This fresh lemon tiramisu is made with lemon curd, lemon mascarpone cream, and with ladyfingers dipped in limoncello.
Lemon tiramisu is a delightful twist on the classic Italian dessert. This variation incorporates the bright and tangy flavors of lemon, adding a refreshing element to the rich and creamy layers.
The traditional ladyfingers are soaked in lemon syrup which is mixed with limoncello, which infuses each bite with a burst of citrus.
The lemon mascarpone cheese filling is light and velvety, perfectly complementing the tartness of the lemons. Topped with zesty lemon curd, this dessert is not only visually appealing but also tantalizing to the taste buds.
For more tiramisu recipes, check out my tiramisu cake, strawberry tiramisu, tiramisu cups, and eggless tiramisu.
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Why this recipe works
- Lemon flavor- this tiramisu is truly filled with lemon flavor. From the lemon mascarpone cream to the ladyfingers dipped in lemon syrup and limoncello, to the lemon curd on top.
- Crowd pleaser- this tiramisu can be doubled or tripled in the recipe card below and is always a crowd pleaser and is perfect for summer, spring, or Christmas!
- No-bake recipe- this recipe is no-bake! There is no need to turn on the oven for this.
- Texture- this tiramisu is creamy and silky smooth with the most delicious bites which will melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Mascarpone cheese- is the most important ingredient, make sure that you put your mascarpone cheese at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before starting to make the recipe.
Heavy cream- make sure that your heavy cream is cold. Cold heavy cream whips better and quicker.
Granulated sugar- you will need ½ cup of granulated sugar for this recipe. The dessert will be sweet, but not too sweet. ½ cup of sugar is the perfect balance of sweetness for this recipe.
Ladyfingers- we used store-bought ladyfingers, but homemade ladyfingers will work amazing for this recipe!
Limoncello- you can use your favorite brand of limoncello for this or use a homemade one!
Lemon syrup- you can use your favorite lemon syrup for this. It can be homemade or store-bought.
Lemon zest- I recommend zesting the lemon first and then juicing it.
Lemon juice- use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. Fresh lemon will give you the best result. We don't recommend using store-bought lemon juice. This will make the flavor pop!
For the lemon curd
Lemon juice- use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. Fresh lemon will give you the best result. We don't recommend using store-bought lemon juice. This will make the flavor pop!
Lemon zest- you will need ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. We recommend zesting the lemon first and then juicing it.
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Butter- make sure that your butter is unsalted.
Kosher salt- you will need about a pinch of kosher salt for this filling.
Eggs and egg yolks- you will need eggs and egg yolks for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Instructions
Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook it over medium-low heat whisking constantly.
Once the butter melts, the consistency of the mixture will be thin, don't increase the heat. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens for about 5 minutes.
When the mixture thickens, transfer it to a fine-mesh strainer set over and bowl and strain the mixture from any unnecessary lumps. This will give you a perfect and smooth curd.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the mixture cool for about 20-30 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon curd, lemon juice, and sugar, and mix with an electric hand mixer until well combined and medium peaks are formed.
Add the mascarpone cheese and cream it on low speed until the mixture is smooth.
Dip the ladyfingers quickly in the lemon syrup and lay them in an even layer in the 10.5-inch x 7.5-inch baking pan.
Top the soaked ladyfingers with half of the mascarpone mixture and smooth it out with a spatula.
Spoon 4 tablespoon of lemon curd on top and smooth it out with a spoon.
Add another layer of the dipped ladyfingers and top it with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Smooth it out with an offset spatula.
Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Top the tiramisu with lemon curd and smooth it out with a spatula.
Expert Tips
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature mascarpone cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that in your cream mixture.
- Use high-fat mascarpone cheese. Using full-fat cream mascarpone ensures that your dessert will be stable.
- Let your dessert chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious dessert right away, but you have to let it chill and soak up the flavors. We like to let it sit in the fridge overnight.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cheese lumps.
- Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
- Make sure that you make this dessert with the best quality ingredients that you can find and afford. The quality of the ingredients is what makes this dessert delish.
Faq's
No! This no-bake tiramisu is made with no eggs and no coffee. It does contain eggs in the ladyfingers though.
To prevent your dessert from becoming soggy, make sure that you dip your ladyfinger for 1-2 seconds and do not soak it for a few seconds.
You can find mascarpone cheese in the deli section of your grocery store, where all the cheeses, hummus, and meat products.
Limoncello is a traditional Italian liqueur that is renowned for its vibrant lemon flavor and refreshing qualities. This delightful beverage is made by infusing lemon zest in high-proof alcohol, typically vodka or grain alcohol, and then sweetening it with a simple syrup.
Storing
Store this dessert in the fridge (since it contains dairy) covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. I like eating this the day after.
Feezing
Freezing tiramisu is very easy. Simply transfer the tiramisu into an airtight freezer-friendly container and freeze it for up to 2 months. I suggest freezing it without the lemon curd on top.
To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight.
Make it in advance
Make this tiramisu in advance by prepping the mascarpone cream 1-2 days ahead, storing it in an airtight container in the fridge, and layer the tiramisu a few hours before serving.
Another way to make it in advance is to make it completely 1-2 days ahead and top it with cocoa powder before serving.
Substitutions
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the ladyfingers with gluten-free ladyfingers.
Cream cheese- if you can't find mascarpone cheese, you can use cream cheese instead.
Store-bought lemon curd- for an even easier version of this dessert, instead of making homemade lemon curd, use store-bought lemon curd.
Variations
Citrus- you can make this recipe with oranges or any of your favorite citrus instead of lemon.
Berry- for extra flavor variation, add fresh berries to the mascarpone mixture like raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
More lemon desserts
Limoncello mascarpone cake- This limoncello mascarpone cake has a soft and tender crumb and is topped with creamy mascarpone cream and lemon curd.
Lemon tart- This lemon tart is made with a buttery pastry crust and filled with a zesty lemon curd filling. This tart is a ray of sunshine in a dessert!
Lemon poppy seed muffins- These perfect lemon poppy seed muffins and moist, soft, and fluffy, filled with lemon zest and poppy seed, and topped with a delicious lemon glaze.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Tiramisu W/ Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 2 cups Heavy cream
- 4 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Lemon zest
- ½ cup lemon curd
- â…” cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 15.87 oz Mascarpone cheese
- 27 Ladyfingers
Dip in:
- 1 cup Lemon syrup
- ¼ cup Limoncello
Lemon curd
- â…“ cup Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- â…” cup Granulated sugar
- 80 g Butter
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 Egg
- 3 Egg yolks
Instructions
Make the lemon curd
- Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook it over medium-low heat whisking constantly.
- Once the butter melts, the consistency of the mixture will be thin, don't increase the heat. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens for about 5 minutes.
- When the mixture thickens, transfer it to a fine-mesh strainer set over and bowl and strain the mixture from any unnecessary lumps. This will give you a perfect and smooth curd.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the mixture cool for about 20-30 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon curd, lemon juice, and sugar, and mix with an electric hand mixer until well combined and medium peaks are formed.
- Add the mascarpone cheese and cream it on low speed until the mixture is smooth.
- Dip the ladyfingers quickly in the lemon syrup and lay them in an even layer in the 10.5-inch x 7.5-inch baking pan.
- Top the soaked ladyfingers with half of the mascarpone mixture and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Spoon 4 tablespoon of lemon curd on top and smooth it out with a spoon.
- Add another layer of the dipped ladyfingers and top it with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Smooth it out with an offset spatula.
- Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Top the tiramisu with lemon curd and smooth it out with a spatula.
Notes
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature mascarpone cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that in your cream mixture.
- Use high-fat mascarpone cheese. Using full-fat cream mascarpone ensures that your dessert will be stable.
- Let your dessert chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious dessert right away, but you have to let it chill and soak up the flavors. We like to let it sit in the fridge overnight.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cheese lumps.
- Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
- Make sure that you make this dessert with the best quality ingredients that you can find and afford. The quality of the ingredients is what makes this dessert delish.
Karina
Hi,
Is there a recipe for lemon syrup or is it store bought?
Thank you
RichandDelish
Hi! It is store bought, but you can use either one.