Recipe Background
Ultimate Strawberry Tiramisu uses Champagne for a lively twist, perfect for a beachside gathering.
The first time I made Strawberry Tiramisu, it was on a summer afternoon just after moving into a coastal beach house for a long weekend getaway with old college friends. We had decided this would be a tradition—a way to reconnect despite our busy lives. As we unpacked our bags and explored the open-concept kitchen, the idea of a simple yet special dessert inspired a collective cheer. The local farmers’ market was bursting at the seams with ripe berries, and I impulsively bought two pounds, knowing they’d be the star of our beachside feast.
The choice of Champagne in the tiramisu felt like our own little indulgence, a complement to the bubbles we'd be sipping with dinner. We figured it would add a lively twist to the traditional coffee or rum soak. I quickly learned that letting the strawberries macerate in sugar while I prepared other components was key, transforming them into little jewels of sweetness. The mascarpone filling came together as if destiny willed it, each fold in perfect harmony, with just enough time for us to share stories and laughter.
As friends gathered around the kitchen island, I let them in on a tip: dip the ladyfingers quickly, no more than a few seconds, to prevent them from becoming soggy. Once assembled, the Strawberry Tiramisu chilled in the fridge while we took our traditions to the sand, playing beach volleyball and reminiscing about past glories. Each bite later that evening was a refreshing taste of summer, crafted with love and memories. We knew we had created something memorable, as sweet as the company around us.
Ingredients
For the macerated strawberries:
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries hulled and diced, plus more, to taste, hulled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons sugar
For the filling:
- 1 3/4 cups Champagne
- 1 1/3 cups sugar divided
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream cold
- 1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
- 3 (7-ounce) package ladyfingers such as Goya® Ladyfingers
For the whipped cream topping:
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- In a large bowl, add 2 pounds of the diced strawberries and 3 tablespoons of the sugar and gently toss until the berries are coated. Let them macerate until ready to assemble.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the Champagne and 1/3 cup of the sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
- Transfer the saucepan from the heat and add the water to the Champagne mixture. Stir to combine.
- Pour the Champagne mixture into a second large, heatproof bowl and chill it in the refrigerator until it reaches at least room temperature.
- In a double boiler or a metal mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water, add the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup of the sugar and whisk to combine. It will seem a little chunky at first, but it will thin out as it heats up.
- Cook the egg mixture, whisking vigorously, until it grows in volume, thickens, and turns pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes.
- Set the egg mixture aside until it has cooled to a little warmer than room temperature.
- While the egg mixture cools, in a third large bowl, add 1 3/4 cups of the heavy cream and use an electric hand mixer on high speed to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the mascarpone cheese into the egg mixture until it is combined.
- In two parts, gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Set it aside until ready to assemble.
- Dip the ladyfingers, 1 at a time, into the Champagne mixture and let them soak, about 3-5 seconds per biscuit. The longer they soak, the stronger the flavor will be.
- Evenly lay the dipped ladyfingers in three flat rows into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Evenly spread half of the macerated strawberries over the dipped ladyfingers in the baking dish.
- Evenly spread 1/2 of the mascarpone filling over the macerated strawberries.
- Evenly place the dipped ladyfingers in three flat rows on top of the mascarpone filling.
- Evenly spread the remaining macerated strawberries over the ladyfinger layer and top with the remaining mascarpone filling.
- In a fourth large bowl, add the remaining heavy cream, the powdered sugar, and the vanilla extract and use a clean electric hand mixer to whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the whipped cream topping over the mascarpone layer.
- Evenly nestle the extra fresh strawberry slices into the whipped cream topping.
- Refrigerate the strawberry tiramisu, about 3-4 hours.
- Cut into pieces and serve.
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