4 November 2024

Lemon Tiramisu is one of my favorite recipes when I’m in the mood for both Tiramisu and a creamy, lemony dessert. And I crave lemony sweets, oh, so often! This recipe is pretty easy and uses classic Tiramisu ingredients like Italian ladyfingers and Mascarpone, but instead of coffee, we’ll use plenty of lemons! Some might say Lemon Tiramisu is a summer dessert, but it’s an all-year-long dessert to me. I love to make it for dinner parties, celebrations, or just like that, for a casual Friday dinner.

Keep in mind it needs to stay refrigerated for a couple of hours before consuming, so plan ahead and maybe make it a day before.

Lemon Tiramisu

Lemon Tiramisu Ingredients:

(for a 7×11 inch baking dish)

For the ladyfinger base:

7 oz ladyfingers (approx 24 ladyfingers)

For the lemon syrup:

½ cup water

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon lemon extract (optional)

For the cream:

2 cups mascarpone cheese

1¾ cups heavy whipping cream, chilled

1⅔ cups lemon juice (about 2.2 lbs lemons)

2½ cups powdered sugar (or to taste)

5 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp lemon extract

For garnish:

Lemon slices

Lemon zest

Lemon Tiramisu Instructions:

Make the Lemon Cream: Squeeze enough lemons to get about 1⅔ cups of juice, adjusting based on the juiciness of your lemons. Strain and heat the juice over low heat with powdered sugar and cornstarch, stirring until it thickens to a pudding-like texture. Let it cool.

Whip the Cream: In a cold bowl, whip the heavy cream, mascarpone, and cooled lemon cream together with a mixer until the texture is firm. Don’t overbeat, or the cream might separate.

READ MORE: Easy Romanian Fruit Cake

Prepare the Syrup: Mix all the ingredients. Briefly dip the ladyfingers into this syrup to lightly soak them.

Assemble the Layers: Line a rectangular dish with plastic wrap for easy serving. Lay a layer of soaked ladyfingers at the bottom, spread half of the lemon-mascarpone cream, then add another layer of ladyfingers and the rest of the cream. Top with a final layer of ladyfingers.

Chill and Serve: Cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours (overnight is best). For a fresh finish, garnish with lemon slices, zest, and mint leaves before serving.