Lemon Tiramisu with Limoncello – The Ulimate Italy-Inspired Summer Dessert
Lemon tiramisu is everything you love about the Italian classic – silky mascarpone cream, soft soaked ladyfingers, layered and left to set overnight – but lifted with the brightness of fresh lemon, the warmth of limoncello and a lemon curd that runs through every single layer. It is no-bake, endlessly impressive, and the kind of thing that people ask you for the recipe for before they’ve finished their first spoonful. Why Lemon Tiramisu? Classic tiramisu is one of the great Italian desserts. But in summer, the coffee and cocoa combination can feel a little heavy. Lemon tiramisu keeps all the things that make tiramisu so good – the creamy mascarpone, the softened ladyfingers, the layered structure – and replaces the coffee with a limoncello and fresh lemon syrup that is sharp, aromatic and completely seasonal. It’s a dessert that tastes like Italy in the best possible way. Amalfi Coast lemon groves, afternoon heat, the kind of pudding that arrives at the table and makes everyone stop talking. What Makes This Version Special This isn’t just any lemon tiramisu. A few deliberate additions take it from good to the kind of thing you’ll make every summer without fail. Taylor & Colledge lemon extract goes into the mascarpone cream alongside fresh lemon juice and zest. Taylor & Colledge uses real lemon oil rather than artificial flavouring, which means the extract adds genuine depth and intensity rather than a synthetic edge. Available from the Cake Decorating Company, it’s the ingredient that makes the mascarpone cream taste unmistakably, fully lemon. Homemade lemon curd is used in two ways – stirred through the mascarpone cream and layered between the ladyfingers. A sharp, glossy homemade curd has a freshness that shop-bought versions rarely match. The recipe is below. Dried lemon slices from Nurtured in Norfolk, available through the Cake Decorating Company, finish the top of the tiramisu with a clean, botanical elegance that looks beautiful and intensifies the lemon flavour with every bite. Piped mascarpone cream using the Sultan piping tip from the Cake Decorating Company give the top of the tiramisu a finished, professional look. The Sultan tip creates large, open star swirls that hold their shape beautifully and each one is filled with a spoonful of lemon curd – sharp against the cream, vivid yellow against the white. First, Make the Lemon Curd The lemon curd is used both in the mascarpone cream and between the layers, so make it first and give it time to cool completely. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, so it can easily be made the day before. Makes: approximately 1½ cups (enough for the full tiramisu recipe)Prep time: 5 minutesCook time: 10–12 minutes Lemon Curd Ingredients 3 medium eggs 150g caster sugar 120ml fresh lemon juice (approximately 3–4 lemons) Zest of 2 lemons 100g unsalted butter, cubed Lemon Curd Method Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, for 10–12 minutes until the curd has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. It will thicken further as it cools, so don’t wait for it to become too thick on the heat. Remove from the heat and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, stirring until each addition has fully melted and incorporated before adding the next. Once all the butter is in, strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar or bowl to remove the zest and any bits of cooked egg. Press a sheet of cling film directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cold before using. The Full Lemon Tiramisu Recipe Serves: 8–10Prep time: 40 minutesChill time: Minimum 4 hours, ideally overnightDish: 11×8 inch (28x20cm) or similar rectangular dish Ingredients For the limoncello syrup: 100g granulated sugar 2 tbsp lemon zest 78ml fresh lemon juice (approximately 2 lemons) – use ½ fresh lemon juice as specified 120ml limoncello liqueur For the lemon mascarpone cream: 452g (2 cups) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 2 tbsp lemon zest 45ml (3 tbsp) fresh lemon juice 60ml (¼ cup) limoncello liqueur 1 tbsp Taylor & Colledge lemon extract 120ml (½ cup) homemade lemon curd 354ml (1½ cups) double cream 41g (⅓ cup) icing sugar To assemble: Approximately 30 ladyfingers (savoiardi) 240ml (1 cup) homemade lemon curd, for layering and topping To decorate: Remaining mascarpone cream, for piping Sultan piping tip Additional lemon curd, for filling the piped rosettes Dried lemon slices (Nurtyred in Norfolk, available from the Cake Decorating Company) Fresh lemon zest Method Step 1 – Make the limoncello syrup Before adding the sugar and lemon to the saucepan, rub the sugar and lemon zest together between your palms for a minute or two. This releases the oils from the zest and pushes considerably more lemon flavour into the syrup. Tip the lemon-scented sugar into a small saucepan with the lemon juice and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove from the heat. Add the limoncello, stir to combine and set aside to cool to room temperature. The syrup needs to be cool before you dip the ladyfingers, otherwise they will become too soft. Step 2 – Make the lemon mascarpone cream In a large mixing bowl, beat together the mascarpone, lemon zest, lemon juice, limoncello and Taylor & Colledge lemon extract until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon curd and mix until fully combined. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream with the icing sugar until stiff peaks form. Take care not to overwhip – you want a thick, billowy cream that holds its shape. Fold half the whipped cream into