A classic Italian dish with a tasty strawberry twist! Now that’s sweet-talking like you’ve never heard before!
There’s a reason that the biscuit used in classic tiramisu is called a “lady finger”: they’re delicate and create the most decadent sweets that are simply divine! Traditionally soaked in coffee, lady fingers are quintessential for tiramisu of any kind, even our delicious strawberry spin on the classic Italian favorite! Replacing the nuanced notes of bitter coffee and cocoa with more forward flavors like fresh strawberries and orange juice, our strawberry tiramisu remains as delicate as ever while tasting sweeter than a romantic summer evening! Perfect for springtime harvests and summers of love, strawberry tiramisu is all of the daintiness of the classic without any bitter feelings!
Bittersweet: Evolving From Classic Tiramisu To Something New
Tiramisu (Italian shorthand for a phrase like our “pick me up”) is traditionally made with ladyfingers soaked in coffee, then layered into mascarpone, whipped yolks, and sugar before being decorated with cocoa. This gives it a naturally aromatic, roasted bitterness that accentuates the subtlety of its sweetness and zings with a light zip of coffee! While this form of tiramisu has contentious origins (including the dolce torino, a similar dish made with marsala rather than coffee), it might be surprising to learn it only dates back to the 1960s!
Since then, tiramisu has taken on many iterations! Some will swap out ladyfingers for yeasted bread and other cakes for its layers, while others re-embrace the dolce torino origin story by introducing marsala wine into the mix. There’s even a Charlotte cake, a sort of bread pudding composed of everything in a tiramisu surrounded by a crown of ladyfingers. But, no matter if the essential ingredients are changed or if the recipe is a tiramisu in all but name, there have been lots of versions of tiramisu despite the recipe’s relatively young age!
That’s why we’re unafraid to make a tiramisu that embraces traditional ladyfingers and decorates them with something seasonal and special! Strawberries bring a natural sweetness and tart flavor that can’t be found in a classic tiramisu. Orange juice-soaked ladyfingers make a slightly acidic, citrusy, sweet layer to round out that tartness much in the same way that gourmand chocolates mellow out bitter coffee flavors! Explore the new and honor the classics with our strawberry tiramisu — or work in your own interesting flavors, like blueberries and lemons, for another unique spin on an Italian favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 24 ladyfingers
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- Additional sliced strawberries for garnish
How to Make Strawberry Tiramisu
Step 1: In a bowl, combine sliced strawberries and granulated sugar. Let sit for 20 minutes to macerate.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
Step 3: Dip ladyfingers quickly into a mixture of water and orange juice, then line the bottom of an 8×8 inch dish with half of the ladyfingers.
Step 4: Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
Step 5: Arrange half of the macerated strawberries on top of the mascarpone layer.
Step 6: Repeat the layers with the remaining ladyfingers, mascarpone mixture, and strawberries.
Step 7: Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set.
Step 8: Garnish with additional sliced strawberries before serving.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Because tiramisu needs to be refrigerated to set, it makes the perfect dessert to make ahead of time! So long as you have a minimum of 3 hours to let your tiramisu chill, you can serve up delicious strawberry tiramisu anytime! Just refrigerate it in the baking dish you’ve assembled it in, and top it with strawberries when ready to serve!
Are There Other Fruits I Can Make Tiramisu With?
Of course! I recommend blueberries in place of strawberries and lemonade (and lemon zest) in place of orange juice for a delicious cobbler-like flavor! If you’re entering the summer months and want an experimental refresher, try a tiramisu with limeade-soaked ladyfingers and grilled watermelon cubes!
Can I Use Dried Fruit For Strawberry Tiramisu?
While you can technically use dried fruit for your fruit layers, a strawberry tiramisu (or any fruit tiramisu) thrives on being decadent and moist. Meanwhile, dried fruit is likely to absorb a lot of the residual moisture from other ingredients. This will change the texture of the finished dish drastically; however, dried berries and fruits are often easier to keep on hand than fresh, especially off-seasons.
Serving Suggestions
Strawberry tiramisu is like the beautiful union of strawberry shortcake and a classic Italian delicacy; all the better to serve it alongside contemporary and Italian favorites like strawberry short-cupcakes with Italian meringue boiled icing! If you’re trying to embrace the traditional flavors of tiramisu, maybe serve a slice of strawberry tiramisu with a glass of iced americano coffee! Want something a little more Italian to pair with your strawberry tiramisu? Try one of our 12 favorite Prosecco cocktails!
Strawberry Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese chilled
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 24 ladyfingers
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- Additional sliced strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine sliced strawberries and granulated sugar. Let sit for 20 minutes to macerate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Dip ladyfingers quickly into a mixture of water and orange juice, then line the bottom of an 8×8 inch dish with half of the ladyfingers.
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
- Arrange half of the macerated strawberries on top of the mascarpone layer.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining ladyfingers, mascarpone mixture, and strawberries.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set.
- Garnish with additional sliced strawberries before serving.
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