This limoncello tiramisu is made with layers of soft limoncello-soaked ladyfingers, rich mascarpone cream, and lemon curd. It's sweet, tangy, and tastes like sunshine. It's the perfect no-bake dessert!
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This limoncello tiramisu or lemon curd tiramisu is actually insanely delicious. It was gone after a day and I'm still thinking about it. Lemon desserts are my favourite! The tanginess of lemon cuts through the sweetness and heaviness of any dessert, making them so easy and delightful to eat.
The mascarpone cream is rich and creamy while still being fluffy and airy. It's such a satisfying creamy texture. The ladyfingers soaked in limoncello become soft like sponge cake and burst with lemon juice in every bite. The lemon curd on top adds a ton of concentrated sweet and sour lemon flavour to this dessert. Lemon curd is often referred to as liquid sunshine for good reason. Don't skip it!
This fruity variation of classic Italian tiramisu is perfect for the warmer months or lemon season. It's elegant enough for any occasion but also laid back enough if you just want to make it for yourself any day of the week.
What is limoncello?
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur made with lemon zest, vodka, and sugar. It's a sweet and lemony drink (think lemon candies!) typically served chilled at the end of a meal as a digestif.
Why you'll love this recipe
- This limoncello tiramisu is sweet, tangy, and delicious!
- It's very lemony from the limoncello and lemon curd. If you like lemon desserts, you'll LOVE this.
- The fluffy, creamy, and rich textures in every bite are so satisfying.
- It's an easy no-bake dessert. Perfect for making in the warmer months!
- Tiramisu is a low-maintenance dessert to serve. Serve it cut into slices, scoop it out onto a plate, or make them in individual personal-sized containers.
Tools
- 9x9" square pan - This tiramisu is scaled for a 9x9" square pan. I lined the pan with parchment paper so that I could lift the whole tiramisu out of the pan and cut it into slices. You could also make this recipe in small, personal-sized containers.
- Electric hand mixer - You'll need an electric hand mixer with a whisk attachment to make the whipped cream quickly and easily. If you don't have one, you can always whip the cream by hand with a whisk but I highly recommend picking a hand mixer up if you bake often.
Ingredients
- Eggs - You'll need large whole eggs as well as just egg yolks for both the lemon curd and mascarpone cream. Egg yolks add richness to the dessert. You can save the egg whites to eat or use them in another recipe that uses only egg whites like pavlova or macarons.
- Granulated sugar
- Lemons - If you're using limoncello for the ladyfinger soak, you'll only need 1 lemon to make the lemon curd. If you're making the limoncello substitute (see my recipe notes), you'll need 3 more lemons.
- Unsalted butter - This gives lemon curd more structure and helps it firm up when chilled. Your butter should be at room temperature and roughly cubed.
- Mascarpone cheese - This is a key ingredient for making tiramisu. It makes a rich and thick mascarpone cream. Be sure to take it out of the fridge ahead of time. It should be softened to room temperature before using it otherwise you might end up with a lumpy cream.
- Whipping cream - You can use whipping cream for a lighter mascarpone cream or heavy cream for a thicker and richer cream. It's up to you. I used whipping cream in mine!
- Vanilla extract
- Limoncello - You'll be soaking the ladyfingers in limoncello, instead of espresso like in classic tiramisu. If you don't have limoncello, use a mixture of lemon juice, white rum or vodka, and sugar (see the recipe card notes for measurements).
- Ladyfingers - Use store-bought ladyfingers. You want the ones that are hard and crunchy. They'll become soft and spongey in the finished tiramisu.
How to make limoncello tiramisu
For the lemon curd
Mix ingredients - In a small pot or saucepan, stir together whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice.
Cook slowly, stir often - Heat it on the stovetop at medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a gel-like consistency. When you drag a spatula through it, the lemon curd should part and take several seconds to come back together.
Stir in butter - Remove it from the heat and stir in one cube of butter at a time, until it has all melted into the curd.
Let cool - Push the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps of cooked egg (optional). Transfer the lemon curd to a small bowl to cool completely before using.
For the tiramisu
Line pan - Line a 9x9" square pan with two sheets of parchment paper placed in a cross shape. Use binder clips to secure the paper to the rim of the pan. Set aside.
Mix - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
Make a double boiler - Fill a small pot with about 1" of water. Bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and place the mixing bowl with the egg yolk mixture on top of the pot, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
Heat egg mixture - Whisk the egg yolk mixture until most of the sugar has dissolved and the mixture becomes warm, fluffy, and pale in colour, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot.
Melt in mascarpone cheese - Immediately add the mascarpone cheese to the warm egg mixture. Whisk until the mascarpone cheese has completely melted into the mixture without any lumps. Set aside.
Whip cream - In another large mixing bowl, add whipping cream and vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the cream until it becomes firm peaks.
Fold together - Add the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture. Fold together with a spatula until no streaks remain. Set aside.
Soak ladyfingers - In a wide but shallow bowl, add the limoncello (see notes for limoncello substitute). Dip each ladyfinger very briefly (1 second per side) into the limoncello to coat both sides and let the excess drip off. Arrange the soaked ladyfingers to cover the bottom of your lined pan.
Mascarpone layer - Add half of the mascarpone cream on top of the ladyfinger layer. Use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer.
Repeat layers - Repeat soaking ladyfingers and arranging another layer on top of the mascarpone. Top with the remaining mascarpone cream and smooth with a spatula.
Lemon curd layer - Transfer your cooled lemon curd to a piping bag. Cut the tip off of the bag. Pipe an even layer of lemon curd on top of the last mascarpone layer. Use an offset spatula to very gently smooth out the lemon curd without pushing it too hard and disturbing the mascarpone cream.
Chill - Chill the limoncello tiramisu in the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight before slicing. Serve as is or garnish with dollops of whipped cream and lemon slices.
Storage
This limoncello tiramisu can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing
You can freeze leftovers by storing them in an airtight container or wrapping them well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving.
Tips and tricks
- Use room-temperature mascarpone cheese. This is the best way to ensure that the soft cheese combines seamlessly when added to the warm egg mixture for a smooth and silky mixture without lumps of unmelted cheese.
- Don't soak the ladyfingers for too long. You really only need to dip the ladyfingers for less than 1 second on each side for it to be saturated. Don't leave the ladyfingers sitting in liquid. They will become soggy and mushy in the finished tiramisu.
- Let the tiramisu set overnight. Tiramisu is best served the day after it's made. The texture of the mascarpone cream will firm up and the ladyfingers will soften for the perfect texture.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Tiramisu is the perfect make-ahead dessert since it tastes best after all the ingredients have had time to meld together. You can make this tiramisu 1-2 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
I wouldn't recommend making this in a smaller pan since you're putting all the effort into making it - might as well make a bigger serving and save it for later. It can also be tricky to work with such a small amount of eggs. However, you can always halve the recipe or easily double it for larger portions.
More tiramisu recipes to try
Recipe
Limoncello Tiramisu
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 70 g unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
Tiramisu
- 3 large egg yolks
- 70 g granulated sugar
- 225 g mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
- 350 g whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 225 g limoncello
- 24 ladyfingers
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- In a small pot or saucepan, stir together whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Heat it on the stovetop at medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a gel-like consistency, about 10-15 minutes. When you drag a spatula through it, the lemon curd should part and take several seconds to come back together.
- Remove it from the heat and stir in one cube of butter at a time, until it has all melted into the curd.
- Push the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps of cooked egg (optional). Transfer the lemon curd to a small bowl to cool completely before using.
Tiramisu
- Line a 9x9" square pan with two sheets of parchment paper placed in a cross shape. Use binder clips to secure the paper to the rim of the pan. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
- Create a double boiler: Fill a small pot with about 1" of water. Bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and place the mixing bowl with the egg yolk mixture on top of the pot, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- Whisk the egg yolk mixture until most of the sugar has dissolved and the mixture becomes warm, fluffy, and pale in colour, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot.
- Immediately add the mascarpone cheese to the warm egg mixture. Whisk until the mascarpone cheese has completely melted into the mixture without any lumps. Set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, add whipping cream and vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the cream until it becomes firm peaks.
- Add the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture. Fold together with a spatula until no streaks remain. Set aside.
- In a wide but shallow bowl, add the limoncello (see notes for limoncello substitute).
- Dip each ladyfinger very briefly (1 second per side) into the limoncello to coat both sides and let the excess drip off. Arrange the soaked ladyfingers to cover the bottom of your lined pan.
- Add half of the mascarpone cream on top of the ladyfinger layer. Use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer.
- Repeat soaking ladyfingers and arranging another layer on top of the mascarpone. Top with the remaining mascarpone cream and smooth with a spatula.
- Transfer your cooled lemon curd to a piping bag. Cut the tip off of the bag. Pipe an even layer of lemon curd on top of the last mascarpone layer. Use an offset spatula to very gently smooth out the lemon curd without pushing it too hard and disturbing the mascarpone cream.
- Chill the limoncello tiramisu in the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight before slicing. Serve as is or garnish with dollops of whipped cream and lemon slices.
Lillian
This looks delicious! I’m planning to make this however I don’t have a 9x9 inch pan. Can I use 9x13 inch and double the recipe?
Gail Ng
Yes, of course you can double the recipe! You might have some leftover which you can put in another smaller container 🙂