Creamy mascarpone, bold espresso, and a whisper of Marsala are layered into a dessert that truly “lifts you up.” Use sponge cake or Traditional Buccellato for a Tuscan touch, then chill until perfectly set.
Ingredients
- 227 g mascarpone cheese
- 6 egg yolks
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 45 ml Marsala wine
- Vanilla extract, to taste
- 6 egg whites
- 240 ml heavy cream
- 1 pinch sea salt
- Sponge Cake or Traditional Buccellato, as needed
- 240 ml espresso (cooled slightly)
- 45 ml rum (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk egg yolks with sugar until thick and pale. Add Marsala and vanilla, then mix in mascarpone until smooth.
- Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks.
- Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture, then gently fold in the whipped egg whites. Chill while you prep the coffee.
- Combine espresso and rum (optional). Dip sponge cake or Buccellato slices quickly in the coffee mixture.
- Layer soaked cake and mascarpone cream in a dish (2–3 layers). Finish with a smooth cream layer.
- Chill at least 4 hours (or overnight). Dust with cocoa before serving.
Tiramisu History (Treviso Origin)
“Tiramisù” is often linked to Treviso (Veneto), where the name is sometimes written in dialect as “tirame sù” — literally “pick me up.” Its roots connect to sbatudin, a simple, energizing mix of egg yolks whipped with sugar, traditionally given to children, the elderly, and people recovering from illness.
In the late 1960s, actor, director, and gastronome Giuseppe Maffioli documented local customs in his book La cucina trevigiana, noting Venetian habits of enjoying zabaglione with whipped cream and dry biscuits (baicoli). By the early 1970s, pastry chefs and restaurateurs in Treviso refined these familiar ingredients into a distinct layered dessert.
Maffioli later wrote (in his magazine Vin Veneto, first issue 1981) that the dessert was first offered at the Alle Beccherie restaurant by pastry chef Loly Linguanotto and quickly became popular in Treviso, the Veneto region, and then across Italy. In a 2012 TG2 interview, Carlo Campeol (the restaurant’s last owner) explained that it wasn’t about inventing new ingredients, but about combining well-known elements in a way that captured everyone’s imagination.