CLASSIC TIRAMISU RECIPE

Did you know that, as long as I’ve lived, until September 2025, I had never tried a classic tiramisu at all. Well, I believe everyone has their own timing, and that’s okay.

I first tasted tiramisu during a work training lunch, where it was served as dessert. Turns out, I loved it, despite the fact that it contains coffee. Since then, I’ve tried a few tiramisus around my area and started searching for various tiramisu recipes.

I learned that there are two main types of tiramisu: the classic version that uses eggs, and the eggless one. Tiramisu made with eggs tends to have more volume, denser, and custard-like, while the eggless version feels lighter on the palate. It really comes down to personal preference, both are great in their own way.

As for me, I prefer the lighter version. It’s simpler to make, doesn’t require eggs, and removing eggs also reduces the risk of an eggy smell or undercooked eggs. Plus, it tastes like ice cream. At least that’s what my friends said during our Matcha Mate session in November 2025.

So, in this post, I’m going to share my eggless classic tiramisu recipe. It’s so simple that I can get everything prepared and assembled in about 30 minutes.

Ladyfingers

You can always bake your own ladyfingers, but for now, I don’t intend to. I bought ready-made ones instead. From browsing tiramisu posts, I noticed that many people use these two brands: Vicenzovo and Forno Bonomi Savoiardi.

From my experience, Vicenzovo ladyfingers tend to be more fragile compared to Forno Bonomi Savoiardi. When soaked in coffee for about two seconds, they crumble and fall apart. Forno Bonomi, on the other hand, holds its structure much better.

Because of that, I personally prefer Forno Bonomi over Vicenzovo.

Mascarpone Cheese

Now, it’s not tiramisu if we don’t use mascarpone cheese. I know that for a more affordable version, some people use cheese spread and that’s totally fine too.

But if you want to make a classic tiramisu effortlessly while still keeping it relatively affordable, I think you should at least try mascarpone cheese. I find mascarpone very light in taste, and I really love that about it.

I’ve heard that Tatua Mascarpone Cheese sits at the top tier when it comes to mascarpone. At the time, I couldn’t find the brand, and when I finally did, the price was almost three times higher than the brand I ended up using: Yummy Mascarpone Cheese.

Yummy Mascarpone Cheese is quite affordable and easy to find. You can get it easily from the marketplace. As for the taste... let me remind you again, my friends said it tastes like ice cream!

I think you should give this one a try if you want to experience mascarpone but can’t quite afford Tatua yet.

Whipped Cream

We know that there are dairy and non-dairy whipped creams. In this recipe, I use non-dairy whipped cream for a few reasons: to reduce the amount of dairy (since we already have enough from the mascarpone) and to keep the ingredient cost more affordable.

For this recipe, I use Rich’s Gold Label Whipped Cream. As far as I know, non-dairy whipped cream is already sweetened. With my measurements, this one contains about 42 grams of sugar. So yes, in this recipe, we don’t need any added sugar. Isn’t that so convenient?

That’s why I call this recipe effortlessly elegant. It’s perfect as a dessert after a meal as it cleans the palate and leaves no heaviness in the mouth.

Coffee

You can use espresso or coffee latte for this recipe, but I chose to use instant coffee powder from Nescafé and dissolve it in hot water. It’s simple, practical, and works really well for home baking. The coffee flavor still comes through nicely without being too overpowering, and it blends easily with the ladyfingers. For me, this method feels more accessible and effortless, especially when I just want to make tiramisu without extra steps.

Dutch Cocoa Powder

Tiramisu feels complete with a dusting of cocoa powder on top. For this recipe, I use Dutch cocoa powder from Van Houten, but honestly, any cocoa powder you have will work just fine. The most important thing is to make sure it’s unsweetened, with no added sugar. The cocoa layer helps balance the creaminess of the mascarpone and whipped cream, adding a subtle bitterness that ties everything together and keeps the dessert from feeling too sweet.

Container and Measurement

There’s a reason behind these measurements. Yummy Mascarpone Cheese comes in a 250-gram pack, while Forno Bonomi Savoiardi is sold in a plastic container with 24 ladyfingers. As for whipped cream, the smallest available size usually comes in 500 ml.

If you find the default measurement not sweet enough, you can increase the whipped cream up to 250 ml. This also means that with one 500 ml pack of whipped cream, you can conveniently use it for two batches by pairing it with two packs of mascarpone cheese and two plastic containers of ladyfingers.

As for the container, this recipe fits perfectly into two container sizes: 19.5 × 14.5 × 6.5 cm and 12.5 × 17 × 5.5 cm.

Alright, we’ve finally reached the end of this post where you’ll find the recipe. Everything I shared above leads to this simple, effortlessly elegant tiramisu.

🕒± 30 minutes

🎂19.5 x 14.5 x 6.5 cm

Cook Mode

Servings:

Ingredients

250 gram mascarpone cheese (room temperature)

200 ml non-dairy whipped cream (chilled temperature)

8 gram coffee powder

250 ml hot water

24 pcs ladyfingers

Dutch cocoa powder

Instructions

1

Whisk chilled non-dairy whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it shouldn't move when the bowl is flipped).

2

Add mascarpone cheese and whisk until smooth and well combined.

3

Mix coffee powder and hot water in a different shallow bowl until fully dissolved. Let it cool slightly.

4

Submerge ladyfingers in the coffee for maximum 2 seconds to keep them firm.

5

Line the bottom of your container with dipped ladyfingers, then spread half of the cream on top.

6

Add another layer of dipped ladyfingers and cover with the remaining cream.

7

Sprinkle dutch cocoa powder over the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to let it set.

Notes:

1

For sweetness, you can increase the non-dairy whipped cream up to 250 ml, in case you find the default measurement not sweet enough.

2

For matchamisu: add 4 gram matcha powder for the cream. 5 gram matcha powder for the soak (with 250 ml warm water). 4 gram matcha powder for dusting.

I hope this tiramisu recipe feels approachable and encourages you to try making it at home. Take your time, enjoy the process, and adjust it to your own taste.