Matcha tiramisu (VIDEO)

This easy matcha tiramisu recipe consists of airy homemade ladyfingers in between delicious mascarpone cream with light green tea flavor and a touch of matcha tea powder finish. If you like tiramisu, you have to try matchamisu, the green tea version of it, it is the perfect dessert any time of the year!

Making this green tea tiramisu dessert is super easy! The recipe is basically identical to my homemade tiramisu recipe but instead of coffee and cocoa powder, this green tiramisu is made with matcha, Japanese matcha green tea.

Jump to:

• Why this is the best recipe
• What is tiramisu
• What is matcha
• Ingredient notes
• 3 Expert Baking tips
• Equipment notes
• Recipe FAQs
• More matcha recipes
• More tiramisu recipes
• Matcha tiramisu (VIDEO)

Why this is the best recipe

• It is rather easy – As fancy as it looks, making this Matcha tiramisu is extremely easy. The matcha tiramisu ingredients are available easily too. Feel free to use store-bought ladyfingers, but making them from scratch is also totally doable
• It is super delicious – I never compromise on taste! How does the matcha tiramisu taste? Fluffy ladyfinger cookies, luxurious mascarpone cram, and refreshing matcha tea make this Green tea tiramisu absolutely irresistible! It is creamy, fresh, rich, but very well balanced in sweetness! You will love it!
• It is an honest, detailed tutorial – While this recipe might look long, all the information I have written here, every tip and trick will help you achieve the perfect results without any issues on the way. Remember, baking is science, and every little detail written here is to help YOU!

What is tiramisu

I assume most of you know what tiramisu is, however, maybe you never tried it before and wonder what is this fuss about!

Tiramisu appears to have been invented in the 1960s or 1970s, but where and when exactly is unclear. What a time to be alive! In short, tiramisu is a coffee-flavored creamy Italian dessert that is served cold. It is made of ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, and flavored with cocoa powder. It is originated from among the Italian regions of Veneto but nowadays widely popular across the entire world.

Making tiramisu at home is super easy and way more delicious than the ones you buy in supermarkets and/or average restaurants. Don't forget to check out my crazy delicious and super creamy homemade tiramisu recipe.

What is matcha

Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves. It is extremely popular in Japan and getting more and more well known all around the world in recent years in formats of tea, latte, mochi, cakes, ice cream, and of course the Japanese tiramisu. Matcha offers plenty of health benefits and contains a concentrated amount of antioxidants, it is the best kind of tea to start the day in my opinion.

If you tried matcha before and found it bitter, next time go for higher quality, it should not be bitter at all. The highest quality matcha used for traditional tea ceremonies is having a so-called ceremonial grade. For baking, you do not really need the highest grade matcha but avoid supermarket versions. Instead, search for organic, pure matcha powder ideally from Japan. If unsure about the origin and quality, just go for "ceremonial-grade" from Uji (a region in Japan), you can`t go wrong with that. It is obviously way more expensive than normal supermarket tea however absolutely incomparable and also lasts forever since you will only need a small amount. The finest quality matcha gives a beautiful bright green color and wonderful taste to your desserts!

I bought mine in Japan but you can search for matcha tea on Amazon and chose one according to the reviews and your budget.

Since I had this wonderful creamy Japanese matcha tiramisu in Kyoto in 2019, I want to bring the flavor to you!

Ingredient notes

Home made ladyfingers (savoiardi)

1. Egg: For making ladyfingers you will have to use egg white and yolk separately. Egg white plays a key role in getting the airy ladyfinger sponges light and fluffy so make sure you use fresh eggs in order to be able to successfully separate the yolk from white
2. Sugar: You can use simply granulated sugar or superfine sugar the point is to cream it with egg all the way up until sugar fully dissolves. If want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article in here
3. Pastry flour and corn starch: Homemade ladyfinger recipe calls for a mixture of fine texture pastry flour as well as starch for the fluffiest results. Alternatively use AP flour and corn starch mixture but do not skip the starch. If you want to be a Pro when it comes to deciding what type of flour to use in your baking, please read my article in here

Exact ingredient quantities can be found in the RECIPE CARD, at the bottom of this page

For the mascarpone cream

1. Eggs: Traditional homemade tiramisu recipe calls for raw egg yolk and please please do not skip it. If you are uncomfortable about row egg just think about how many times you enjoyed tiramisu before and yes, those must have been all made with raw egg yolk. Needless to say use fresh, free-range eggs if possible
2. Mascarpone: Very rich Italian cream cheese, exceptionally smooth, and easy to spread or whip. Make sure to use the full-fat version (41%). The flavor is milky and slightly sweet. There is no substitution for mascarpone while making this homemade Japanese tiramisu. If mascarpone is not available for you, why not make your own mascarpone cheese?
3. Heavy cream: Also known as whipping cream has a fat content between 36% and 40%, I always use 36% cream. Use it very cold and do not substitute with vegetable-based “whipping cream”
4. Sugar: A small amount of granulated sugar will be added to the mascarpone filling

Exact ingredient quantities can be found in the RECIPE CARD, at the bottom of this page

3 Expert Baking tips

1. How to bake home made ladyfinger (savoiardi)

Store-bought ladyfingers are also perfect, however, if you wish to make your own ladyfingers, check out my homemade ladyfingers recipe from scratch! 

Ladyfinger is a sponge biscuit shaped basically like a large finger. Home-made ladyfinger is much more like a sponge than its store-bought version that is not as soft and the texture is more like a biscuit. Regardless, the cream will soften the ladyfingers even if you purchase it from the store.

Feel free to use store-bought ladyfingers, however, for those of you who are more experienced, here is the step-by-step process of making ladyfingers at home:

1. Have your baking tray with parchment paper ready or prepare a  Silicone baking mat before the whole process. You will probably need 2 baking trays (for 28 ladyfingers)
2. Also a good idea to prep a piping template ahead, I am using an eclair template that is 10cm / 4 inches long
3. While beating egg yolk and sugar, make sure you beat it all over until sugar dissolves. When you take a small amount of egg yolk and sugar mixture between your fingers it should be smooth and not grainy
4. Sift the flour as well as starch to avoid lumps and with that unnecessary foldings to fix it
5. Using egg white you will be making meringue. The key part here is that sugar needs to be added to the egg white very slowly, one tablespoon at a time while the Stand mixer is on otherwise it might get crystallized and you have to start the whole process all over again. The meringue is ready when it reaches stiff, shiny peaks however do not overbeat it to a point where it would form lumps as that is a difficult texture to fold in with the rest of the ingredients
6. After meringue reached the right consistency, it’s important to first loosen up the flour egg yolk mixture with about ¼ of the whipped egg white then fold meringue in VERY carefully with the help of a Rubber spatula. The batter should stay very airy before piping. If it gets too runny, you won`t be able to pipe and the mixture won`t be able to hold its shape
7. For piping, use a simple small 1A Round nozzle tip. Try to pipe the batter in large finger size, bearing in mind that the ladyfinger will grow a lot in the oven. Other option is that you pipe the finger shapes already close to each other so instead of individual ladyfingers, you actually pipe the side of the cake in one go
8. The ladyfingers are baked in a relatively high temp (200 C / 392°F) for a short time (10-12min). If they are well baked, they get golden brown and only slightly deflate after removing from the oven

2. How to make the mascarpone cream

The mascarpone mixture for this homemade matchamisu recipe should be light, airy, creamy, literally like a dream!

1. Make sure you heat and slightly whip egg yolk and sugar over a double boiler. The double boiler is a common method for melting chocolate without burning it and also for egg-based creams without ending up with scrambled eggs. All you need is a saucepan and a glass bowl that rests on the rim. You might have to play around with combinations of pans and bowls to find the perfect fit but it works perfectly fine. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl
2. While whipping egg yolk and sugar over a double boiler, use a hand whisk and make sure that sugar fully dissolves. When you take a small amount of egg yolk and sugar mixture between your fingers it should be smooth. I suggest doing it slowly over low heat and as soon as sugar dissolves and the mixture is slightly whipped up, remove it from the stove
3. It is very important that after egg yolk and sugar are fully whipped up, you wait until the mixture cools to room temperature. Do not attempt to fold mascarpone in while the mixture is still warm as it will break the mascarpone, the mixture will get runny, and you have to start again
4. How to properly whip mascarpone? I recommend using an electric hand mixer as mascarpone needs to be whipped very carefully. As soon as it reaches a fluffy consistency and stiff peaks form, stop whipping it otherwise it might become runny. Make sure you use full-fat rich mascarpone
5. After the mascarpone reached the right consistency, it’s important to fold it with egg yolk sugar mixture VERY carefully with the help of a Rubber spatula. The cream should stay very airy, cloud-like texture
6. How to properly whip cream? A similar process to whipping mascarpone, the only difference is that cream whips up well when it´s very cold. Use an electric hand mixer so that you don´t walk away for sure. First, it will reach soft peaks, then stiff peaks, that is the stage when it is done.
7. Folding cream into the mascarpone mixture. Same as in the case of mascarpone, it should be folded very carefully with a Rubber spatula

Please note that this cream will be very airy, fluffy, and creamy after it is set in the fridge. This kind of cream is only suitable for making traditional tiramisu which is a “bowl type” of dessert but it is not firm enough to fully hold its shape in a tiramisu cake. Please check my tiramisu cupcake or tiramisu cakeroll recipe if you are interested in making those!

3. How to assemble the matcha tiramisu

Once ladyfingers and mascarpone cream are ready, here comes the fun part, assembling your homemade matchamisu! You can assemble tiramisu either in a glass container, in a bowl, or in ramekins.

Make a bowl of matcha tea, soak ladyfingers into the tea then start layering the ladyfingers next to each other and finish with a layer of cream. Repeat the process as many times it is required considering the size of your bow, then smooth the top with an offset spatula.

Tip.:When soaking ladyfinger into the tea, use a generous amount of tea to achieve that lovely matcha flavor however monitor how ladyfingers soak the tea in and do not make them overly wet

Now comes the hardest part; waiting! It should be set in 4 hours in the fridge, it is even better the next day.

Equipment notes

Making this matchamisu recipe is so easy and the good news is that no special equipment is needed.

For a consistent, happy baking experience always measure your ingredients with the help of a Digital scale. This is absolutely a MUST.

For making the ladyfingers a Stand mixer is super useful. I have a KitchenAid Classic, that I love. For piping the ladyfingers, a Piping bag, and smaller size round nozzle tip are required, alternatively cut a hole on the piping bag and try to pipe the cake batter without a nozzle.

For making the cream, I suggest using an Electric hand mixer and with that, you won´t overbeat the mascarpone.

Finally, for assembling and serving there are a few options. Either use a smaller glass container or a trifle bowl or for individual servings use Ramekins. 

Recipe FAQs

More matcha recipes

More tiramisu recipes