Authentic Italian • From Ritta's Kitchen

No shortcuts, no substitutions — just real mascarpone, real coffee, and the classic technique. This is how it's supposed to be.

Every family has their own version of this recipe, and this one is mine — passed down and made the same way every single time. This isn't the "lightened up" version. This is the real thing.

One tip before you start: save your egg whites. You cooked the yolks into this dessert — don't waste the whites. A quick scramble or omelet tomorrow morning and nothing goes to waste.

What You'll Need

Cream Filling

• 6 egg yolks (save the whites for tomorrow's breakfast)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, cold
• 16 oz (450g) mascarpone cheese, cold
• Vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• Pinch of sea salt

Coffee Layer

• 4 cups (960ml) strong espresso or strong coffee, cooled completely (leftover coffee makes the best concentrate)
• A drizzle of maple syrup, stirred in
• About 50 ladyfingers (savoiardi)

Finish

• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
• Dark chocolate shavings (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the coffee. Brew your coffee and let it cool completely to room temperature — hot coffee will make the ladyfingers fall apart. Stir in a drizzle of maple syrup.
2. Make the cream. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (double boiler) and whisk the egg yolks and sugar together for 5–7 minutes, until thick, pale, and the mixture reaches about 160°F (71°C).
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly, keep stirring if needed.
4. Beat in the cold mascarpone until smooth, then mix in the vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks, about 3 minutes,
6. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until fully combined and light.
7. Assemble. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the cooled coffee — just 1–2 seconds per side. Don't soak them, or the layers will turn soggy.
8. Arrange a single layer of dipped ladyfingers in your 9×13-inch dish.
9. Spread half of the mascarpone cream evenly over the ladyfingers. BE GENEROUS.
10. Repeat with a second layer of dipped ladyfingers and the remaining cream.
11. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours — overnight is even better.
12. Serve. Dust generously with cocoa powder right before serving. Add chocolate shavings if you'd like.

🔥 Ritta's Tip: Use cold mascarpone for the smoothest filling — room-temperature mascarpone can turn grainy when whipped. And don't skip the overnight chill if you can help it; tiramisu tastes even better the next day, once the coffee and cream have had time to meld.

🧊 Storage Instructions

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to eat egg yolks that aren't fully cooked?

The double-boiler method in this recipe cooks the yolks to about 160°F (71°C), which is the temperature considered safe for egg-based desserts — so you're not working with raw egg here.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes — this is actually a make-ahead dessert by design. It needs at least 6 hours to chill, and tastes even better made the day before serving.

Can I use instead of coffee liqueur?

This version skips alcohol entirely — the maple syrup stirred into the coffee adds a little extra depth instead, so it's naturally alcohol-free as written.

My cream came out grainy — what went wrong?

This usually happens when the mascarpone isn't cold enough when it's mixed in, or when the egg yolk mixture is still too warm. Let the yolk mixture cool slightly before adding cold mascarpone straight from the fridge.

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