
I love lemons and especially lemon desserts. They’ve always been my favorite. The brightness of fresh lemons and the way they smell, just make me happy. And since it’s still officially citrus season, I thought this refreshing recipe is a fun lemony twist on the classic Italian Tiramisu. It’s the perfect dessert for special occasions and I’ll be serving it for Easter this year. Although it’s also a perfect summer dessert.
Why I love this recipe:
- Every bite is filled with lemony goodness. The ladyfinger cookies are lightly soaked in a lemon syrup. The mascarpone and whipping cream are infused with lemon curd. Then there’s the lemon curd spread on top of the Tiramisu. And the lemon zest sprinkled on a dollop of whipping cream is the final lemony touch. I know, that’s a lot of lemon but it sure is delicious!
- The texture is light and creamy and doesn’t feel heavy (but don’t let that fool you, there is plenty of heaviness in these ingredients).
- It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for special occasions.
- It’s quick and easy to put together and you can use store-bought lemon curd as a time saver. However, keep in mind that it does need to be refrigerated overnight before you spread the lemon curd on top.
What exactly is Tiramisu?
A traditional Tiramisu recipe is a classic Italian dessert made with ladyfingers dipped in coffee layered with a mixture of whipped eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese flavored with cocoa. Literally translated it means “pick me up” or “cheer me up” likely related to the caffeine-infused ladyfinger cookies. Over the years, many variations of Tiramisu, like strawberry or lemon, have also become popular.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
You can freeze the leftovers. Cut them into serving-size pieces, place them in an airtight container, and store them in the freezer for up to two months. If freezing, thaw in the refrigerator until ready to serve. But, it is actually quite good as a frozen dessert too!
The equipment you’ll need:
- Stand mixer or hand-held mixture (chill the mixing bowl and whisk in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes before use)
- Large bowl
- Shallow bowl
- Plastic wrap
- 9’X13″ baking pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Offset spatula
Ingredients:
- Ladyfingers
- Mascarpone cream
- Lemon curd
- Lemon (juice and zest)
- Heavy cream/heavy whipping cream
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar
- Water
Step-by-step instructions for lemon Tiramisu recipe
Before starting, I like to measure and separate all the ingredients. I think it makes the whole process easier and smoother.
For the lemon curd
- You can use homemade lemon curd, however, I used store-bought lemon curd that I got at Trader Joe’s. If using store-bought, you’ll need 2 1/2 cups. And make sure that it is room temperature. It will spread much more easily.
For the lemon syrup
- Place the sugar, the juice from one lemon, three strips of lemon peel, and the water in a saucepan.
- Over medium heat, simmer the mixture for about four to five minutes until the sugar completely dissolves, stirring regularly.
- Set aside to cool.
For the Tiramisu cream
- Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl of a stand mixer and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Don’t over-whip the cream as it will begin to curdle. You know it’s ready when you can turn the bowl upside down and the cream won’t fall out.
- Place the cold mascarpone cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon curd and vanilla extract, and stir to combine. It should be very smooth and creamy. If you’d like the lemon curd to be a brighter yellow color, you can add a drop or two of yellow food color before adding the lemon curd to the mascarpone cheese.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone and lemon curd mixture in two steps. Fold it gently so that you don’t deflate the whipped cream.
Assembling the Tiramisu
- Dip the ladyfingers, one at a time, in the lemon syrup for 2 to 3 seconds each (avoid the temptaion to soak them longer as they will get soggy) and place them sugar side down in a single layer in the baking pan until you’ve covered the bottom.
- Place 1/4 cup of the Tiramisu cream in a piping bag and put it in the refrigerator to use later.
- Take half of the mascarpone mixture and spread it evenly over the top of the ladyfinger cookies. I like to use a large offset spatula for this but you can also do it with a rubber spatula.
- Place another even layer of syrup-soak ladyfinger cookies on top of the Tiramisu cream.
- Spread the remaining half of the Tiramisu cream over the second layer of cookies, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 to 10 hours.
- The next day, spread one cup of lemon curd evenly over the Tiramisu cream and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Once the lemon curd has set in the refrigerator, cut square pieces and carefully remove each piece from the baking pan. Transfer each piece to an individual serving plate. To make clean cuts, rinse the knife with hot water after each use.
- Using the filled piping bag and the nozzle size of your choice, squeeze a dollop of Tiramisu filling onto each piece, sprinkle with lemon zest, and serve!
How to Make Easy Lemon Tiramisu With Lemon Curd
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the layers
- 2 7 oz. packs of ladyfinger cookies/sponge fingers
- 1 cup of lemon curd (for the top layer)
- Lemon zest for garnishing
Lemon syrup
- Juice from one lemon
- 3 or 4 lemon peels
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 cups water
Lemon Tiramisu cream
- 1 1/2 cups of lemon curd (store-bought or homemade)
- 16 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz. whipping cream/heavy cream
Instructions
For the lemon curd
- You can use homemade lemon curd, however, I used store-bought lemon curd that I got at Trader Joe’s. If using store-bought, you’ll need 2 1/2 cups. And make sure that it is room temperature. It will spread much more easily.
For the lemon syrup
- Place the sugar, the juice from one lemon, three strips of lemon peel, and the water in a saucepan.
- Over medium heat, simmer the mixture for about four to five minutes until the sugar completely dissolves, stirring regularly.
- Set aside to cool.
For the Tiramisu cream
- Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl of a stand mixer and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Don’t over-whip the cream as it will begin to curdle. You know when it’s ready as you can turn the bowl upside down and the cream won’t fall out.
- Place the cold mascarpone cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon curd and vanilla extract, and stir to combine. It should be very smooth and creamy. If you’d like the lemon curd to be a brighter yellow color, you can add a drop or two of yellow food color before adding the lemon curd to the mascarpone cheese.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone and lemon curd mixture in two steps. Fold it gently so that you don’t deflate the whipped cream.
Putting it all together
- Dip the ladyfingers, one at a time, in the lemon syrup for 2 to 3 seconds each (longer and they will get soggy) and place them sugar side down in a single layer in the baking pan until you’ve covered the bottom.
- Place 1/4 cup of the Tiramisu cream in a piping bag and put it in the refrigerator to use later.
- Take half of the mascarpone mixture and spread it evenly over the top of the ladyfinger cookies. I like to use a large offset spatula for this but you can also do it with a rubber spatula.
- Place another even layer of syrup-soak ladyfinger cookies on top of the Tiramisu cream.
- Spread the remaining half of the Tiramisu cream over the second layer of cookies, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or at least for 8 to 10 hours.
- The next day, spread one cup of lemon curd evenly over the Tiramisu cream and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Once the lemon curd has set in the refrigerator, cut square pieces and carefully remove each piece from the baking pan. Transfer each piece to an individual serving plate. To make clean cuts, rinse the knife with hot water after each use.
- Using the filled piping bag and the nozzle size of your choice, squeeze a dollop of Tiramisu filling onto each piece, sprinkle with lemon zest, and serve!
Notes
- This recipe takes approximately 30 minutes of prep time, 30 minutes of assembly time, and at 10 hours of refrigeration, however, overnight is better.
- Avoid the temptation to soak the ladyfingers in the lemon syrup longer than 2 to 3 seconds. If you do, the cookies will get soggy, fall apart, and not hold their shape.
- Don’t whip the cream any longer than just to get stiff peaks. If you do, the cream curdles a bit and loses its lightness and fluffiness.
- When cutting the Tiramisu, after each cut rinse the knife blade in hot water. This way, you’ll get a nice clean cut every time.
Annie this looks delicious!