Strawberry tiramisu: A fresh twist on the classic dessert
Everyone knows the classic tiramisu – coffee, cocoa, mascarpone, and ladyfingers. But as soon as strawberry season starts, I'm certain: I trade coffee for fruit and the classic for lightness and freshness. That's how my favourite strawberry tiramisu comes to be – the perfect dessert for a Sunday. It's elegant, impressive, and... childishly simple to make.
Tiramisu is a dessert that almost everyone knows – fluffy, creamy, elegant. But when strawberry season arrives, I can't resist combining the Italian classic with the Polish taste of summer. And so comes my favourite version: strawberry tiramisu. No coffee, but with fruit that smells of sunshine and childhood. It's the perfect dessert for Mother's Day – light, fresh, and really simple, yet it looks as if it's from the finest bakery. And most importantly, it tastes even better.
Recipe for strawberry tiramisu
Strawberry tiramisu is a dessert that looks sophisticated but takes just a few minutes to prepare. Fresh fruit, delicate cream, and ladyfingers come together to create a light, summer classic that's perfect for Sundays, family gatherings, or as a sweet excuse to celebrate.
Ingredients:
- 1.8 kg strawberries,
- 450 g mascarpone,
- 340 g ladyfingers,
- 310 mL heavy cream,
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar,
- 2 tablespoons sugar,
- juice of ½ lemon,
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Instructions:
- Wash the strawberries, dry them, and set aside a few for decoration. Slice the rest – blend half with sugar and lemon juice into a puree, and leave the other half in slices.
- Combine mascarpone with powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip the heavy cream until stiff and gently mix it with the mascarpone cream.
- Quickly dip the ladyfingers in the strawberry puree (so they don’t get soggy) and place them in a dish.
- Layer with cream, strawberry slices, then more ladyfingers, cream, and so on until all ingredients are used up.
- Decorate the top with strawberries and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
Why does tiramisu "like" fruit?
Although classic tiramisu is an Italian dessert based on coffee and cocoa, its structure – a layered combination of ladyfingers with mascarpone cream – begs for culinary experiments. Fruit versions, especially those with strawberries, raspberries, or mango, have gained popularity in modern cuisine thanks to their lightness, freshness, and versatility. The tart-sweet fruit cuts through the richness of the cream, and their juiciness softens the ladyfingers without making them soggy. It's a great alternative for those who aren't fond of coffee or want to serve something more suitable for spring and summer.
