Limoncello Tiramisu

5 from 2 votes

Made with Limoncello lemon curd, sweet ladyfingers, and creamy mascarpone cream between each layer, this bright and refreshing Limoncello tiramisu puts a citrusy twist on the classic Italian dessert!

Prep Time1

Waiting time4

Total Time5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 791kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Lemon curd

120 g Lemon juice freshly squeezed + use also the zest of these lemons
4 Egg yolk
150 g Granulated sugar
110 g Unsalted butter room temperature

Limoncello syrup

100 g Granulated sugar
60 g Lemon juice freshly squeezed
60 g Water fresh
60 g Limoncello

Limoncello Mascarpone Cream

120 g Powdered sugar
560 g Mascarpone high-fat, use it cold
350 g Heavy Cream 36% fat, use it very cold
80 g Limoncello

To assemble the Limoncello tiramisu

24 pieces Ladyfinger cookies
Chantilly cream to decorate make my chantilly recipe

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the lemon curd

Finely zest the lemons into a small mixing bowl using a microplane grater. Massage the zest together with a small amount of granulated sugar.
Juice zested lemons using a citrus juicer; you’ll probably need about 2-3 large juicy lemons to give you ½ cup of juice.
Place lemon juice, egg yolk and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (double boiler) and cook the curd over medium-high heat whisking constantly.
After about 8-10 minutes, the mixture starts to thicken like a custard (at this point the curd will reach around 80C /176F).
Remove it from heat, and pour the cooked curd through a sieve.
With a rubber spatula, mix in room temperature butter in small chunks one by one, making sure each chunk is fully incorporated before adding the next. Hand blend, if desired. Fold the zest in at this point.
Let the lemon curd come to room temperature before using it for the tiramisu.

Make the Limoncello syrup

Cook together water, lemon juice, and the granulated sugar over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture slightly thickens, then mix in the Limoncello.
Refrigerate until assembling the tiramisu.

Continue with Limoncello mascarpone cream

Place the cold mascarpone in a mixing bowl. Add very cold heavy cream to the bowl along with sifted powdered sugar.
Whip the mixture with an electric hand mixer. After 3-4 minutes, when the mascarpone cream reaches a fluffy, pipeable consistency, start adding the Limoncello very slowly and continue whipping for another minute until fully incorporated. Stop right there, do not overwhip the mascarpone cream, as it can break.

Assembling

Prepare a container. I am using an 18x24 cm / 7x9 inches one. A 8x8 can work too.
Divide the mascarpone cream into two equal portions; one will go in between the layers and one on top.
Divide the lemon curd into three equal portions; set aside two thirds to decorate the top and use the remaining third in between the layers.
Soak the lady fingers in the Limoncello syrup, then place them next to each other at the bottom of the pan. For my pan, I could accommodate 12 to the bottom and 12 as the next layer.
Spread some lemon curd on top, then half of the mascarpone cream. Repeat with the next layer, then smooth the top of the mascarpone cream with an offset spatula.
Refrigerate the Limoncello tiramisu for a minimum of 4 hours to set and the ladyfingers to soften.
Decorate just before serving; spread the remaining lemon curd on top. Then, prepare some chantilly cream and pipe on top. Finally, decorate with fresh lemon slices and mint or basil leaves.
Serve the Limoncello tiramisu straight away. Store any leftover refrigerated in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing the tiramisu as the mascarpone cream does not freeze well.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
Use full-fat mascarpone and heavy cream to make the mascarpone cream.
You can also try the recipe with rum instead of Limoncello.
You might want to try this recipe with my homemade ladyfingers recipe.

TECHNIQUE NOTES:

Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone cannot cover all the necessary details and science behind baking.
When whipping the Limoncello into the mascarpone cream, it is important, that you add the liquid slowly while the mixer is on. You don´t want to break the beautiful fluffy cream you whipped up so far.
Make sure you do not serve the tiramisu before it actually sets. It requires a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is even better.

Nutrition