Italy is offering dessert lovers a rare chance to help choose the best tiramisu!
Where is the Tiramisu World Cup
This October 10th and 11th, Treviso, the home of tiramisu, will host the Tiramisu World Cup 2025, and the organizers are recruiting 100 food lovers to serve as volunteer judges. These tasters will help evaluate tiramisu made by amateur bakers from around the world in a contest.
Tiramisu originated in Treviso in the 1800s. The name means “pick me up” in Italian, a nod to the mix of coffee and mascarpone that gives the dessert its rich taste and energy. The recipe eventually spread across Italy due to its unique ingredients and taste.
Today, tiramisu is one of the country’s most famous desserts, known and loved around the world. By hosting the World Cup, Treviso celebrates being the birthplace of tiramisu while inviting bakers to showcase their own take on it, respecting the main ingredients.
What is the Tiramisu World Cup
- Amateur bakers from around the world will compete in two categories: the strict “Original Recipe” and the more flexible “Creative Recipe.”
- Anyone who is not a professional cook can apply to be a judge, as long as they pass a short 15-question test.
The competition is divided into two categories, and participants must adhere to specific rules. The “Original Recipe” requires contestants to follow the six classic ingredients: mascarpone cheese, eggs, coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and ladyfingers. The “Creative Recipe” also requires mascarpone, eggs, coffee, and cocoa powder, but allows up to three additional ingredients.
Judges must verify ingredients, check that each baker’s station meets requirements, and help the event run smoothly, on top of enjoying the tasting sessions. As mentioned on the website, “Judges don’t just ‘eat and enjoy’: their role is to check the integrity of the ingredients and competition equipment, ensure contestants are correctly positioned at their stations, and generally make sure the competition runs smoothly.”
Here are some glimpses from the Tiramisu World Cup 2024.
How to Be a Judge
Becoming a judge isn’t as simple as loving tiramisu. Application opens on September 13 (from 10 a.m. to midnight Italian time), and applicants must complete a 15-question quiz based on the competition rules. Only the fastest and most accurate will secure one of the judging spots.
The role is entirely voluntary; there is no pay, and travel or stay expenses aren’t covered. Judges will be contacted by September 26 if selected.
According to the official rules, each judge is assigned to a table with up to ten contestants. They will work alongside another judge and the President of the Jury, who acts as the main point of contact at the table. The President is an experienced judge responsible for guiding the process, answering questions, and offering support during the session.
How to compete
If you’re a tiramisu lover, now is your chance to show your culinary skills. Treviso will welcome amateur bakers from around the world, each bringing their own version of Italy’s most famous sweet. Judges will taste, compare, and help decide which one deserves the top spot at the 2025 World Cup. Even though the ordinary competitor tickets are sold out, you still have a chance with the Overmisù ticket!
By purchasing this ticket for the Original and/or Creative Recipe, you will be added to a list of aspiring contestants: you may go to the competition venue in Piazza Borsa, Treviso (TV), on Friday, October 10, Saturday, October 11, or both days. If a regular contestant does not show up, you will have the chance to compete in their place.
It’s up to you: until you are called to compete and thus become a full contestant, you may check in at the reception desk at every competition round of the Recipe for which you purchased the ticket, increasing your chances to compete. Once you are called to compete, the ticket will be cancelled.
If this does not happen (if there are no no-shows or not enough withdrawals from regular contestants), you can use your ticket at Tiramisu in Loggia, just a few steps away from the competition, and enjoy a Tiramisù Tris (a set of three tiramisus)!
How to make your own tiramisu
So, are you ready to put your sweet tooth to the test? Treviso is waiting, with a spoonful of tiramisu just for you. But if hopping on a plane to Italy isn’t an option, you don’t have to miss out. My homemade tiramisu recipe brings all the creamy, coffee-soaked flavors right to your kitchen. It’s easier than you think, and just as indulgent as the ones competing for the title.
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