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. 🙂
How my matcha tiramisu recipe is different
Tiramisu 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 matcha powder to cream for the flavor and to make it green. Traditional tiramisu also calls for some sort of alcohol like amaretto, rum, or cognac, but I chose to make that optional because it’s honestly kind of expensive. I don’t always use it when I make this recipe.
Key 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. However, any kind of coffee should work for this recipe.
- Amaretto (optional) – This is an optional ingredient. I love the flavor it adds to the coffee. You can substitute with rum or cognac.
- Matcha powder – I used Aiya matcha powder for this recipe because after testing various matcha powders, I always come back to this one because of the amazing flavor and the vibrant green color it imparts to food.
- Condensed milk – As mentioned, condensed milk is substituted for the sugar in the mascarpone mixture. I used sweetened condensed milk for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract – 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.
Tips on how to make the best matcha tiramisu
Use room temperature ingredients
This is true for most cake recipes and something I learned testing my matcha cake recipe. 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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Get the Recipe:
Matcha Tiramisu
Ingredients
Brewed Coffee
- ¾ cup brewed coffee
- 1 tbsp amaretto, optional
Mascarpone Cream
- ⅓ cup condensed milk
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- 3 egg yolks
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp brewed coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
Tiramisu Assembly
- 40 lady fingers
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
Equipment
Instructions
- 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 a few cups of water (2-3 cups) 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.
- 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 from step 5. 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. For the best flavor and texture, let it set in the fridge overnight.
Notes
- 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.
- For more tips and trick, please refer to the blog post.