Raspberry Tiramisu
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This fruity tiramisu features fresh raspberries between layers of creamy mascarpone and soft ladyfingers for a fun twist on the classic.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Bushel and Berry®.
COFFEE + RASPBERRY: A WINNING COMBINATION
When you see “raspberry” and “tiramisu” together, you might be thinking that’s an odd combination of flavors. You would be correct, but I hope you’d also be curious about the marriage of these two strong and distinct flavors and trust me that you need this dessert.
While raspberries are sweet, they’re also bright and tangy, and lend these characteristics well to the bold and powerful taste of coffee. Not only that, but the mascarpone cream between all of the layers smooths out the combination and brings the whole dessert together. One bite of this raspberry tiramisu and you’ll agree– it’s a match!
WHAT IS TIRAMISU?
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert made of sponge cake soaked in coffee (often also a liqueur) between layers of mascarpone cheese. There are so many iterations of this classic Italian dessert, but traditional tiramisu uses ladyfingers (savoiardi), egg yolks, coffee, brandy, mascarpone, and cocoa powder.
Depending on taste preferences, available ingredients, and whether or not the baker wants to do any cooking, the ingredients may change. The raspberry version you see here is made without any eggs, and the spotlight is the fresh berries which makes this a fabulous summer dessert, but let’s be honest… There’s never a bad time for raspberry desserts!
Since I always prefer to make all of my components from scratch, thanks to Bushel and Berry®, I had fresh raspberries available to me because I have my own plant!
I love this raspberry plant, Raspberry Shortcake®, because it stays small enough to grow in a patio container and doesn’t have any pesky thorns.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS EASY TIRAMISU
One of the things you’ll love most about this treat is that it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert. Since the dish has to sit for at least 6 hours, and even better overnight or 24 hours, you can make this well in advance of serving, because the longer it sits the better it tastes.
There is one caveat– you must follow the instructions closely in order to mitigate sogginess. More about this in a bit, but know that there is a fine line between “soft and moist” and “wet and soggy” and I’ll help you perfect the former.
RASPBERRY TIRAMISU INGREDIENTS
Believe it or not, for as complex as this perfect dessert looks, this fruity tiramisu only has 8 simple ingredients.
HEAVY CREAM: if you’ve been told all your life that you need cold cream, a cold mixer bowl, and nothing but cold cold cold in order to get peaks on your whipped cream, you’ve been lied to! You’ll need room temperature heavy cream as the whipped base for the mascarpone cheese.
VANILLA EXTRACT: vanilla for flavor. Always.
GRANULATED SUGAR: we’re sweetening the whipped cream base with a small amount of sugar. Since mascarpone cheese is quite bland (it’s similar to cream cheese and ricotta cheese), the bit of granulated sugar we add to the mixture brings just the right amount of sweetness.
MASCARPONE CHEESE: this is a total staple in tiramisu. It’s a soft, spreadable cheese, and as I mentioned, it’s sort of a cross between cream cheese and ricotta cheese, though it’s a totally different type of cheese from them. That’s just the best way to describe it.
LADYFINGERS: another key ingredient to tiramisu. You can find these in the grocery store or make your own. More below about which ones to use!
ESPRESSO/COFFEE: use whatever you like! You want the coffee flavor to be strong, so espresso is the way to go. Very strong coffee works in a pinch, as does instant coffee. You can also use decaf if you’re worried about the caffeine.
RASPBERRY PRESERVES: I tried making a raspberry compote/macerated mixture and it was just far too wet and made the entire dessert soggy. Preserves gave me the results I was looking for since a lot of the water has been removed and just the raspberries get to shine. I prefer seedless, but you can use seeded if you prefer. You can also make your own or use jam.
FRESH RASPBERRIES: the star of the show! They make their way into every bite and it’s just magical. That burst of fresh berry flavor is unmatched. This recipe will not work with frozen raspberries.
WHICH LADYFINGERS SHOULD I USE?
There are many kinds of ladyfingers out there, and my preference for this recipe is the hard crunchy ones. You can also use the soft ladyfingers, just be a little more gentle with the espresso portion of the recipe and know that there is a chance your tiramisu will be softer than one made with the crunchier cookies.
If all you can find are the soft ones, you can let your cookies sit out to lose some moisture for a bit if you prefer. You can also dry them out in the oven by arranging them on a baking sheet and baking them for about 15-20 minutes in a 250°F (121ºC), flipping each one over halfway through, until dry.
HOW TO MAKE EASY RASPBERRY TIRAMISU
STEP #1
Star by beating the heavy cream on high speed until it is no longer bubbly and it starts to thicken. Add the vanilla extract, then gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat the mixture on high until soft peaks to medium peaks form (do not take it all the way to stiff peaks).
STEP #2
Stop the mixer, add the mascarpone cheese, and gently fold it into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until there are no more lumps. If you’re having a hard time getting rid of the lumps, you can use the mixer again, but do it carefully and on low so as not to break or deflate the mixture, then set this aside.
STEP #3
Arrange ladyfingers in the bottom of an 8″ x 8″ square baking pan, cutting some of the cookies to make them fit.
STEP #4
Using a pastry brush, generously brush each ladyfinger with coffee, trying your best not to completely saturate the cookies but moisten them enough so they can soften.
STEP #5
Spread half of the seedless raspberry jam or preserves onto the ladyfingers layer, trying your best to spread it out evenly. If you’re having trouble spreading it, add a little water (or even espresso/coffee!) to the preserves to thin it out.
STEP #6
Spread half of the mascarpone mixture onto the lady fingers/preserves layer, then scatter about ⅓ of the raspberries evenly over the mascarpone layer. This measurement doesn’t have to be perfect– you’ll just want to make sure you have more than half of the fresh raspberries just for the top of the dessert).
STEP #7
Arrange another layer of ladyfingers on top of the raspberries, pressing down gently but firmly. Repeat steps 4 through 6, using the remaining raspberries to top the entire dessert.
STEP #8
Cover and allow tiramisu to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving, but ideally overnight or even 24 hours.
HOW TO PREVENT TIRAMISU FROM GETTING SOGGY
This is the biggest problem I have with making tiramisu and why this recipe had so many test runs. It’s also why I suggest steering clear of using frozen raspberries!
Moisture is delicate in tiramisu. You want to have enough to soften the cookies but you don’t want to turn them to mush, which can happen in a hurry if you’re too liberal with the espresso brushing.
The first couple runs of this recipe, I used macerated raspberries. It was not the best call. Too much moisture, and the end result was mush. Raspberry preserves worked like a charm, combined with simply brushing the coffee onto the ladyfingers and not dunking them completely.
You can use seedless raspberry preserves or jam, or make your own.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
COFFEE/ESPRESSO: the coffee mixture can be super strong espresso or decaf. It really doesn’t matter. If you’re worried about the caffeine, use decaf, but also know that there is so little coffee in this entire dessert that even if you ate the whole thing in one sitting, it would be such a minimal amount of caffeine.
RASPBERRY LIQUEUR: it you’d like, you can completely omit the coffee and opt for something like grand marnier, black raspberry liquor, coffee liqueur, or even orange liqueur to make things even more interesting!
LADYFINGERS: if you prefer, you can use pound cake in place of these cookies. Layer as directed in a pan or use a trifle dish.
RASPBERRY TIRAMISU STORAGE
Raspberry tiramisu should be covered very tightly and kept in the refrigerator. Be sure it’s covered tightly so that that any exposed edges don’t lose their moisture.
CAN I MAKE RASPBERRY TIRAMISU AHEAD OF TIME?
Raspberry tiramisu is actually the perfect make-ahead dessert since it needs time to moisten and for the ingredients to marry together for the ideal texture. If you dive into this raspberry tiramisu too soon, the cookies will still be quite hard and crunchy and while it will still taste delicious, the texture will be off.
At the very least, let your tiramisu sit for 8 hours, but ideally overnight or 24 hours is the sweet spot. Surprisingly, this dessert will stay the perfect texture for a few days before the cookies start to disintegrate too much.
NO BAKE RASPBERRY TIRAMISU RECIPE FAQs
Raspberry Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240mL) heavy cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 8 ounces (226g) mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 32 ladyfingers1
- ¼ cup (60mL) espresso or very strong coffee2
- ⅔ cup (190g) raspberry preserves I prefer seedless
- 12 ounces (340g) fresh raspberries
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on high speed until it is no longer bubbly and it starts to thicken. Add the vanilla extract. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat the mixture on high until soft to medium peaks form.1 cup (240mL) heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- Stop the mixer, add the mascarpone cheese, and gently fold it into the whipped cream until there are no more lumps. If you're having a hard time getting rid of the lumps, you can use the mixer again, but do it carefully and on low so as not to break or deflate the mixture. Set aside.8 ounces (226g) mascarpone cheese
- Arrange ladyfingers in the bottom of an 8" x 8" square baking pan, cutting some of the cookies to make them fit. I find this easiest to do with a very sharp or serrated knife.32 ladyfingers1
- Using a pastry brush, generously brush each ladyfinger with coffee, trying your best not to completely saturate the cookies but moisten them enough so they can soften.¼ cup (60mL) espresso or very strong coffee2
- Spread half of the raspberry preserves onto the ladyfingers layer, trying your best to spread it out evenly. If you're having trouble spreading it, add a little water (or even espresso/coffee!) to the preserves to thin it out.⅔ cup (190g) raspberry preserves
- Spread half of the mascarpone cheese mixture onto the lady fingers/preserves layer, then scatter about ⅓ of the raspberries evenly over the mascarpone layer.12 ounces (340g) fresh raspberries
- Arrange another layer of ladyfingers on top of the raspberries, pressing down gently but firmly. Repeat steps 4 through 6, using the remaining raspberries to top the entire dessert. Cover and allow tiramisu to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving. Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Tiramisu freezes well, up to 3 months. Wrap tightly and thaw in the refrigerator at least 24 hours.
Notes
- Ladyfingers: I prefer the harder, crunchy cookies, but you can also use the softer ones or make your own. There are typically 24 in a pack, but I find that 12 in each layer isn’t nearly enough for solid coverage.
- Coffee/espresso: you can use decaf if you are worried about the caffeine.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
This recipe was incredible easy and beyond delicious! The sweetness of the raspberries pairs perfectly with the subtle coffee notes. I’m definitely a novice baker and didn’t feel overwhelmed, the instructions were extremely helpful. Made this tiramisu for my husband’s birthday and it’s his new favorite. Can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you so much, Jen! 🙂