Easy Lemon Tiramisu No Bake (Print Version)

Layers of lemon-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream create a light, no-bake delight.

# What You Need:

→ Lemon Syrup

01 - 1 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/3 cup)
04 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Mascarpone Cream

05 - 1 cup heavy cream, cold
06 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
07 - 8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
09 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Assembly

10 - 24 ladyfinger cookies (savoiardi)
11 - Lemon slices and extra zest for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Combine water, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.
02 - In a chilled mixing bowl, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
03 - In separate bowl, whisk mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until completely smooth and no lumps remain.
04 - Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture using spatula. Continue folding until fully incorporated and mixture is light and fluffy. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Working quickly, dip each ladyfinger into cooled lemon syrup for 1-2 seconds per side. Ladyfingers should be moist but not saturated or falling apart.
06 - Arrange half of dipped ladyfingers in single layer in 9x9-inch baking dish. Spread half of mascarpone cream evenly over ladyfingers using offset spatula.
07 - Repeat with remaining ladyfingers and remaining mascarpone cream. Smooth top surface evenly with spatula.
08 - Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for minimum 4 hours or preferably overnight to allow flavors to develop and texture to set properly.
09 - Remove from refrigerator just before serving. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and additional zest if desired. Cut into squares and serve cold.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • No oven required and comes together in under 30 minutes of active time
  • The lemon cream is impossibly fluffy and feels like eating a cloud
  • It looks impressive but is completely foolproof, even for first time dessert makers
02 -
  • The ladyfippers soften considerably in the fridge, so do not worry if they feel slightly firm during assembly
  • This dessert needs the full chilling time or the flavors will not marry properly
  • Room temperature mascarpone incorporates much more smoothly than cold straight from the fridge
03 -
  • Use a microplane or fine grater for zest to avoid bitter white pith
  • Do not overmix the mascarpone or it can separate and become grainy

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