Tiramisu Torte

You won't get enough of this tiramisu torte or tiramisu cake. Made with Italian ladyfingers and creamy mascarpone within 40 minutes, easy and affordable, this classic Italian cake will become your new favorite dessert.

Italian classic tiramisu, translated as "pick me up," combines coffee, Marsala wine, mascarpone, and ladyfinger biscuits. It never fails to please, and there is a reason for it.

It will bring heaven to your mouth when you take a bite of traditional tiramisu, limoncello, speculoos, or fig tiramisu served in cups.

Jump to:

• What is tiramisu cake?
• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• Recipe variations
• How to make tiramisu torte
• Expert tips
• Storage instructions
• FAQ
• Love decadent cakes? Try these next!
• Need to adjust your baking pan size?
• Recipe card
• Comments

So why not turn this Italian dessert into a festive masterpiece perfect for a birthday or another celebration?

Here is the best tiramisu cake recipe ever: it is easy, affordable, and quick.

The result? A no-bake delight - tiramisu cake with ladyfingers - is creamy, smooth, rich, and delicious.

What is tiramisu cake?

Tiramisu cake, also known as tiramisu torte or tiramisu torta, is a layered Italian cake made with ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, and generously topped with cocoa powder. It uses all the beloved classic flavors and ingredients. 

While the word "torte" is used in German, Spanish, and Italian name of the dessert is torta tiramisu (torta tiramisù in Italian). Both terms, torte, and torta, mean cake in English.

Why you should try this recipe

• This easy, rich, and creamy cake is the best representation of traditional tiramisu made as a cake.

• It has all the classic ingredients, including ladyfingers soaked in coffee, to give it that signature taste like no other.

• Creating a celebration version of the classic Italian dessert is genius. The recipe still uses traditional flavors, but a slight twist makes a new style of the decadent dessert.

• It is perfect for parties, birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions.

• The recipe is easy. This no-bake dessert is made in 40 minutes whenever you make an 8-inch (20 cm) or 12-inch (30 cm) cake.

• Tiramisu torte has a significant advantage over other cakes because it can be made 4-6 hours ahead of time and, even better, overnight. This way, you will have plenty more free time on your big day.

• The cake is made without alcohol, which means kids can consume it. Moreover, "cooked" eggs used in making this marvel ensure its safety for everyone.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

Expert Tip: Choose fresh ingredients, especially eggs, mascarpone, and whipping cream, to make your tiramisu.

• Ladyfingers, known as savoiardi biscuits or sponge fingers, are an important ingredient in the tiramisu dessert.

Use store-bought ladyfingers or make them yourself if desired. Make sure they are crispy (not cake-style) Italian biscuits if purchased. One of the best brands to choose from are Forno Bonomi, Balocco, Matilde Vicenzi, etc. To make a gluten-free tiramisu torte, choose gluten-free ladyfingers.

• Egg yolks: use an egg separator to separate the chilled egg whites from the yolks. Then bring egg yolks to room temperature.

Save leftover egg whites for making meringue desserts such as Pavlova, Merveilleux cake, or giant meringue.

• Sugar: the recipe calls for granulated sugar or caster sugar to make the dessert.

• Gelatin: use gelatin sheets with a strength of 200 bloom. You will need 3 ½ gelatin sheets or 8 grams of powdered gelatin.

• Milk: a small amount of whole or low-fat milk is used to help dissolve the gelatin. Replace milk with water if desired.

• Mascarpone cheese: Italian cream cheese is another classic ingredient of the tiramisu recipe. Ensure that the expiration date is long enough: the fresher the mascarpone, the thicker the cream.

Bring the cheese to room temperature. It should be enough for mascarpone to sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes, no longer.

• Whipping cream: use cold whipping cream with 30% fat content or heavy cream with 36% fat content.

• Espresso: brew espresso or strong coffee, but don't use instant coffee if you want to keep the authentic taste of your tiramisu. It should be cooled in the refrigerator before using it to soak ladyfinger biscuits. Then, if you desire, you can sweeten it up.

If you don't want any caffeine in your cake, use decaf coffee or decaf espresso.

• Cocoa powder: use unsweetened cocoa powder to decorate the cake. To give your authentic Italian dessert the perfect finish, try adding a dusting of cacao amaro, a bitter Italian cocoa powder.

Don't confuse it with a sweet cocoa powder used to make children’s cocoa milk.

Recipe variations

The original recipe is made with ladyfinger biscuits, also used to make this tiramisu torte.

• You can bring a tasty version to this cake by replacing the first layer of the dessert with a chocolate sponge cake. Also, try to replace ladyfingers with Italian pavesini biscuits.

• As a final touch, dust the cake with cocoa powder and sprinkle it with chocolate shavings, chocolate vermicelli sprinkles, or chopped candy bars.

• To make it even more festive and turn it into a tiramisu birthday cake, sprinkle the top of the cake with colorful sprinkles or sprinkle mix.

• During the Christmas holidays, try replacing ladyfingers with pandoro or panettone layers. You will love it.

How to make tiramisu torte

Gather all the ingredients, ensuring that egg yolks and mascarpone are at room temperature.

Cut ladyfingers into three equal parts using a serrated knife (photo 1). Soak gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes.

To make the mascarpone cream, in a large bowl, whip the egg yolks with an electric mixer using high speed until they are thick.

Pour water and sugar into a saucepan and cook over medium heat to 250 degrees F or 121 degrees C (check the temperature of the syrup with a cooking thermometer).

Pour the hot sugar syrup over egg yolks while constantly whisking. Continue to whisk for 5-6 minutes until the mixture cools down - touch the bottom of the bowl with your hand (photo 2).

Add room temperature mascarpone cheese to egg mixture and gently whisk until combined (photo 3).

Extra tip: Don't overmix the preparation: this can cause curdling. 

Pour milk into a small heatproof bowl and warm it in the microwave. Add drained gelatin sheets to the hot milk and mix to ensure that the gelatin is dissolved completely.

Extra tip: if gelatin isn't dissolved, bring the bowl to the microwave again for 3-5 seconds.

Add about two tablespoons of the mascarpone mixture to the dissolved gelatin and mix with a spoon. Then add this mixture to the mascarpone preparation and mix with a hand whisk.

In a separate medium bowl, use a hand-held mixer (or a stand mixer) to whip the cold whipping cream until soft peaks form. Start whisking at a low speed, slowly increasing it.

Gently fold whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture with a hand whisk or a rubber spatula from the bottom up (photo 4). Refrigerate the cream until ready to use.

To assemble the tiramisu torte, place a mousse cake mold on a cake board or a serving plate.

Adjust it to 8 inches or 20 cm in diameter, and line it with an acetate cake collar. Fix it with a binder clip if needed.

Extra tip: You can use a springform pan greased and lined with parchment paper to make tiramisu torte if a mousse cake mold is unavailable.

Pour the cold espresso into a shallow plate. Dip cut biscuits with the rounded ends, one at a time for 1 second, then turn it over and repeat the process with another side. 

Place cookies against the edge of the mold, next to each other, arranging the rounded tips outwards.

Continue in the same way using the other thirds of the ladyfingers and filling the bottom of the mold (photo 5).

Take the mascarpone cream from the fridge and transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip - Ateco plain pastry tip 809 (about 15 mm in diameter).

Using half of the cream, pipe ciuffi di crema (which means "cream tufts" in English) over the first layer of biscuits (photo 6).

Bring the cream to the refrigerator while assembling the second layer of the cake.

Add a second layer of the soaked lady fingers, placing them in the same way over the cream (photo 7).

Use the remaining cream to pipe "cream tufts" over the final layer of cookies in a circular direction, starting from the outside (photo 8).

Cover the mold with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and chill for at least 4-6 hours, better overnight. 

Before serving, remove the steel mold and acetate sheet or parchment paper. Then, with a mini strainer, dust the surface with cocoa powder.

Cut tiramisu torte with a knife, cleaning it between each cut, then serve using a cake server.

Expert tips

• Make sure that egg yolks and mascarpone are at room temperature and that the whipping cream is cold.
• Dip the ladyfingers one at a time for no longer than 2 seconds: otherwise, you will end up in a soggy dessert.
• If desired, add 1 tablespoon of Marsala wine or coffee liqueur, for example, Tia Maria, to the expresso.
• Do not overmix the cream when adding mascarpone: the cream may become grainy.
• Chill your tiramisu for at least 4-6 hours or overnight before serving: it has to be fully set up.
• Sprinkle cocoa powder over the torte just before serving so that it won't get wet and won't be absorbed by the cream.

Storage instructions

The tiramisu torte can be kept for 2 days in the refrigerator under a cake dome. Keep leftover cake in an airtight container refrigerated.

You can freeze the cake by covering the mold with plastic wrap for 2 weeks. To defrost, bring it to the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the mold and acetate sheet or parchment paper and dust with cocoa powder before serving.

FAQ

Love decadent cakes? Try these next!

• Raspberry Oreo Cheesecake
• Fresh Fruit Cake
• Royal Chocolate Cake
• Fraisier Cake

Also, browse all the Cake Recipes.

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.