Gordon Ramsay’s tiramisu is creamy, coffee-soaked and set in individual glasses, made with mascarpone, condensed milk, double cream, Marsala and ice-cold espresso. No eggs, no cooking, no baking. It sets in the fridge in 20 minutes and serves 6.
This recipe appears in Quick and Delicious, where Ramsay writes: “I use condensed milk in the mascarpone cream rather than eggs, which would be more traditional but also more time-consuming. The milk brings a silky sweetness that goes beautifully with the coffee and chocolate.” He demonstrates the same approach on The F Word, calling it “easy, simple, delicious and very very fast.”
The detail everyone gets wrong is the cream. In the video, Ramsay says “don’t overwhip the cream, we’re just looking for a nice thick lava consistency, no more than that.” Overwhipped cream makes the mascarpone layer stiff and grainy. You want it loose enough to fold smoothly into the mascarpone but firm enough to hold its shape in the glass. Stop before you think it’s ready.
Gordon Ramsay Tiramisu
Course: DessertCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes420
kcal20
minutesFrom Quick and Delicious: a no-egg tiramisu using condensed milk in the mascarpone cream instead of raw eggs. Layered in individual glasses with coffee-soaked sponge fingers, dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Sets in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the mascarpone cream:
250g mascarpone cheese
50ml condensed milk
250ml double cream
100ml Marsala wine
- For the coffee soak:
450ml cold black coffee or espresso, ice-cold
50ml coffee liqueur
- For the layers:
18 sponge finger biscuits (savoiardi)
40g dark chocolate (80% cocoa solids)
1 tbsp cocoa powder, to serve
Directions
- Make the coffee soak: Pour the coffee into a shallow tray and stir in the coffee liqueur. Place in the freezer for a few minutes until ice-cold. The coffee must be cold or it will melt the cream.
- Whip the mascarpone: Put the mascarpone and condensed milk into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, beat the double cream with an electric whisk until it reaches a thick, pourable consistency. Don’t overwhip. Stir in the Marsala, then fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.
- Soak the sponge fingers: Take 9 sponge fingers and dip them one at a time into the cold coffee for a few seconds. Turn them once and lift out quickly. They should be soggy on the outside but still crisp in the centre.
- First layer: Break the soaked fingers in half and place 3 halves in the bottom of each of six serving glasses. Grate a layer of dark chocolate directly over the sponge fingers. Spoon 2 tablespoons of mascarpone cream into each glass.
- Second layer: Dip the remaining 9 sponge fingers in the coffee. Break in half and add 2 halves to each glass. Grate the rest of the chocolate over the top. Divide the remaining mascarpone cream between the glasses.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Before serving, dust cocoa powder over the surface using a small tea strainer.
FAQs
Why no eggs in this tiramisu?
Ramsay is deliberate about this across two cookbooks. In Quick and Delicious he writes: “I use condensed milk rather than eggs, which would be more traditional but also more time-consuming.” In Fast Food he says: “For this quick, lighter version, light cream replaces eggs.”
Traditional tiramisu uses raw egg yolks whisked with sugar. Ramsay replaces that with condensed milk, which brings sweetness and body without the raw egg texture or the food safety concern. The result sets just as firm and tastes smoother.
Why must the coffee be ice-cold?
In The F Word video, Ramsay is specific: “It’s really important that the coffee is ice-cold.” Hot or warm coffee does two things wrong. It melts the mascarpone cream when the layers touch, and it makes the sponge fingers disintegrate instead of just soaking through.
Cold coffee soaks in from the outside but leaves the centre of each finger with a slight bite. That contrast between soft outside and firm centre is what gives each layer its texture.
Can you make a lighter version?
In Fast Food, Ramsay publishes a second tiramisu using light cream instead of double cream and skipping the condensed milk entirely. Just mascarpone, light cream, vanilla extract and Marsala. The method is identical but the result is noticeably lighter.
If you’re somewhere between the two, use the Quick and Delicious recipe but swap the double cream for whipping cream. You lose a little richness but the texture still holds. A crème brûlée is the better choice if you want full richness without holding back.
Why individual glasses instead of one big dish?
Both cookbook recipes and the TV demonstration use individual glasses or martini glasses. Ramsay never makes tiramisu in a large tray. Individual portions set faster (20 minutes vs an hour for a full dish), the layers stay neater because there’s less weight pressing down, and each guest gets the same ratio of cream to sponge.
The glasses also make it a make-ahead dessert for entertaining. Ramsay’s tip from Quick and Delicious: “If you’re entertaining, make these ahead of time and leave them in the fridge until you are ready to serve.”
How long can you keep it in the fridge?
Ramsay says 20 minutes minimum, but adds “the flavours really come together” if you leave them an hour or two. They hold well in the fridge overnight and are even better the next day because the coffee soaks deeper into the sponge.
After 24 hours the sponge fingers start losing their structure. Two days is the maximum. The sticky toffee pudding is a better make-ahead option if you need something that holds for longer.
