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Tiramisu Torte

Tiramisu torta on a cake stand.

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This tiramisu torte or torta tiramisu is made with Italian ladyfingers and creamy mascarpone within 40 minutes. Easy and affordable, this classic Italian cake will become your new favorite dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 20 Italian-style ladyfingers 
  • 72 g egg yolks, room temperature (see note #1)
  • 1/2 cup + 3 1/2 tablespoons (145 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
  • 3 gelatin sheets (see note #2)
  • 5 1/2 teaspoons (27 ml) milk
  • 11.3 oz. (320 g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons (365 g) heavy cream, 30% fat
  • 1 cup (240 ml) cold espresso
  • 1.5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. Gather all the ingredients, ensuring that egg yolks and mascarpone are at room temperature. Cut ladyfingers into three equal parts using a serrated knife. Soak gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes.

  2. To make the mascarpone cream, whip the egg yolks in a large bowl 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°F (121°C): check the temperature of the syrup with a cooking thermometer.

  3. 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). Add room-temperature mascarpone cheese to the egg mixture and gently whisk until combined. Don't overmix the preparation: this can cause curdling.

  4. 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 the gelatin is dissolved completely. If gelatin isn't dissolved, bring the bowl to the microwave again for 3-5 seconds.

  5. 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.

  6. In a separate medium bowl, use a hand-held mixer (or a stand mixer) to whip the cold heavy 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, working from the bottom up. Refrigerate the cream until ready to use.

  7. To assemble the tiramisu torte, place an adjustable mousse cake mold on a cake board or a serving plate. Adjust it to 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter, and line it with an acetate cake collar. Fix it with a binder clip if needed. Alternatively, grease the sides of the mold and line it with parchment paper.

  8. 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.

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

  10. Add a second layer of the soaked lady fingers, placing them in the same way over the cream. Use the remaining cream to pipe "cream tufts" over the final layer of cookies in a circular direction, starting from the outside. Cover the mold with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and chill for at least 4-6 hours, better overnight.

  11. To serve, remove the steel mold and acetate sheet or parchment paper. 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.

Notes

  1. 72 g egg yolks are approximately equal to 5.5 egg yolks from small-size chicken eggs or 1/3 US cup.
  2. gelatin sheets equal 7.5 g powdered gelatin.
  3. Make sure that egg yolks and mascarpone are at room temperature and that heavy cream is cold.
  4. Dip the ladyfingers one at a time for no longer than 2 seconds; otherwise, you will end up in a soggy dessert.
  5. If desired, add 1 tablespoon of Marsala wine or coffee liqueur, for example, Tia Maria, to the expresso.
  6. Do not overmix the cream when adding mascarpone: the cream may become grainy.
  7. Chill your tiramisu for at least 4-6 hours or overnight before serving: it has to be fully set up.
  8. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the torte just before serving so that it won't get wet and won't be absorbed by the cream.

Nutrition

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