Irish Cream Tiramisu
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Whip up this Irish Cream-infused tiramisu from Nigella Lawson—a dinner party favorite that’s ridiculously easy to assemble in just 20 minutes!
If you’re a fan of Baileys Irish Cream, you’ll love this fun twist on the Italian dessert tiramisu from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson. The first time I made it, my husband proclaimed it one of the best desserts he’d ever had. Since then, it’s become a dinner party regular at our house. With layers of espresso and Baileys-soaked ladyfingers and light mascarpone cream, it looks and tastes impressive yet is almost ridiculously easy to make (and I love that it’s a no-bake dessert). You spend 20 minutes putting it together, then just pop it in the fridge overnight.
“Excellent recipe! My favorite tiramisu recipe ever. Turned out beautiful, smooth, and creamy.”
What You’ll Need To Make Irish Cream Tiramisu
- Espresso: Soaks the Savoiardi cookies, infusing them with rich coffee flavor, a staple element of tiramisu. Very strong black coffee will also work here.
- Baileys Irish Cream: A liqueur that adds a luxurious and indulgent twist to the classic tiramisu, imparting creamy richness and a hint of Irish whiskey flavor. You can use Baileys in other desserts, like mudslides, Baileys chocolate truffles, or Baileys cheesecake marbled brownies. You can replace the Baileys with rum, marsala, or sweet wine (or for a non-alcoholic alternative, heavy cream).
- Savoiardi Cookies: Also called ladyfingers, these crisp cookies serve as the base, soaking up the coffee and Irish cream mixture to create layers of flavor and texture. You can find them in the cookie aisle of your supermarket. Do not use the soft spongecake ladyfingers sold in the bakery section.
- Eggs: Used to make a light and airy zabaglione custard, adding richness to the mascarpone cheese layer.
- Superfine Sugar: Adds sweetness to the mascarpone cheese layer. Superfine sugar is used here as it dissolves more quickly than granular sugar. See the FAQ’s for more details.
- Mascarpone Cheese: Provides the creamy, luscious texture characteristic of tiramisu and forms a smooth layer between the coffee-soaked cookies.
- Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Dusts the top of the tiramisu, adding a bitter contrast to the sweetness and enhancing the dessert’s visual appeal.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining 3/4 cup of the Baileys with the espresso or strong coffee. Set that aside.
Next, in a mixing bowl, separate the eggs, keeping only one of the whites. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale.
Then add the mascarpone and remaining Baileys.
Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until soft peaks form when you lift the whisk out of the bowl.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg white into the mascarpone mixture. Set aside.
Now, time to assemble the tiramisu. Dip the lady fingers, one at a time, into the espresso/Baileys mixture. Only dip it for 2 to 3 seconds, until just damp but not soggy.
Arrange the espresso-dipped ladyfingers in a baking dish.
Top with half of the mascarpone cream and another layer of dipped cookies.
Spread the remaining mascarpone cream over top.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill until the cream is set, at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, place the cocoa powder in a fine sieve and dust evenly over top. Cut into squares and serve.
Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions
It is necessary to make tiramisu ahead of time, as it requires refrigeration for 8 to 10 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld. You can also prepare it up to two days ahead of time. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like chocolate mousse, tiramisu is made with raw eggs. If that is a concern, try to find pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been briefly exposed to heat to destroy any potential bacteria. Whole Foods usually carries them but call your local store to be sure before making a special trip. (Note: eating raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women, babies, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.)
Superfine sugar is a type of granulated sugar with a very fine texture. It’s finer than regular granulated sugar but not as fine as powdered sugar. Superfine sugar dissolves more quickly than regular granulated sugar, making it ideal for use in recipes where you want a smooth texture, such as meringues (like this pavlova), cocktails (like these mojitos), and tender cookies (like these nutty jam thumbprints). If you don’t have superfine sugar, you can make your own — just process regular granulated sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds until fine.
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Irish Cream Tiramisu
Whip up this Irish Cream-infused tiramisu from Nigella Lawson—a dinner party favorite that’s ridiculously easy to assemble in just 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups espresso or very strong black coffee, cooled
- 1 cup Baileys Irish Cream, divided
- 14 oz (or two 7-ounce packs) Savoiardi cookies or ladyfingers (see note), although you won't use all of them
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup superfine sugar (to make your own, process regular granulated sugar in food processor for 30 seconds until fine)
- 1 pound mascarpone cheese
- 2½ teaspoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey's
Instructions
- Mix the cooled espresso with ¾ cup of the Baileys in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs, but keep only one of the whites. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture is thick, pale yellow, and forms a ribbon when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl, about a minute. Add the remaining ¼ cup Baileys and mascarpone and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the single egg white until soft peaks form when you lift the whisk out of the bowl (you can do this by hand with such a little amount). Fold the egg white into the mascarpone mixture. It will seem thin but don't worry: it will set up in the fridge.
- Dip the cookies, one at a time, into the espresso/Baileys mixture; let them soak just long enough to become damp but not soggy. Line the bottom of a 9-inch square glass dish (or 7x11-in rectangular dish) with a layer of soaked cookies, then spread half of the mascarpone mixture over top. Repeat with another layer of soaked cookies, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge until the mascarpone mixture is set, 8-10 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to serve, place the cocoa powder in a small sieve and dust over the top of the tiramisu.
- Note: Savoiardi cookies are also called ladyfingers. But be sure to buy crisp cookies -- not the soft sponge cake ladyfingers sold in the bakery section of the grocery store.
- Note: This recipe uses raw eggs. Be sure to use only fresh, properly refrigerated and clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The tiramisu can be made up to two days ahead of time. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Calories: 392
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Sugar: 11g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 6g
- Sodium: 269mg
- Cholesterol: 108mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jen,
Wondering if this can be made without eggs. Would it make any difference to the taste or texture of the tiramisu. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Unfortunately, not. You really need eggs for this.
This a a fail proof recipe. Made it several times after initially feeling intimidated by such a beloved dessert. It is always a hit, just the right sweetness and texture made a day in advance. And no flour or baking, no mess. Beating the egg white is about as hard as it gets. Thank you!
HI Jenn,
Can I use Baileys irish cream liquid coffee creamer? (this one doesn’t have alcohol). Thanks,
Sabeen
Hi Sabeen, I think the finished dish will taste a bit different, but that it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn! I just made this and it turned out DELISH except that the texture of the cream part seems a bit stiff/thick? The only variations I made from the recipe were to halve the sugar, and to use whiskey instead of Baileys, in about 1/3 of the quantity. (I saw on Nigella’s website that Bailey’s can be substituted for whiskey and cream, but my cream happened to just go bad…). Also I left it in the fridge for almost 24 hours before eating it. Could any of these variations account for the thick texture? Or d’you think it could be something else? Oh one more thing – I think I maaay have overwhipped the egg whites a bit, they were closer to hard/stiff peaks than soft peaks ..
Hi Sarah, Sorry the texture was a bit off. Yes, I think the overwhipping of the egg whites is what caused the problem. You will experience a big difference in texture when the egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks instead of soft ones.
Ah okay, thanks so much!! For others’ reference – it wasn’t a big deal in the end, my mum actually liked that the texture was firmer 🙂 And over the next few days it softened anyway!
Love a Tiramisu. Thought we would try your recipe Before my birthday in June. I think it’s going to be Italian theme, lockdown birthday menu. We were blown away. The best tiramisu yet! A recipe to keep.
Hey, I absolutely love all your recipes.
For the tiramisu, I would recommend not using the eggs and instead use miracle whip and add vanilla acing in it for some sweetness.
For coffee, instead of using regular coffee, I would suggest making hazelnut coffee. Makes it extra delicious.
Hope you try it that way and enjoy it
I would like to try your recipe for Irish Cream Tiramisu, and thought I might try making the ladyfinger cookies to save on cost. Do you have a good recipe for that or have a link to share of a good recipe? Thanks much! I love all of your recipes that I have tried so far!!
Hi Tricia, Unfortunately, I don’t have a ladyfinger recipe of my own to share, but this one from King Arthur looks good. (Please keep in mind that I’ve not tried it myself.) Please let me know how the ladyfingers (and the tiramisu) turn out if you try them!
Great recipe! I had never made tiramisu before and this is easy and oh so delicious. I’ll definitely make it again when I’m looking for a special dessert to serve.
Fabulous Tiramisu Jenn! So easy to make and wonderful flavor. I modified recipe slightly for family member with allergy to cocoa, I decided to use Cinnamon powder instead.
I generally followed instructions as written, but reduced original Baileys amount to only 1/4 cup mixed with 1 cup dark coffee for lady finger dunking. Then I added 2 tablespoons of Baileys Cinnamon Vanilla to the Mascarpone cream mixture. When assembling dessert, I followed others suggestion to dip for 1-2 seconds only and quickly blot off excess drips before placing in pan. I added a light sprinkle of cinnamon powder on each layer of lady fingers before the mascarpone cream, and topped whole dessert with a heavy dusting of cinnamon through a fine sieve. My final dessert is light, fluffy and flavorful without being boozy at all. My family really loved the Cinnamon as well instead of Cocoa. Definitely a winner!!
Hi Jenn, I have made this recipe several times and it is always delicious This time I am planning to bring it to a dinner party. I know the directions are to refrigerate 8 hrs or overnight but how long can this be refrigerated without it becoming soggy. Thank you for your help.
Maria, I think you could get away with making this up to 2 days ahead. (And glad you like it!)