Get the Recipe: Limoncello Tiramisu
A lemon twist on the classic, this easy, no-bake, make-ahead dessert is a must-try for lemon lovers!
Ingredients
For the soaking liquid:
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) limoncello liqueur, *see Note 1 below for substitute
- 5 Tablespoons (60 g) white granulated sugar
For the lemon cream filling:
- 3 large eggs, SEPARATED *see Note 4 below
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 cup (120 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups (500 g) mascarpone cheese, *see Note 3 below
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon zest, plus more for garnish
- 6 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons lemon juice, about 2 lemons
For assembling:
- 20-24 ladyfinger biscuits, *see Note 2 below
For topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f.
- 1-2 Tablespoons icing/confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- You will need a serving dish of about 8x10 inches. Alternately, a 9x9-inch dish should work. I don't recommend a 9x13-inch dish unless you increase the quantity of lemon filling.
- Start by preparing the lemon soaking liquid you will dip the ladyfingers in when assembling the tiramisu. Add the water, limoncello and 5 Tablespoons of white sugar to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the sugar is dissolved, 3-4 minutes. Pour the liquid into a bowl to cool while you continue with the recipe.
- Tip! As we are whipping the egg whites without added sugar, the whites will not become glossy, but will be more on the foamy side. They will still come to firm peaks.
- Separate the eggs, being careful that there is no yolk at all in the egg whites. Place the egg whites into a perfectly clean bowl. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites. Using a whisk attachment or an electric beater, mix the egg whites at medium speed until bubbly (like a bubble bath). Gradually begin increasing the speed as you whip until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Remove the whipped egg whites to a large bowl.
- To the same bowl that you beat the egg whites, add the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat together on high speed until thick and pale in colour, about 1 minute. Add the mascarpone, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat on medium speed until well combined, but do not over-mix. Add the lemon cream to the bowl with the whipped egg whites.
- Using a spatula, carefully fold the egg whites into the lemon cream, using a motion that scoops from the bottom of the bowl and gently folding it over the top. Fold until the egg whites and the lemon cream are evenly combined. Set aside.
- Tip! Dipping the ladyfingers is an important part of making tiramisu. You only want to dip them briefly to avoid them becoming overly soggy and mushy. My method is to dip into a shallow bit of liquid (about half the height of the ladyfingers). Secondly, I count to two when dipping. When setting the ladyfinger into the soaking liquid, count one, then count 2, then when flipping it count 1, then count 2 and remove.
- Pour some of the lemon soaking liquid into a shallow bowl wider than the length of the ladyfingers. The liquid should be only about 1/2-inch deep. Take one ladyfinger and set it into the soaking liquid, then immediately flip it over and remove. Place into the serving dish. Repeat with additional ladyfingers, adding additional soaking liquid to the bowl as needed and arranging the ladyfingers in rows without overlapping them. You can break or cut the ladyfingers as needed to form one even layer.
- Spoon half of the lemon mascarpone filling over the layer of ladyfingers and use a spatula to spread into an even layer. Top with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, and then top with the remaining lemon mascarpone filling, spreading it level.
- Cover the serving dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-8 hours (6 hours is perfect!). When ready to serve, whip the cream with the icing sugar and then spread over the top of the tiramisu. Garnish with additional lemon zest and a lemon slice, if you like.
- Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap for up to 2 days.
Notes
Note 1: Limoncello is highly recommended. You can find it quite easily at most liquor stores. If you are worried that this tiramisu will taste too boozy, I can assure you it doesn't. It really has quite a small amount of limoncello in the soaking liquid.
You can also make your own limoncello with lemons, sugar and vodka. There are a lot of recipes online!
If you would like a non-alcoholic version, there are some non-alcoholic limoncellos out there, though I don't know how easy they are to find.
You can make a non-alcoholic lemon syrup to use instead of the limoncello one. Use this to replace all of the ingredients in the soaking liquid. Combine ⅓ cup lemon juice, ⅓ cup water and ¼ cup of white sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring regularly, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Allow to cool before using.
Note 2: I use Milano brand ladyfinger biscuits, which are wide and flat-ish. Tiramisu can also be made with Savoiardi biscuits, which are finger-shaped biscuits with a sugar glaze on them. You can go this route if you like, but I have not tested this recipe with these biscuits.
Note 3: My grocery store carried two brands of mascarpone. One was 454g (1 lb) and one was 500g (17.5oz or 1.1lb). If you have the option, pick up the 500g one. If not, you don't need to buy another carton just to get the extra bit of mascarpone (it's pricey!). Just use the 454g one and it will be fine.
Note 4: This lemon tiramisu uses raw egg yolks and egg whites. Pasteurized eggs are highly recommended!
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips on making this recipe. You'll also find substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 416kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 152mg, Sodium: 75mg, Potassium: 67mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 1052IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 1mg
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