Tiramisu Recipe

Brew 1 cup strong espresso (or very strong coffee). While hot, stir in 1 tablespoon granulated sugar until dissolved. Add 3 tablespoons Marsala wine and set mixture aside to cool to room temperature.

Make caramel

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 cup granulated sugar over medium heat, swirling occasionally (do not stir vigorously) until it melts and turns an amber color, about 6–8 minutes. As edges caramelize, you may gently brush down crystals with a wet pastry brush. Remove from heat and quickly stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter until melted.

Carefully pour in 4 tablespoons heavy cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until smooth. Whisk in 2 tablespoons Marsala wine and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Taste and adjust salt if desired. Let the caramel cool to warm (not hot), about 10–15 minutes. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of caramel to drizzle on top when assembling; fold the rest into the mascarpone filling in the next section.

Prepare egg yolk base

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until combined. Place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (double boiler) — the bowl should not touch the water. Whisk constantly for 4–6 minutes until the mixture is pale, slightly thickened, and registers about 160°F (71°C) if using a thermometer. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Whisk the cooled egg yolk mixture into the mascarpone cheese (16 oz) until smooth and lump-free. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and the majority (reserve about 3 tablespoons) of the warm Marsala caramel made earlier. Fold gently to combine.

Whip cream

In a chilled bowl, whip 3 cups heavy cream to medium–stiff peaks. Start on medium speed until foamy, then increase speed until peaks hold but are still smooth. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream in two additions until uniform and airy. Cover and refrigerate if not assembling immediately.

Lightly dip each ladyfinger (savoiardi) for 1–2 seconds on each side into the cooled coffee–Marsala mixture. Do not soak — they should be moist but not falling apart.

Arrange a single layer of dipped ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9x9-inch (or similar) dish to form the base.

Spread half of the mascarpone–caramel filling evenly over the ladyfinger layer. Sprinkle about half of the coarsely crushed toasted hazelnuts over the filling.

Repeat with another layer of dipped ladyfingers, then spread the remaining mascarpone filling on top, smoothing the surface. Drizzle the reserved 3 tablespoons of Marsala caramel over the top in an even ribbon or swirl.

Sift 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder over the top through a fine sieve to dust evenly. Scatter the remaining crushed hazelnuts and optionally sprinkle 1 tablespoon dark chocolate shavings over the surface.

Cover the tiramisu and refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, to allow flavors to meld and the texture to set. For best sliceability serve chilled. Bring to room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving if desired.