Summer Berry Tiramisu Recipe

Recipe developer Kristen Carli, MS, RD brings us this recipe for a summer berry tiramisu. A traditional tiramisu contains coffee soaked ladyfingers assembled in layers of cream, mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder. However, this delightful twist on the classic Italian dessert infuses the rich flavors of mascarpone cheese and berry syrup-soaked ladyfingers with the irresistible sweetness of sun-ripened berries.

Carli notes, "I truly love any kind of tiramisu, including the classic, but this rendition is surprisingly my favorite. The combination of berries and cream is timeless." This dessert is incredibly versatile, but ideally served at special occasions, like Mother's Day brunch or a baby shower luncheon. However, if you want to make this to serve on a random weeknight, we won't stop you.

As each forkful transports you to sun-kissed orchards and breezy picnics, you'll savor the perfect balance of textures and tastes that make this dessert a true ode to the joys of the season.

To make this summer berry tiramisu, you can start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need strawberries, sugar, heavy whipping cream, mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers, blueberries, and raspberries.

This recipe doesn't lend itself to many dairy-free swaps, so if you eat a diet free of dairy, this one may not be the best for you. As far as ingredient substitutions, Carli suggests, "If you cannot find mascarpone cheese, cream cheese will work in a pinch."

In a small saucepan, add the strawberries and ¼ cup of sugar. Then, add water to the saucepan until it reaches about halfway up the strawberries' height. Next, set the saucepan on the stovetop and bring the heat to high. Once the liquid is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. After that, remove the saucepan from the heat and strain out the berries, reserving the liquid. You should be left with a bright pink syrup that is infused with the flavors of the fresh strawberries.

We asked Carli why she chose strawberries for the syrup instead of the other berries in this recipe. She advised, "I chose to use strawberries to infuse the syrup because of their perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. I also liked that the other two berries: blueberries and raspberries did not require slicing and would present a uniform shape as a topping."

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream and the remaining sugar. Using the whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Soft peaks will form when the mixture holds its shape briefly before folding back down onto itself. The peaks will be soft, smooth, and slightly curl over at the tips.

Then, add in the mascarpone cheese and continue to whip the mixture until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks will form when the mixture holds its shape firmly and stands upright without drooping. The peaks will be sharp and well-defined.

Now it's time to put it all together. Carefully dip each ladyfinger in the strawberry syrup before placing it in the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish. Continue dipping and placing ladyfingers until the bottom layer of the dish is complete. Then, scoop out half of the cream mixture and spread it evenly on top of the cookies. Next, sprinkle on about half of the blueberries and raspberries. At this point, you will repeat those layers one more time each: dipped ladyfingers, cream, and berries.

Lastly, be sure to chill the tiramisu in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. Not sure what to serve this with? Carli recommends, "While there isn't any coffee in this version of tiramisu, I find it pairs nicely with a warm cup of espresso."