Classic Tiramisu
Tiramisu, if you've never had it, is a must try. It is a heavenly Italian combination of soft sponge, coffee, rich mascarpone custard, and fluffy whipped cream. It takes a little more effort than the traditional cake, but it is sooooo worth it. And, after you read this recipe, you'll realize it's actually very doable.
Ingredients
Ladyfingers:
- 4 eggs separated
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 7/8 cup flour all purpose
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
Mascarpone Custard:
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb mascarpone 16 oz
Other Components:
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup coffee
- 6 tbsp Amaretto or another liquor of your choice
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
Ladyfingers:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with salt for about one minute until foamy. Then, add 2 tbsp of sugar gradually as you continue to beat for another 2-3 minutes. Stop beating once you reach stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar for 5 minutes, until thick, pale, and doubled in size.
- Fold half of the egg whites into the yolks. See above for more instruction and video about folding.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and fold. Then, fold in the rest of the egg whites until there are no lumps left.
- Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip (or the corner cut off of a Ziploc bag) and pipe 4-5" ladyfingers out onto the lined baking sheet. Pipe them at least 2" apart.
- Bake them, in the middle of the oven, for 8 minutes. Let them cool completely before using them in the tiramisu.
Mascarpone Custard:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla over medium heat until small bubbles start to form. Remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until thick and combined.
- Add about a tablespoon of the hot milk and whisk vigorously.
- Add the rest of the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, while whisking continuously.
- Pour the rest of the mixture into the medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously for about 2-3 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
- As soon as it boils, whisk and cook for another minute then remove from the heat. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, letting the plastic wrap touch the custard. Let cool.
Other Components and Assembly:
- Make the whipped cream by whipping the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine the cofee and amaretto liquor.
- In an 8" by 12" casserole/glass dish: Dip half of the ladyfingers in half of the liquid for just a few seconds, then lay them out across the bottom of the dish.
- Spread half of the mascarpone cream across the ladyfingers, then half the whipped cream.
- Repeat the process again. Sift the cocoa powder evenly over the final whipped cream layer.
- Put the cake in the fridge, and let it soak for 8 hours or overnight. Then, slice and enjoy.
Notes
- Macros: 31.3 g fat, 33.1 g carbohydrates, 7.4 g protein
- See the blog post above for more detailed instructions, descriptions, and a video showing how to properly fold the sponge mixture.