Tiramisu is the ideal summer dessert for many reasons—there’s no baking involved, it wakes you up, and—of course—it tastes divine. I recently traveled to Florence, Italy, and the highlight of the trip was taking a cooking class from a local. In the comfort of Maria Cristina’s serene Tuscan home (which was straight out of a Nancy Meyers film), she provided the recipe for the most mouthwatering tiramisu, complete with plenty of tips on making it authentically.
From the essential coffee machine to tips for layering the ingredients, I took extensive notes on creating the classic Italian dish, and I’m not here to gatekeep. Here’s everything I learned so you can impress guests at your next garden dinner party or picnic.
Maria Cristina is a retired architect, seasoned cook, and professional host in Tuscany, Italy, through TripAdvisor.
Making Authentic Italian Tiramisu
Grab a Moka Pot: First and foremost: You need a moka pot. It’s a must-have in any Italian kitchen, and according to Maria, it gives you a stronger, richer flavor compared to American coffee. Put it on the stove to brew while gathering ingredients.
Always Use Mascarpone: For a batch of tiramisu that fed five, we used 100 grams of mascarpone cheese, 50 grams of sugar, 2 (very fresh) medium eggs, Savoiardi ladyfingers, and unsweetened cocoa powder to taste. Maria emphasized that you should only ever use mascarpone—which she described as “whipped cream without the sugar”—and never substitute cream cheese if you want a true tiramisu.
Credit:
Bryce Jones
Perfect the Eggs: Much of the recipe, while very simple and straightforward, requires precision—you have to perfectly separate the egg yolk and whites in different bowls, and blend half the sugar into each. Making sure you get the right consistency is crucial: The yolks need to be light and foamy before incorporating the mascarpone a little at a time until dense. The whites should be whipped until peaks form and you can turn the bowl over. They’re then added into the mascarpone mixture one spoonful at a time, while stirring gently in the same direction to achieve a consistent light and airy texture.
If your mixture feels too heavy, you can whip up and add in more egg whites to lighten it up.
By the time you get all that done, your coffee should be ready. Maria poured it into a shallow bowl and added about 1 tsp. sugar to cut the bitterness. Once cooled down, the dessert is ready to be assembled.
Layer Correctly: In a 9-by-13 glass baking dish, we covered the base with the mascarpone cream, followed by a row of ladyfingers dipped in coffee (only for a few seconds—you don’t want them soggy), then another layer of mascarpone, making sure it was nice and leveled. According to Maria, you should only ever do two layers of ladyfingers, otherwise it becomes too heavy. Then sprinkle cocoa powder on the top to balance the flavors.
When I learned that’s all there was to it, I was pleasantly shocked—and admittedly a bit resentful that it took me so long to discover the ease of making tiramisu. You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days, but make sure to cover it so it doesn’t dry out and absorb flavors of any other food, Maria told us.
Credit:
Bryce Jones
As we sat on her front porch overlooking the sunny countryside, the sound of cowbells ringing in the distance, Maria served the dessert along with fresh strawberries—and we all went back for seconds. It was somehow both decadent and refreshing, and the coffee flavor came through with just enough strength to balance out the sweetness.
One of my favorite parts of learning from Maria was hearing about details of the dishes only Italians would know, like how “tiramisu” translates to the phrase “pick me up” because the caffeine supplies you with some much-needed energy after a big meal. But if you don’t have any plans of visiting the Old Country anytime soon, you now have all the secrets to bringing a delicious slice of it to you—and there’s nothing more la dolce vita than that.