The most elegant Tiramisu: Elevating the beloved classic dessert to a new, modern, and elegant entremet. It is rich with coffee flavor, perfectly balanced with cocoa and creamy mascarpone, wrapped in an elegant design with multiple textures.
Yield: 10 Servings
Target Mold Size: 18 cm diameter silicone mold (e.g., Silikomart Universo)
DAY ONE
DAY ONE1) Lady Fingers (Joconde Style)
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 3 | Separate yolks and whites |
| Caster Sugar | 100 g | Divided into two bowls (50 g each) |
| Vanilla Paste | 2.5 g | Approximately ½ tsp |
| All-Purpose Flour | 80 g | |
| Cornstarch | 7 g | |
| Salt | Pinch | |
| Caster Sugar | – | For sprinkling on top |
Method
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 175°C. Separate the eggs.
- Meringue: Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Continue whisking while gradually adding 50 g of sugar until you get a shiny meringue with stiff peaks.
- Egg Base: Whisk the egg yolks, remaining 50 g of sugar, vanilla paste, and salt until the mixture is light in color, thickens, and increases in volume.
- Fold: Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture using a rubber spatula, mixing briefly to avoid knocking out the air.
- Finish Batter: In a separate bowl, mix the flour and cornstarch. Gently fold this mixture into the egg base using a rubber spatula, again avoiding over-mixing.
- Piping: Put the batter into a piping bag with a round pastry tip (approx. 18 mm diameter). Pipe the lady fingers onto a baking sheet, ensuring distance between them.
- Bake: Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for approx. 8–10 minutes at 175°C until lightly golden.
- Cool and Dry: Let them cool before removing them to a cooling rack. Leave the lady fingers uncovered overnight to dry (this ensures good absorption of the coffee mixture).
DAY TWO
2) Cocoa Biscuit Base with Coffee
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Digestive Biscuits | 130 g | |
| Butter | 80 g | Melted |
| Cocoa Powder | 10 g | Approximately 2 tbsp |
| Salt | Large pinch | |
| Espresso Powder / finely ground coffee beans | 10 g | Approximately 2 tsp |
Method
- Prepare Crumbs: Blend the biscuits into fine crumbs in a blender or food processor.
- Combine: Melt the butter and mix it with the biscuit crumbs, cocoa powder, espresso/coffee powder, and salt.
- Shape and Freeze: Spread the biscuit base evenly into a 16 cm diameter pastry ring lined with an acetate sheet and parchment paper base. Level the surface by pressing with a glass. Place the insert in the freezer to set before adding the lady fingers.
3) Coffee Syrup and Cocoa Topping
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strong freshly brewed espresso | 350 g | |
| Kahlua | 30 g | Optional (substitute with Amaretto or more coffee) |
| Cocoa Powder | – | For dusting |
Method
- Mix: Mix the espresso with Kahlua (if used).
- Cool: Let the mixture cool.
4) Mascarpone Cream
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheet (240 Bloom) | 0.44 g | Approximately ¼ sheet, bloomed |
| Vanilla Paste | 5 g | Approximately 1 tsp |
| Egg Yolks | 2½ | Approximately 2½ yolks |
| Caster Sugar | 35 g | |
| Mascarpone | 230 g | |
| Heavy Cream (total) | 206 g | Split |
| Heavy Cream (to be heated) | 20.6 g | |
| Heavy Cream (cold) | 185.4 g | Chilled |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water for 5–10 minutes.
- Heat Cream: Heat 20.6 g heavy cream until almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin.
- Egg Base: Beat egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla paste until light in color and thick.
- Combine: Stir in the lukewarm heavy cream with gelatin. Add the mascarpone and whisk again until combined and smooth.
- Whip and Finish: Finally, add 185.4 g cold heavy cream and continue to whip until the cream can hold a medium peak.
- Piping: Put the mascarpone cream in a piping bag.
5) Milk Chocolate Crèmeux with Coffee
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheet (240 Bloom) | 1.31 g | Approximately ¾ sheet, bloomed |
| Milk Chocolate | 95 g | |
| Egg Yolks | 1½ | Approximately 1½ yolks |
| Caster Sugar | 8 g | |
| Heavy Cream | 92.7 g | |
| Strong freshly brewed espresso | 30 g |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water for 5–10 minutes.
- Melt Chocolate: Gently melt the chocolate and set aside in a bowl.
- Prepare Base: Lightly whisk egg yolks and sugar. Heat espresso and heavy cream almost to boiling. Pour the hot mixture over the egg yolk/sugar and combine with a hand mixer.
- Cook Crèmeux: Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir over low heat until the crèmeux reaches 83°C.
- Emulsify: Remove from heat, strain the cream, and whisk in the gelatin. Pour the hot mixture over the melted chocolate while stirring, then hand blend the crèmeux.
- Layer and Freeze: Pour the crèmeux on the cake (during assembly). Freeze the cake overnight until completely set.
6) Assembling the Layers (Day Two)
- Lady Finger Layer 1: Quickly dip one lady finger in the cool coffee mixture, let it drip off, and place it in the 16 cm pastry ring on top of the set biscuit base. Repeat to cover the cake. Dust with cocoa powder.
- Mascarpone Cream Layer 1: Pipe a layer of mascarpone cream over the lady fingers, approx. 1 cm thick. Level the surface with a small palette knife.
- Lady Finger Layer 2: Repeat with a new layer of coffee-soaked lady fingers and dust with cocoa powder.
- Mascarpone Cream Layer 2: Apply a very thin layer of mascarpone cream on top of the last layer, just enough to cover them. Level the surface.
- Chill: Put the cake in the freezer until set before the next layer can be added.
- Crèmeux Layer: Pour the Milk Chocolate Crèmeux with Coffee on the set cream layer.
- Freeze: Freeze the cake overnight until completely set.
DAY THREE
7) Mascarpone Mousse
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheets (240 Bloom) | 3.5 g | Approximately 2 sheets, bloomed |
| Mascarpone | 250 g | |
| Icing Sugar | 24 g | Approximately 3 tbsp |
| Vanilla Paste | 7.5 g | Approximately 1½ tsp |
| Heavy Cream (total) | 257.5 g | Split |
| Heavy Cream (to be heated) | 51.5 g | |
| Heavy Cream (to be whipped) | 206 g | Chilled |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water for 5–10 minutes.
- Prepare Base: Mix mascarpone, icing sugar, and vanilla in a bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Heat Cream: Heat 51.5 g heavy cream until almost boiling. Remove from the pot and stir in the gelatin.
- Combine: Mix the hot heavy cream with the mascarpone.
- Whip and Fold: Whip 206 g heavy cream to a light foam and gently fold into the mass.
8) Mascarpone White Chocolate Whipped Ganache
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheet (240 Bloom) | 1.75 g | Approximately 1 sheet, bloomed |
| Heavy Cream (to be heated) | 206 g | |
| Vanilla Paste | 2.5 g | Approximately ½ tsp |
| White Chocolate | 60 g | |
| Mascarpone | 80 g | |
| Heavy Cream (cold) | 85 g | Chilled |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water for 5–10 minutes.
- Prepare Base: Chop the white chocolate and put the chocolate and mascarpone aside in a tall jug.
- Heat Cream: Heat 206 g heavy cream and vanilla paste almost to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk the gelatin in.
- Emulsify: Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and mascarpone in the jug. Let it set for 1–2 minutes and hand blend until smooth.
- Chill: Mix 85 g cold heavy cream in the jug and blend again. Pour the cream in a bowl and cover the top with cling film. Let the cream cool in the fridge overnight.
- Whip (Day 4): The next day, whip the cream with a hand mixer until it has a thick consistency. Put the cream in a piping bag with a round pastry tip (18 mm).
9) Assembly (Final Entremet Build)
- Prepare Mold: Place an 18 cm diameter cake mold (e.g., Silikomart Universo mold) on a chopping board lined with a narrow piece of acetate strip.
- Pour Mousse: Pour the mascarpone mousse into the mold. Tap it a few times to remove air bubbles.
- Insert Core: Take the frozen 16 cm cake insert out of the freezer and gently press it down into the mascarpone mousse with the crèmeux facing downwards.
- Freeze: Freeze the cake overnight.
DAY FOUR
10) Milk Chocolate Mirror Glaze
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheets (240 Bloom) | 10.5 g | Approximately 6 sheets, bloomed |
| Milk Chocolate | 150 g | |
| Heavy Cream | 103 g | Approximately 100 ml |
| Water | 50 g | Approximately 50 ml |
| Caster Sugar | 150 g | |
| Glucose Syrup | 150 g | |
| White Food Coloring Paste | – |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water for 5–10 minutes.
- Prepare Syrup: Finely chop the chocolate and put it in a large jug. Heat the sugar, water, cream, and glucose syrup almost to boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the gelatin.
- Emulsify: Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate in the jug. Blend by hand, avoiding air bubbles. Add a little white food coloring paste.
- Cool and Glaze: Cover the surface of the glaze directly with cling film and let it cool down to 35°C–34°C. Take the frozen cake out of the freezer, place it on a cooling rack, and pour the glaze over the cake. Clean the excess glaze from the bottom edge.
- Thaw: Place the cake on a cake plate and let it thaw in the fridge for approximately 6 hours.
11) Decoration & Final Assembly
| Decoration Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White Chocolate | 240 g | Tempered |
| Cream/beige food coloring powder | – | |
| Cocoa Powder | – | |
| Flowers | – |
Chocolate Ribbons & Ring (Dimensions):
| Element | Dimensions | Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate ribbon around the cake | 3 cm × 58 cm | 18 cm |
| Chocolate ribbon on top of the cake | 1 cm × 40 cm | 12 cm |
| Chocolate ring on top of the cream | – | 11 cm outer, 9 cm inner |
Method (Assembly)
- Prepare Shapes: Refer to a guide on how to make chocolate ribbons and circles. Color the white chocolate with cream/beige food coloring powder.
- Wrap Base: Place the chocolate ribbon (3 cm × 58 cm) around the cake.
- Top Ribbon: Place the chocolate ribbon (1 cm × 40 cm) on top of the cake.
- Piping: Pipe the whipped ganache (from Step 8) inside the top chocolate ribbon.
- Dusting: Gently dust with cocoa powder over the piped ganache.
- Ring: Place the chocolate ring on top of the cream.
- Garnish: Decorate with flowers.
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.