Chef Elena Rossi - Pastry Specialist
👨‍🍳 Pastry Chef

Recipe by Mitchell

🎓 Patisserie Expert ⏰ 12+ Years Experience 🍽️ Dessert Innovation Award

❤️ My Recipe Story

"I created this recipe for a summer garden party when coffee felt too heavy. The natural tartness of the raspberries cuts perfectly through the rich mascarpone cream, creating a dessert that is both indulgent and surprisingly refreshing."

Elena specializes in modernizing classic European desserts. She focuses on using seasonal fruits to create lighter, more vibrant versions of traditional heavy puddings and cakes.

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Slice of raspberry tiramisu showing distinct layers of cream, soaked sponge, and red berries, topped with fresh fruit and sauce

The Key to Fluffy Filling

The secret to a stable yet light tiramisu lies in how you treat the mascarpone. It must be at room temperature before mixing, otherwise, it can become lumpy. However, the heavy cream must be ice cold to whip properly.

When combining the two, use a folding motion rather than aggressive whisking. This preserves the air bubbles created during whipping, ensuring your dessert stands tall on the plate rather than collapsing into a puddle.

💡 Professional Tip

If your raspberry sauce is very thick, dilute it with a splash of orange juice or water before dipping the ladyfingers. They should absorb liquid but not fall apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, for the sauce layer (cooked part), frozen raspberries work perfectly. However, for the fresh fruit layers and garnish, fresh berries are necessary to avoid excess moisture and mushiness.

This recipe is naturally alcohol-free! Traditional tiramisu uses rum or marsala, but here we rely on the tart raspberry juice for flavor. You could add a splash of Limoncello if desired.

A minimum of 4 hours is required for the ladyfingers to soften and the cream to firm up. Overnight (8-12 hours) creates the perfect texture and makes slicing easier.

You can, but the flavor will be tangier (more like cheesecake) and the texture slightly denser. Mascarpone is recommended for the authentic milky, sweet flavor.

Usually caused by under-whipping the cream or over-mixing when combining with mascarpone. It can also happen if the fruit sauce was still hot when assembling.

Absolutely! Break the ladyfingers in half to fit into glasses or mason jars. It makes for a beautiful presentation and easier serving.

Consumed within 2-3 days is best. After that, the berries may start to weep and make the ladyfingers too soggy.

No, this is an egg-free tiramisu recipe. We use whipped cream to provide the aeration that egg whites usually provide in traditional recipes.

Recipe Troubleshooting Guide

✅

Soggy Ladyfingers

Problem: The cake layer is falling apart and too wet

Solution: Dip quickly! A '1-second count' per side is enough. Do not let them soak in the liquid.

✅

Grainy Filling

Problem: The cream mixture looks curdled or lumpy

Solution: Mascarpone was too cold or over-beaten. Next time, ensure room temp cheese and mix gently. If slightly grainy, try whisking in a tablespoon of liquid cream.

✅

Dessert Not Setting

Problem: Slices collapse when serving

Prevention: It needs more chill time. Put it back in the fridge for 2 hours. Ensure heavy whipping cream (36%+ fat) was used.

✅

Too Tart

Problem: The berry flavor is too sour

Recovery: Berries vary in sweetness. Taste your sauce before assembling and add more powdered sugar to the cream layer if the fruit is particularly tart.

✅

Filling Too Dense

Problem: Cream feels heavy and greasy

Prevention: You likely over-whipped the cream into butter or didn't fold gently. Stop whipping as soon as stiff peaks form.

✅

Flavor Adjustments

Too Sweet: Dust with more powdered sugar or drizzle with white chocolate

Too Salty: N/A for this dessert, but a pinch of salt in the cream enhances vanilla

Bland: Add lemon zest to the cream or a splash of vanilla bean paste

Ingredients for raspberry tiramisu: fresh raspberries, tub of mascarpone, ladyfinger cookies, heavy cream, and sugar on a marble surface

Choosing the Best Berries

Since this is a no-bake dessert where the fruit shines, ingredient quality is paramount. Look for plump, deep red raspberries that are dry and firm. Avoid any containers with crushed berries or juice at the bottom, as mold spreads quickly.

If raspberries are out of season, this recipe works wonderfully with strawberries or blackberries. Just ensure you adjust the sugar in the sauce, as sweetness levels vary between different types of berries.

Essential Ingredient Notes

  • Mascarpone: This Italian cream cheese is triple-creamed and delicate. Don't substitute with low-fat versions, as the dessert won't set.
  • Ladyfingers: Buy the hard, dry 'Savoiardi' biscuits, not the soft sponge cake kind. The hard ones are designed to absorb liquid without disintegrating.
  • Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Since there is no baking to cook off alcohol flavors, the quality of vanilla is noticeable.
Process shot of dipping ladyfingers into red berry sauce and layering them into a glass dish with white cream

Assembly Techniques

Building the layers requires a gentle hand. When spreading the mascarpone cream over the soaked ladyfingers, use an offset spatula and glide over the top. Pushing too hard will displace the biscuits and mix the red sauce into the white cream, ruining the distinct layers.

For a bakery-style finish, pipe the top layer of cream using a large round piping tip instead of just spreading it. This creates beautiful texture and pockets to nestle the fresh garnish berries.

The Dip Method

Submerge the ladyfinger horizontally, flip once immediately, and remove. The cookie should feel heavy but still firm. If it bends when you pick it up, it's too wet.

Fresh Raspberry Tiramisu

Prep 30 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 9 servings
Level Easy

📋 Ingredients

Cream Filling

  • 400g Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)
    Hard Italian sponge biscuits
  • 600g Fresh raspberries
    Divided for sauce and fresh layers
  • 100g Granulated sugar
    For the berry coulis
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
    Brightens the berry flavor
  • 60ml Water
    To thin the sauce for dipping
  • Fresh mint leaves
    Optional color contrast

Berry Layers

  • 500g Mascarpone cheese
    Room temperature is crucial
  • 350ml Heavy whipping cream
    Must be very cold to whip
  • 150g Powdered sugar
    Dissolves smoothly in cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
    Adds aromatic sweetness

Instructions

  1. Make Raspberry Sauce

    In a small saucepan, combine 300g of raspberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and water. Simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until berries break down. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds (optional) and let cool completely.

  2. Prepare Cream Filling

    In a large bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with vanilla and half the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, whisk mascarpone with the remaining powdered sugar until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

  3. First Layer

    Dip ladyfingers quickly into the cooled raspberry sauce (dilute with a little water if too thick) and arrange in a single layer in a 9x13 inch dish. Spread half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers.

  4. Second Layer

    Add a layer of fresh raspberries over the cream. Repeat with a second layer of dipped ladyfingers and top with the remaining cream mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula.

  5. Chill and Serve

    Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best) to allow layers to set. Before serving, top with remaining fresh raspberries, a drizzle of reserved sauce, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Recipe Notes & Tips

Make Ahead

This dessert actually tastes better the next day as the flavors have time to meld. You can make it up to 24 hours in advance.

Serving Suggestions

Serve chilled. Pair with a glass of Prosecco or sparkling rosé wine for a delightful summer pairing.

Variations

Add white chocolate shavings on top for extra texture, or soak the ladyfingers in Limoncello for an adult kick.