Fresh Lemon Tiramisu

With layers of lady fingers soaked in homemade lemon syrup, a pillowy lemon whipped mascarpone, and silky homemade lemon curd on top, this lemon tiramisu does NOT skimp on flavor. All the components in this tiramisu are naturally flavored and naturally colored!

the lemon tiramisu layers

• lemon syrup soaked lady fingers: I could bottle and drink this stuff! The lemon syrup helps soften the lady fingers and adds a TON of lemon flavor!
• lemon whipped mascarpone: So simple to make - it literally just involves beating all the ingredients together until it reaches stiff peaks! It also has a bit of lemon zest in there for added flavor. When making traditional tiramisu, this mixture is often made using eggs, but leaving them out in this recipe makes for a much quicker, lighter, and fresher cream filling.
• homemade lemon curd: to top this beauty off, we have a simple homemade lemon curd that gets its richness and beautiful yellow color from egg yolks. It's perfectly tart and flavorful!

how to make lemon tiramisu

The best part about this tiramisu is the fact that it mostly just involves tossing ingredients together and mixing!

1. Make the lemon syrup: Combine lemon syrup ingredients and boil for 1 minute. Cool completely to room temperature before straining and using.
2. Make the whipped mascarpone mix: Combine mascarpone layer ingredients and whip together until it reaches stiff peaks.
3. Layer: Quickly dip lady fingers in the lemon syrup and layer in your serving dish. Top with about half of the mascarpone mixture, followed by more lemon syrup dipped lady fingers. Spread over the remaining mascarpone cream mixture.
4. Chill: Allow the tiramisu to sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to set. This allows the mascarpone cream to set into a mousse consistency and allows the lady fingers to soften to perfection.
4. Make the lemon curd: Combine lemon curd ingredients in a pot (minus the butter). Cool on medium low until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add butter and mix in to melt and combine. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature - it will thicken more as it cools - before using.
5. Finishing touches! Pour the curd over your cold tiramisu - the curd should firm up and set when it touches the cold tiramisu top. Decorate the top of your tiramisu with some whipped cream and / or lemon zest if desired. You can serve the tiramisu right away or set it in the fridge until ready to enjoy! The lemon curd will set even more if you chill it, so it's a good idea to do so if you want cleaner slices - otherwise scoop with a spoon and dig in!

best pan for this lemon tiramisu

I used an 11 inch oval baking dish from Staub, but you can also use a 10x7 or 9x9 inch dish to layer and serve your tiramisu. An 8x8 inch pan may work, but I think it would leave you with some extra whipped mascarpone that won't fit (unless the pan has extra tall sides!) You could also divide the tiramisu across cups and layer little individual lemon tiramisus!

lemon tiramisu tips

• lemon syrup: Make sure to cool the lemon syrup COMPLETELY before dipping the lady fingers in. The lady fingers will be prone to slurping up the liquid much faster if it's warm. Not only will it make them overly soft, but oversoaked lady fingers will also need way more lemon syrup to account for all of them.
• lady fingers: It's important to dip the lady fingers in the lemon syrup relatively quickly (again) so they don't soak in too much liquid. They don't need more than about 1 to 2 seconds - they'll feel pretty crisp initially but will soften as they sit and chill.
• whipped mascarpone layers: Make sure the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream are cold (like straight from the fridge) so they whip up faster and more stable. I also personally like chilling my mixing bowl in the freezer for about 5 minutes beforehand to make sure everything's nice and cold! There's quite a bit of heavy cream involved, so it'll take a good 5 to 7 minutes to whip up - I'd recommend cracking out your stand mixer if you have one to speed the process up, but a handheld mixture works fine too. And be wary of over whipping the mixture - it'll make it grainy and clumpy!!
• chilling: Tiramisu needs at least 4 to 6 hours in the fridge to allow the lady fingers to soften and the mascarpone mixture to firm up enough to slice.

lemon curd tips

You can use store bought lemon curd for topping the tiramisu - or even skip it altogether if you prefer. I personally loooovvee homemade curd and it's so easy to make from scratch!

That being said, here are a few tips to keep in mind if you're making homemade curd:

• heat: It's important to cook the lemon curd on medium low heat. If you have a stove burner that runs hot, try to avoid it. I have one side of my stove-top that runs much hotter than the other, so I always make sure to use the cooler side when making curd. A moderately low heat is important to ensure the curd doesn't clump or curdle.
• whisk: Again on the topic of clumping, whisk the curd constantly while it's on the heat - otherwise the bottom can begin to thicken or burn while the top remains liquid.
• cool: Make sure the curd has cooled completely to room temperature before pouring it over your tiramisu. It will continue to thicken as it cools. The room temperature curd should be about the same consistency as caramel sauce. If it's too loose, you could still use it, but you'll have a slightly messier tiramisu experience. I would recommend taking it back to your stove top and cooking it until it's thickened further if you want a firmer set curd - the main downside being you'd have to wait for it to cool all over again.

troubleshooting

My mascarpone cream is watery / grainy: If the cream is loose but smooth, it's probably under whipped and needs some more whisking to get pillowy and airy. If the cream thickened at one point but then turned watery and grainy, if means it was overwhipped - that unfortunately means it's no longer useable.

I don't have enough lemon syrup for all the lady fingers: Most likely means the first few lady fingers sat in the syrup for too long, so the initial lady fingers oversoaked and slurped up all the syrup meant for the rest.

My curd clumped: If your curd still curdles and clumps, it most likely means it was either not whisked enough or the stove burner was running too hot. If your entire stove top runs hot, then I would recommend trying to make the curd over a bain-marie - it takes longer but it's the best alternative.

My curd is too thin. If your curd cools completely and still looks too thin, it most likely means it didn't cook for long enough. You can return it to a pot and cook it again if needed.

storage

Keep tiramisu covered and stored in the fridge until ready to serve. This tiramisu will keep for about 4 days in the fridge. As it sits, the lady fingers will continue to soften - so if you like softer cookies, let it sit longer. For firmer cookies, serve sooner!

check out these other recipes!

• Tiramisu Cookies
• Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Lemon Brownies
• Iced Lemon Loaf

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

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Enjoy!

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