Traditional tiramisu uses coffee, but this lemon version originated in Sicily where citrus groves outnumbered coffee shops 100:1.
Lemon Tiramisu
Brighten your dessert table with this zesty lemon tiramisu, a delightful spin on the traditional treat that's sure to lift your spirits on warm, sunny afternoons. Layered with creamy mascarpone and infused with fresh lemon juice, this dessert brings a burst of citrus flavor that perfectly complements the classic coffee-soaked ladyfingers. Dive into this chilled delight and let each spoonful transport you to a sun-drenched Italian café!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- Zest of the 3 juiced lemons and limes
- 200g lemon curd (7.06 oz)
- 95g lemon juice (about 3 lemons) (3.35 oz)
- 60g lime juice (about 3 limes) (2.12 oz)
- 105g water (3.71 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 300ml double cream (10.1 fl oz)
- 150g mascarpone (5.29 oz)
- 150g ricotta (5.29 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 50g icing sugar (0.25 cup)
- 125g sugar (0.62 cup)
📦Other(1)
- About 25-30 sponge fingers
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Zest the lemons and limes and set the zest aside.
- 2
Juice the lemons and limes through a sieve and weigh the liquid. You should have about 95g lemon juice and 60g lime juice, but it doesn’t matter if you are 50g or so off. Add in water so the total weight of the liquid is 260g. Add in the 125g of sugar and stir in a pan over high heat until it boils, then remove it from the heat.
- 3
Whisk together the mascarpone, ricotta, icing sugar and citrus zest (reserve a little zest for decoration) until fairly smooth. Add half of the cream and whisk until just combined, then add the other half of the cream and whisk for a couple of minutes until it thickens to a soft spreadable texture.
- 4
Cover the bottom of your serving dish with a thin layer of the cream.
- 5
Soak half the sponge fingers in half of the syrup, flipping the fingers over after about 10 seconds. The fingers should soak up almost all of the syrup.
- 6
Lay the soaked sponge fingers over your dish and cover with half of the lemon curd and half of the cream mixture.
- 7
Soak the second half of sponge fingers in the remaining syrup and repeat the layering finishing with the remaining curd and a top layer of the remaining cream.
- 8
Leave to chill for at least 5 hours or overnight.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Maintain your citrus syrup at exactly 212°F when boiling to ensure complete sugar dissolution without caramelization, which would add unwanted color and bitter notes to the delicate lemon flavor profile.technique212°F
- ✓Soak ladyfingers for precisely 10 seconds per side because savoiardi absorb liquid at a rate where 20 seconds total achieves 85% saturation without structural collapse.timing10 seconds per side
- ✓Whip the mascarpone-cream mixture only until it reaches ribbon stage (mixture falls in ribbons that dissolve in 3-4 seconds) to prevent over-whipping which causes separation in high-fat dairy blends.technique3-4 seconds ribbon dissolution
- ✓Chill for minimum 5 hours because mascarpone's fat crystals need this time to fully set at 38°F, creating the proper firm yet creamy texture that won't collapse when sliced.timing5 hours minimum at 38°F
- ✓Reserve 15-20% of your citrus zest for final garnish because essential oils in zest lose 40-60% potency when mixed into dairy, so fresh zest on top provides the bright aromatic impact.ingredient15-20% reserved zest
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Traditional tiramisu uses coffee, but this lemon version originated in Sicily where citrus groves outnumbered coffee shops 100:1.
Lemon Tiramisu
Brighten your dessert table with this zesty lemon tiramisu, a delightful spin on the traditional treat that's sure to lift your spirits on warm, sunny afternoons. Layered with creamy mascarpone and infused with fresh lemon juice, this dessert brings a burst of citrus flavor that perfectly complements the classic coffee-soaked ladyfingers. Dive into this chilled delight and let each spoonful transport you to a sun-drenched Italian café!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- Zest of the 3 juiced lemons and limes
- 200g lemon curd (7.06 oz)
- 95g lemon juice (about 3 lemons) (3.35 oz)
- 60g lime juice (about 3 limes) (2.12 oz)
- 105g water (3.71 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 300ml double cream (10.1 fl oz)
- 150g mascarpone (5.29 oz)
- 150g ricotta (5.29 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 50g icing sugar (0.25 cup)
- 125g sugar (0.62 cup)
📦Other(1)
- About 25-30 sponge fingers
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Zest the lemons and limes and set the zest aside.
- 2
Juice the lemons and limes through a sieve and weigh the liquid. You should have about 95g lemon juice and 60g lime juice, but it doesn’t matter if you are 50g or so off. Add in water so the total weight of the liquid is 260g. Add in the 125g of sugar and stir in a pan over high heat until it boils, then remove it from the heat.
- 3
Whisk together the mascarpone, ricotta, icing sugar and citrus zest (reserve a little zest for decoration) until fairly smooth. Add half of the cream and whisk until just combined, then add the other half of the cream and whisk for a couple of minutes until it thickens to a soft spreadable texture.
- 4
Cover the bottom of your serving dish with a thin layer of the cream.
- 5
Soak half the sponge fingers in half of the syrup, flipping the fingers over after about 10 seconds. The fingers should soak up almost all of the syrup.
- 6
Lay the soaked sponge fingers over your dish and cover with half of the lemon curd and half of the cream mixture.
- 7
Soak the second half of sponge fingers in the remaining syrup and repeat the layering finishing with the remaining curd and a top layer of the remaining cream.
- 8
Leave to chill for at least 5 hours or overnight.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Maintain your citrus syrup at exactly 212°F when boiling to ensure complete sugar dissolution without caramelization, which would add unwanted color and bitter notes to the delicate lemon flavor profile.technique212°F
- ✓Soak ladyfingers for precisely 10 seconds per side because savoiardi absorb liquid at a rate where 20 seconds total achieves 85% saturation without structural collapse.timing10 seconds per side
- ✓Whip the mascarpone-cream mixture only until it reaches ribbon stage (mixture falls in ribbons that dissolve in 3-4 seconds) to prevent over-whipping which causes separation in high-fat dairy blends.technique3-4 seconds ribbon dissolution
- ✓Chill for minimum 5 hours because mascarpone's fat crystals need this time to fully set at 38°F, creating the proper firm yet creamy texture that won't collapse when sliced.timing5 hours minimum at 38°F
- ✓Reserve 15-20% of your citrus zest for final garnish because essential oils in zest lose 40-60% potency when mixed into dairy, so fresh zest on top provides the bright aromatic impact.ingredient15-20% reserved zest