Individual Italian Tiramisu

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This Individual Italian Tiramisu is not to be missed. It's the same one we serve at the restaurant and I have made thousands of these since I put them in the dessert line. It makes an elegant presentation, it's extravagant and beautiful but most important you'll savor every bite of the light as air filling and the intense coffee rum sponge.

Prep Time1 15

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: individual desserts, Italian Tiramisu,, tiramisu

Servings: servings

Calories: 766kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

8 pastry rings about 3" around x 1 ¾" tall or
8 glasses about the same size

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

6 large eggs, separated
⅔ cup Baker's or granulated sugar divided (130 grams)
¾ cup + 1T cake flour (100 grams)

Coffee Rum Soak

1 cup +2 T water
2 tablespoons instant coffee or 1 ½ tablespoons espresso
¼ cup Meyer's Dark Rum, preferred

Mascarpone Filling

1 teaspoon gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
¾ cup heavy cream
2 ½ cups powdered sugar (200 grams)
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla
8 ounces mascarpone cheese

Whipped Cream topping

1 ½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar (30 grams)

Instructions

Sponge Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and spray the paper but not the sides of the pan.
With the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks and ⅓ cup (65grams)sugar in a mixing bowl until very, very light in color (almost white) and very thick. This took about 8 minutes in my Breville. Other mixers may take more or less time. Remove to a large bowl.
In a clean mixing bowl with a clean whisk attachment beat the egg whites and ⅓ cup (65 grams) sugar together until soft peaks form. Beat to medium peaks. This took about 4 minutes in my mixer.
Sift the cake flour over the yolk mixture, scoop the whites over the flour and fold everything together.
Spread evenly in the prepared pan and bake 13 to 15 minutes. This is a little longer than normal, but the sponge should be a bit dry.
This may be made several months ahead, wrapped well and frozen. Thaw at room temperature to use.

Coffee Rum Soak

Combine all of the ingredients, stirring well.
Brush the sponge with the soak, using all of it. Some will go through to the bottom of the sponge and that is fine.
Using a round cutter the size of the ring or glass, cut rounds from the sponge. If your ring or glass is about 2" as was mine, cut very close together (see photo) to ensure you have enough. You will need 2 rounds per tiramisu.

Mascarpone Filling

Make sure the mascarpone is room temperature before starting.
Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the cream until fairly stiff. Remove to another bowl.
Without cleaning the bowl or beater, add the powdered sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat until very, very light and fluffy – about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the gelatin to the water in a very small bowl and stir to combine completely.
Add the room temperature mascarpone in thirds on low. Combine completely.
Heat the gelatin in the microwave just until liquified. Do not let it get really hot. Add it to the mixer and beat it in until it is incorporated.
Fold in the whipped cream

Assembly

Place one soaked round soaked side up in each container.
If using the size ring I did, fill with about ½ cup of mascarpone filling. A #8 disher/scooper does a good job. Make sure the disher is leveled off. For other sizes, you want about twice the filling as the soaked round - see the photo.
Place another round on top, soaked side down. If using glasses, refrigerate the tiramisu. If using rings, freeze them.
They will keep, well covered, in the freezer for a couple of months at this point.
Make the chocolate curls. Place a piece of parchment or waxed paper on the table. Use a piece of chocolate that is about ⅓" or more thick. Using a vegetable peeler, "peel" the chocolate over the paper. Refrigerate.
To release from the rings, place a tiramisu on the table and go around it with a blow dryer. Push it out of the ring and place it on a parchment covered sheet pan. Place back in the freezer. If using glasses, skip this part and go to the next instruction.
In any case if they are in the rings, they should be frozen before proceeding.
Whip the cream and powdered sugar to fairly stiff peaks. Place in a piping bag fitted with a #4 or #5 open star tip. Pipe around the edge and in the middle of the tiramisus.
Decorate with the chocolate curls. Refrigerate until serving. These may be finished the day before if desired.
These will keep for several days in the refrigerator is covered.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

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Please see the Key Ingredients section for more information

Make sure the mascarpone is at room temperature before adding it to the egg yolk mixture.

Don't use too high a speed on the mixer when beating in the mascarpone or it can curdle.

This recipe uses raw egg yolks. I have seen methods of "making them safe" but I have never found them unsafe. I have baked professionally for 35 years and even longer than that if you count the years before I became a professional and never once in that time have I had a rotten egg or a problem with eggs. And if you think about it, Americans have gone bonkers over runny egg yolks. At least mine stay cold! But if you are concerned then don't make this recipe.

When beating egg whites to be folded in, keep them pliable. If they are beaten too stiff, they won't fold in smoothly and a lot of air will be lost because of the time it takes to get the batter smooth without lumps of unmixed whites. See the photo above for the sponge cake. This same rule holds for whipped cream when folding it in.

Brush all the liquid on the sponge layers. It is important to the final flavor.

Nutrition