Small-Batch Tiramisu

Tiramisu feels like the perfect celebratory dessert to me, but sometimes you might not need an entire sheet pan of it sitting in your fridge. This recipe makes 3-4 generous servings, it tastes amazing, and it’s fairly simple to pull together. Obviously this dessert is a coffee-lovers dream and personally, I’ve always been obsessed with the creamy mascarpone filling. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Small-Batch Tiramisu

This recipe uses just a few simple ingredients, and your specialty items here would be the mascarpone cheese and the ladyfingers. I found ladyfingers a little tricky to find this go around, so you may want to order them online ahead of time.

The cream for this tiramisu has two components, starting with a gently cooked egg yolk mixture. You want to whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a medium bowl that is big enough to sit on top of a small pot of boiling water. Whisking constantly, cook this mixture until it becomes very pale and thick, and the sugar is dissolved. For me this took about 5 minutes.

The second part of the mixture is a sweetened mascarpone whipped cream. Start by beating together the mascarpone cheese with some powdered sugar, and then add in the heavy cream and mix together until stiff peaks form in the mixture.

From there, you want to fold the egg yolk mixture into the whipped cream along with the vanilla extract until everything is completely combined and smooth.

Then it’s time to layer everything up. We’re making it in a loaf pan so you end up with 3 generous servings here. Start off by adding a layer of lady fingers, doing your best to create a full layer here that spans the whole pan. I like to use a brush to brush the espresso onto the lady fingers, but you can also give them a quick dip if you prefer here.

Add about half of the cream and spread it evenly over the top of the lady fingers, and then repeat the process a second time. Cover the pan tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours before dusting with cocoa and serving.

Tips & Tricks for Small-Batch Tiramisu

Here are my tips to help you along the way!

• Do I have to use egg yolks? This is a somewhat traditional method for tiramisu, and I think the addition of the egg yolk mixture is important to getting that classic texture, so I would not skip it.
• How do I know when the yolks are finished cooking? They should be very pale in color and thick, and if you rub a small dollop of the mixture between two fingers, you should not feel any of the granulated sugar granules anymore- it should be very smooth.
• How do I know when the whipped cream is ready? You want to whip until the mixture goes just past soft peaks- you do not want to over-whip this or it will split.
• Can I double this recipe? Yes, you can double the recipe and make a two-layer tiramisu in an 8-inch round or square pan if you prefer.
• Can I dip the ladyfingers in the espresso instead of brushing it on top? Yes, feel free to dip the ladyfingers for 2-3 seconds in your espresso if you prefer. I find it easier to brush, and you won’t end up with a bunch of excess espresso in your dish.
• How do I know when it’s ready to serve? You want to give the tiramisu enough time to chill in the fridge and firm up a bit, but the mixture will still be soft and creamy. Chill for at least two hours before serving.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level. For this recipe though, we aren’t baking or cooking much, so you should not need to make any adjustments no matter your altitude.

Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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Small-Batch Tiramisu

Servings 3 servings

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tbs. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 package ladyfingers
• 1/2 cup brewed espresso cooled
• 1-2 tbs. cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Over a double broiler, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until sugar has dissolved. The mixture will be pale yellow, and thick. It should ribbon when you pull up your whisk. Set aside.
2. Beat together the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Add in the heavy cream, and beat until mixture has stiff peaks.
3. Gentle fold the egg yolk mixture into the mascarpone mixture until fully combined.
4. In an 8 or 9 inch loaf pan, create a full layer of lady fingers, covering the bottom of the pan as much as possible.
5. Brush on the cold espresso, and wait 1-2 minutes. Then, brush another round of espresso onto the lady fingers.
6. Spread about 1/2 of the cream on top of the lady fingers.
7. Repeat the process of layer the lady fingers, espresso, and cream, creating two layers.
8. With a sifter, dust the top with cocoa powder.
9. Chill for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy!

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!