Tiramisu with Homemade Savoiardi
Classic tiramisu made completely from scratch with homemade savoiardi biscuits, coffee soak and a light mascarpone cream. Best made the day before serving so the biscuits soften and the layers fully set overnight.
Equipment
- 1 20cm square baking dish
- 2 large baking trays
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking paper
- Piping bag
- Heatproof mixing bowl
- saucepan
- fine-mesh sieve
Ingredients
Savoiardi biscuits
- 4 large eggs separated and room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar divided
- 80 g plain flour sifted
- 20 g cornflour sifted
- 2 pinches salt
- 30 g icing sugar for dusting
Coffee soak
- 350 ml strong espresso or coffee freshly brewed
- 30 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Mascarpone cream
- 6 egg yolks room temperature
- 120 g caster sugar
- 500 g mascarpone cold
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
Assembly
- cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
Savoiardi biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
- Whisk the 4 egg yolks with 50g caster sugar until very pale, thick and ribboning.
- In a clean bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites with the salt to soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 50g caster sugar and whisk to firm, glossy peaks.
- Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture in 2 additions.
- Fold through the plain flour and cornflour until just combined, taking care not to knock out the air.
- Transfer to a piping bag and pipe 9-10cm lengths, leaving space between each biscuit.
- Dust generously with icing sugar. Leave for 1 minute, then dust a second time.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until risen, dry on the surface and lightly golden around the edges. The biscuits should feel set rather than soft when lightly touched.
- Cool completely on the trays before removing from the baking paper.
Coffee soak
- Combine the hot coffee and caster sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Stir through the vanilla extract and cool completely.
Mascarpone cream
- Place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
- Whisk continuously for 5-7 minutes, until pale, thick and ribboning.
- Remove from the heat and whisk for another 1-2 minutes. Leave until cooled to approximately room temperature.
- Gently loosen the mascarpone until smooth. Add it to the cooled egg yolk mixture in 3 additions, mixing gently until smooth after each addition.
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt to firm peaks.
- Fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture in 3 additions until evenly incorporated.
Assembly
- Briefly dip each savoiardi in the cooled coffee, turning once so the outside absorbs coffee without allowing the biscuit to become saturated or collapse.
- Arrange a tightly packed layer of soaked savoiardi across the base of a 20cm square dish.
- Spread over half of the mascarpone cream and level the surface.
- Add a second layer of coffee-soaked savoiardi.
- Spread over the remaining mascarpone cream and level the surface.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- Dust generously with cocoa powder immediately before serving.
Notes
Notes
- Homemade savoiardi absorb coffee quickly, so dip them briefly rather than leaving them submerged.
- Cool the coffee and savoiardi completely before assembling the tiramisu.
- Allow the cooked egg yolk mixture to cool before adding the mascarpone. Adding mascarpone while the mixture is warm can make the cream loose.
- Avoid overmixing the mascarpone, which can cause it to become grainy or runny.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Overnight gives the best texture.
- Dust with cocoa immediately before serving so it stays dry and evenly coloured.