Matcha Tiramisu

This has been a recipe I’ve been wanting to rewrite for awhile. After writing my Vietnamese coffee tiramisu recipe, I knew I wanted to give this recipe a face lift because I’ve become way better at making desserts than when I initially wrote this recipe. This matcha tiramisu combines 2 things I love: tiramisu and matcha. What works about this simple recipe is that the matcha powder balances out the sweetness from the condensed milk, making it not too sweet. And we all know that’s the ultimate compliment for a dessert. 🙂

What is tiramisu?

Tiramisu originates from the Veneto or Fruili Venezia Giulia regions of Italy. It is a dessert made with lady fingers dipped in coffee layered between whipped mascarpone cream. When done right, it is the perfect combination of sweetness from the sugar and bitterness from the coffee. For my recipe, I stuck to a pretty traditional tiramisu recipe with a few tweaks. I substituted the sugar for condensed milk, and I added coffee to the cream to bring out the flavor of the coffee more. Traditional tiramisu also calls for some sort of alcohol like amaretto, rum, or cognac, but I chose to make that optional because I thought it would take away from the coffee flavor.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Brewed coffee – I used Cafe Du Monde coffee for my recipe. This is the coffee that a majority of Vietnamese Americans use because it is the closest you can get taste-wise to the coffee in Vietnam.
• Amaretto (optional) – Adds extra flavor to the coffee for dipping. It’s an optional ingredient. You can substitute with rum or cognac.
• Matcha powder – The matcha powder adds the green color and matcha flavor to the tiramisu. I used Aiya matcha powder.
• Egg yolks – Adds richness to the mascarpone mixture.
• Condensed milk – Condensed milk is substituted for the sugar in the mascarpone mixture. I used sweetened condensed milk for this recipe.
• Mascarpone cheese – An Italian cream cheese used in many Italian desserts. It is a little sweeter than regular cream cheese.
• Vanilla extract – Adds extra flavor to the cream. Substitute with 1 vanilla bean or an equal amount of vanilla paste. I personally use vanilla paste because it has more flavor than vanilla extract.
• Heavy cream – Heavy cream is whipped into whipped cream and makes the mascarpone cream fluffy and airy.
• Lady fingers – The lady fingers act as the “cake” part of the tiramisu.

Making my matcha tiramisu recipe

First, combine your brewed coffee with amaretto in a bowl. Set aside. Mix the condensed milk and matcha together until a uniform green color. Sift the matcha powder into the condensed milk. Next make your mascarpone filling. Bring water to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Add egg yolks and matcha condensed milk to a bowl. Put the bowl on top of the simmering water and mix until the egg mixture turns a lighter green color (3-5 minutes). Remove from the heat.

Lastly, add the mascarpone cheese, brewed coffee, and vanilla extract to the egg mixture and mix until well incorporated. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks. Gently fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture. Set aside. Now it’s time to assemble your tiramisu. Lightly dip a lady finger in the brewed coffee and place it in a 9×9 baking dish. Repeat this process until the bottom is lined with lady fingers. Scoop half the mascarpone cream onto the lady fingers. Spread it out in an even layer on top of the lady fingers. Repeat this process with a second layer of lady fingers and then a second layer of mascarpone cheese. Sift matcha powder on top of the second layer of mascarpone cream. Cover the tiramisu and place it in the fridge. Let it set in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.

Tips on how to make the perfect matcha tiramisu

Use room temperature ingredients

For the smoothest mascarpone cream, use room temperature ingredients. Mascarpone cheese is essentially Italian cream cheese, so if it is not at room temperature, it tends to get clumpy when incorporated with other ingredients. I would recommend taking it out a few hours ahead of time to bring it to room temperature before using.

Whip eggs over simmering water

This is super important because otherwise, the mascarpone cream is too watery and you don’t get that airy cream you’re aiming for. Whipping the cream over simmering water reduces the liquid in the mixture and helps it become a creamier texture. Make sure the heat isn’t too high and you don’t leave it on there too long. You don’t want to scramble the eggs either.

Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks

This is crucial for an airy mascarpone cream. The whipped cream is where it gets most of its lift and airiness.

Don’t drench the lady fingers in coffee

I made this mistake in my first test. My lady fingers were soaked all the way through with coffee, so when I went in to cut out a piece, the cake just collapsed. The key is to lightly dip each lady finger on both sizes, so the center is still dry. This helps the cake keep its shape.

Let the matcha tiramisu sit over night in the fridge for the best results

The cake really needs to set in the fridge before you cut into it. If you try to cut into it right away, the cake won’t hold up as well. I would recommend at least 6 hours but I found I had the best results when I did it overnight.

Can I freeze my matcha tiramisu?

Yes! I love the taste of frozen tiramisu. You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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