 6
Keywords: tiramisu, mascarpone cream, no-bake dessert, Italian dessert, coffee dessert, homemade tiramisu, easy dessert