When I think of summer I think of lemon and easy refreshing desserts and this lemon tiramisu is just all of that in one! Think ladyfingers dipped in lemon syrups and layers of lemony mascarpone topped with sweet and tangy lemon curd! 

Lemon Tiramisu

Now, I know what you may be thinking right now, Lemon Tiramisu? Really? First of all, don’t worry, we are most definitely not mixing lemon and coffee here! Secondly, as we are getting closer to the warmer months, we are all always in the mood for a more refreshing dessert, and this lemon tiramisu is just that! This lemon tiramisu is made similarly to any tiramisu and contains many of its most basic ingredients, but it is also made with the addition of some delicious swaps which make this dessert the perfect summer treat.

So, what is this made of?

One of the reasons why I love this lemon tiramisu so much is because is incredibly easy to make and requires very little ingredients. I think the word tiramisu sometimes sounds scary, but, to be honest, this recipe is incredibly easy to make. I mean, let’s be honest, it’s getting warm, we want to spend more time outside playing and let’s time inside baking! All you’ll need for this is:

• Ladyfingers
• Mascarpone cheese
• Doble cream
• Lemon curd
• Vanilla extract
• Lemon syrup

About the lemon syrup

Lemon syrup is super easy and quick to make, so don’t worry if it sounds too complicated because it is not. All you need to make it is lemon juice, water, sugar and lemon zest, that’s all! To make it, mix it all together in a pot and allow to simmer for around 5 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved. All that is left to do is allow it to cool down and it’s ready to use for your tiramisu!

A few tips for success

• Use mascarpone cheese: yes, mascarpone is similar to cream cheese, but also slightly different. Mascarpone has a much milder flavour and it’s creamier, as it’s made with whole cream instead of milk. You can find mascarpone in pretty much every supermarket.
• Do not dip your ladyfingers in the syrup for too long – I think we’ve all been there, we dip a cookie in coffee or milk and it breaks or it becomes super soggy, we definitely do not want that! I dipped my lady fingers in the lemon syrup with a quick movement so they stayed firm. If the cookies are too wet, they’ll break when you put them on the tiramisu or it will difficult to serve.
• Make it a day ahead: this is not a must, but I would highly recommend as that will allow all the flavours to set, making it a lot tastier.
• Add alcohol if you want: feel free to add your choice of poison to your tiramisu, limoncello sounds like the best way forward with this one!
• Feel free to use store bought lemon curd – I didn’t make mine, just made sure I bought good quality lemon curd and to be honest, I have zero regrets about it!

Easy Lemon Tiramisu

Ingredients:

For the lemon syrup 

• 100 ml lemon juice 
• 100 ml of water
• 150 gr of sugar
• 1 tbsp of lemon zest

For the filling 

• 400 gr of mascarpone cheese
• 200 gr of double (heavy) cream
• 200 gr of lemon curd + 200 gr for the top layer
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 20 lady fingers

Method:

1. Start by making the lemon syrup. In a pot, mix together the lemon juice, water, sugar and lemon zest and simmer over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes stirring frequently until the sugar has fully dissolved. Once it’s ready, transfer into a clean bowl, make sure you sieve the syrup when you transfer it into the bowl to get rid of the zest and any pips you may have missed. Allow the syrup to cool down completely before moving onto the next step.
2. Let’s move onto the filling. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer beat together the mascarpone, vanilla extract and lemon curd until thick and creamy. In a separate bowl, beat the double cream until stiff peaks (basically, when you lift the hand mixer there should be little peaks poking out of your cream!). Then, use a spatula to fold together the mascarpone mix and double cream until fully combined, make sure you reach the bottom of your bowl so everything is well combined.
3. Now assemble the tiramisu. Dip your lady fingers carefully into the lemon syrup, it’s important to dip them quickly to avoid them becoming soggy and breaking. Place them carefully into a dish until it’s fully covered, depending on the size of your dish you may have to cut the ends of your ladyfingers if they are too long.
4. Top your first layer of ladyfingers with half of the filling, make sure you spread it evenly over the ladyfingers reaching all corners of the dish. Repeat the process one more time, dipping the ladyfingers into the syrup first and then topping with the remaining tiramisu filling, smooth it out using a spatula. Once ready, cover with cling film or foil and place in the fridge ideally overnight, but for at least 6 to 8 hours.
5. Once it’s ready to serve, top it with a final layer of lemon curd. I used some double cream to decorate it with some flowers, but you can also add some slices of lemon, or don’t add anything at all!