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Creamy, rich, and bursting with bold matcha flavors, this irresistible matcha tiramisu consists of matcha soaked ladyfingers layered with a light and airy mascarpone custard filling. It’s a classic tiramisu dessert with a Japanese twist!
Tiramisu (ティラミス) is one of Mr. JOC’s top three favorite desserts, and he’s been asking me to make it for a long, long time. We both love matcha, so I decided to put a Japanese spin on this elegant dessert, Matcha Tiramisu (抹茶ティラミス).
Matcha Tiramisu, A Really Simple Dessert
Tiramisu is actually a very simple, easy-to-make dessert. Basically, this dessert involves two steps:
- Make the mascarpone custard filling with egg yolks, egg whites, sugar, and mascarpone cheese.
- Assemble the tiramisu by layering the custard filling and ladyfingers (biscotti savoiardi).
Once done, this no-bake dessert just needs to be chilled before serving, and that’s it!
Here’s the Catch and What You Can Do
Everyone loves tiramisu at the restaurant but I always wondered why I rarely see the homemade versions at potlucks and dinner parties. Now I know why.
The classic Italian Tiramisu includes raw eggs (both egg yolks and whites). If I was in Japan, I won’t be too concerned about consuming raw eggs; however, here in the U.S., they are not safe to consume due to the possible risk of salmonella.
Now in order to avoid the possible risk, you have a few options.
- Option 1: Use pasteurized eggs (which could be hard to find at your local grocery stores)
- Option 2: Pasteurize your own eggs (you can follow my recipe, but you’ll need an immersion circulator)
- Option 3: Swap egg whites with heavy cream (commonly practiced) and cook egg yolks till 160 ºF (71 ºC) (not so commonly practiced).
I thought I’d go with Option 3 as it sounds easier. Next, I’ll talk about what I learned from my experience.
2 Must-Have Kitchen Tools for Making Matcha Tiramisu
Option 3 didn’t turn out to be as simple as I expected, and here’s why.
Tiramisu recipe requires a lot of whisking/beating. You have to beat the egg whites (or heavy cream) and you have to whisk the egg yolk mixture really fast while heating so it won’t become scrambled eggs. There is no rest in between once you start.
At first, I thought my hand whisking would be good enough. Oh my gosh, after whisking vigorously for close to 10 minutes, I thought my arms were going to fall off. I had to switch over to my hand mixer which saved my life, seriously.
You will also need an instant-read thermometer. Why such a fancy thermometer?
It really comes down to prompt temperature control when you are mixing the egg mixture. Once the temperature of the egg yolks reaches 160 ºF (71 ºC), you want to immediately remove from heat and stop it from further cooking. Otherwise, you will end up with scrambled eggs. I appreciate my thermometer even more after making Tiramisu.
If you’re a big fan of tiramisu and want to make this recipe frequently, I highly recommend investing in these two kitchen tools.
Almost Finish – Layering Matcha Tiramisu
Once you have the custard filling ready, the rest of the preparation is super easy. There is no more arm work involved.
If I may add one tip, I would suggest 3 layers instead of 2, especially if you are not into creamy desserts (like me). Adding extra ladyfingers gives more texture to the tiramisu. For 3 layers, you’ll need 36 ladyfingers (1.5 boxes). I think I’d like that better, but Mr. JOC is happy with the recipe as it is. JOC reader Merilda tried with 3 layers and her feedback is left on the comment below.
Make sure to dust the matcha powder RIGHT BEFORE serving, so the matcha won’t absorb the moisture from the tiramisu and ruin the presentation.
Speaking of matcha, it’s very important to use decent quality matcha for the obvious reason: beautiful green color and distinct matcha flavor. There are so many brands of matcha available online, and many of you asked me which one I recommend.
To be honest, I am very happy with Maeda-en brand matcha (not sponsored) that I can purchase at my local Japanese grocery stores (or Amazon). It’s decent quality for baking and making sweets. I don’t recommend buying any matcha that’s cheaper than this brand. Matcha is expensive even in Japan, and if you’re about to get a big bag or cheaper brand of matcha, don’t be surprised when you see yellow-green matcha with an awful bitter taste (FYI, matcha needs to be consumed in 2-3 weeks, so don’t get a big bag.).
How to Make Individual-Serving Matcha Tiramisu
When I was going to make this recipe, I couldn’t decide if I want to serve Matcha Tiramisu in one big serving dish or individual serving dishes.
Personally, I like the look of individual serving dishes as it shows the layers clearly. My glass containers actually came from Tiramisu that we bought from Costco. They are pretty useful when you make tiramisu or parfaits.
Since many of you probably have a large serving dish, I created this recipe that works for both. If you’re making one single serving, then you’ll need an 8-inch-square baking dish (20 x 20 cm). If you have an individual serving dishes (180 ml each), you will roughly need 8 of them.
The layering process is exactly the same – you just need to cut the ladyfingers to fit into your individual containers.
Whether you make one big Matcha Tiramisu or single-serving dishes, this dessert will be a hit! With an electric hand mixer and an instant-read thermometer, you’ll be fully equipped to make this delicious recipe to wow your guests!
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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- 3 large egg yolks (19 g x 3 = 57 g; room temperature)
- ⅓ cup sugar (divided)
- 2 Tbsp marsala wine (highly recommend, missing a kick without it)
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese (use 1 package mascarpone; room temperature)
- 1 ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream (chilled)
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (9 g)
- 24 ladyfingers (for 3 layers, you will need 36; read the post)
- 2 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (for dusting)
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Gather all the ingredients and equipments. You will need a medium saucepan, a heatproof mixing bowl (to set over the saucepan), and 2 large bowls. Make sure one of the large bowls can fit the mixing bowl and fill it with ice water, and set aside for Step 6.
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In the saucepan, fill with 2 inches of water. Set the mixing bowl over and make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Remove the bowl (will use it shortly for egg custard), and bring the water to barely a simmer, and reduce the heat to low.
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In the heatproof mixing bowl, add egg yolks, marsala wine, and 3 Tbsp granulated sugar and start whisking with a handheld electric mixer.
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Set the bowl over the saucepan of barely simmering water and continue to beat the eggs. Keep your instant thermometer handy as you will be checking the temperature of the egg mixture. To consume Tiramisu safely, heat the egg yolk mixture until it reaches 160ºF (71ºC), about 10 minutes. 160ºF is close enough to turn the eggs into scrambled eggs; therefore, I highly recommend both an electric mixer and an instant-read thermometer for this process (please read my post).
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Cook, beating constantly, until the custard is light and thick.
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Continue whisking (I use level 3 of 5-speed hand mixer throughout the time).
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Once the custard reaches 160ºF (71ºC), immediately remove the bowl from the saucepan and set in a large bowl of ice water. Let it cool down for 1 minute to quickly stop cooking.
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Put the mascarpone in another large bowl and soften it with a silicone spatula. Gradually fold the custard into the mascarpone.
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Take note: the egg yolk mixture does get cooked a bit on the side of the bowl from the double boiler. Do not scrape off to use it.
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Gently fold in until just smooth (the custard will be grainy if over mixed).
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In a large bowl (you can reuse the bowl from ice bath, but make sure it's completely dry), beat heavy (whipping) cream until foamy, and gradually add sugar.
- Beat until medium peak forms.
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Gradually fold in the heavy cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture.
- Fold in the mixture until well combined.
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Combine the hot water (175ºF/80ºC) and matcha powder and whisk until there is no lumps. Transfer to a flat-bottom container that fits ladyfingers.
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One at a time, quickly dip both sides of the ladyfingers in the matcha mixture until soaked but not soggy. Place them on the bottom of an 8"x8" (20x20 cm) baking dish, arranging 2 rows of 6 ladyfingers each.
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Spread half of the mascarpone custard over the ladyfingers. Smooth out the surface.
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Dip the remaining ladyfingers in the matcha mixture and place them on top of the custard.
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Top with the remaining custard, smooth out the top, and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap to cover the cream. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
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Before serving, dust with matcha powder and enjoy!
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You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Ha! Namiko-chan, great read. Still… I love your videos!
Hi Bill! Thank you, I really appreciate that you came over to my blog! We wish we have more time to make videos. Thank you for stopping by. Stay tuned for the next video (Mr. JOC has been editing). 🙂
Hi
Can I substitute the alcohol with something else? For instance brewed matcha tea?
Hi Lena! Sure, it’s nice to have some kind of strong kick as otherwise it can be too creamy and bland. I’ve never tried matcha but if you try let us know what you think. 🙂
Hi
Thank you 🙂 I’ll tell you about it when I try it out ^_^
Can’t wait to try this. Do you think umeshu might work in the place of marsala? I have a lovely green tea-infused one by Nakata which might suit this. 🙂
Hi JJ! Sure, give it a try and let us know. The cream filling needs some punch, and marsala worked great but I’m curious about umeshu too!
Yes!! I’m so excited to try this out!!! I am obsessed with Matcha flavor! It’s so amazing!
Thank you Sam! Me too, I love matcha… I’ll need to try all kinds of matcha desserts for JOC. 😀
Hi Nami!! I love your blog and am so excited when I saw this recipe (my husband is a big tiramisu fan)! Too bad there is no video of this recipe 🙁
I made this recipe yesterday and found that the most tricky part is making the custard. For some reason, I couldnt get the temperature up to 160F without cooking the eggs. Do I have to put the saucepan on high heat?
Please advise! Thank you, Nami!
Hi LC! Thank you for reading my blog, and it looks like both of our husbands love tiramisu. 🙂 Sorry there was no video for this recipe – it was a kind of last minute decision on my end that I really wanted to share this recipe before Christmas (I have received TONS of requests for this one)… and as Mr JOC has his day job, there was no way we could film on weekends and edit on weeknight to get it done before Christmas. I am sorry…
I agree with you 100%. I’m not sure if you read my blog post, but I really believe that custard part is most difficult part as 160F is SO close to scramble egg. Which is why it’s SUPER important to have an instant read thermometer (no time to wait for recording thermometer) and electric hand mixer… I almost died when I tried to beat the egg yolk with my hand.
There is no break. You just have to keep moving otherwise the egg may cook!
The heat doesn’t have to be high heat, actually. At first, I thought so too, but I learned from my experience that steady simmering and slowly bringing up the temperature of the egg yolk is important. And when you measure the temperature. I’ve tried making this recipe several times. First time, I was so nervous that my egg would cook through, and I couldn’t bring it to 160F (and it was with my hand whisking). Every time I was so nervous doing this, but I want my family to enjoy Tiramisu so I tried to be calm and worked on it and could bring to 160F. It’s not easy… and I think, a lot of recipes don’t require or even mention about 160F. But if you worry about the possible risk of salmonela, it’s something we should “try” to do, especially if you bring this dessert to a party etc. I’m totally convinced this custard part is the reason why we don’t see people making this dessert. 😉 It’s a hard work! But once you get hang of this part, the rest is SUPER easy!
Hope this helps!
I use a similar recipe for ‘normal’ tiramisu and made it countless of times already. Just keep the water on rolling boil and you won’t cook the eggs. I make sure to move around the handmixer so it reaches all the egg.
As for this recipe, I will try finally this weekend!
Thank you Winnie! Hope you enjoy the recipe. xoxo
I love cooking and try a new recipe, especially Japanese cuisine, and find that Justonecookbook is the best tutor for everyone want to learn cooking…thank you Nami, you are amazing teacher..
Hi Rosa! Thank you for your kind words. I’m happy to hear that my recipes are helpful. 🙂
Thank you for reading my blog! 🙂
Hi! Just wanted to know if matcha powder is way pass expiration date, but unopened, is it safe to use in baking?
Hi vivienne! It’s probably “safe” to use if properly packaged, BUT it won’t taste good… the shelf life for matcha is usually 6 months, and once opened, you have to use it in 2-3 weeks. It’s very short period. It doesn’t hurt to check inside and see? If it’s yellow green, definitely don’t use it. If it has beautiful green color, I’d use it. 🙂
Great recipe! Just made it for Valentine’s Day and used a heart shaped glass to put it in. The flavor was good; just sweet enough. I appreciate all the helpful details that were provided.
Hi Alex! How wonderful! I’m so happy to hear you gave this recipe a try! Thanks for your kind feedback, and hope you had a lovely V-day. 🙂
hi dear! what brand of marsala wine do you use? does cooking marsala wine work??
Hi Judith! I don’t remember the name of brand… I didn’t know there was a cooking marsala wine but yeah I think you can use that.
I just made this using a Thermomix, and the recipe worked extremely well. Did not have to worry about overcooking the eggs at all. It’s still in the fridge right now, but when I tried the custard before assembling it, I was very very surprised by the flavor! Best custard/cream I’ve ever tasted! Not too sweet either.
Hi Min! Thanks for sharing your tip with us! Glad to hear you enjoyed it. 🙂
Hi Min! May I have your thermomix recipe pls? ☺️
I tried the recipe and it was awesome! Thank you for sharing! Btw I tried making 3 layers on a baking dish, apparently when you cut a piece of cake out, the piece does not stand as stable. It tends to flop over and does not looks standing firmly. Probably because it is too tall and less cream in between the layer to hold them. I think the three layers works better if it is assembled in a cup. But again it still taste great, thanks you again for the recipe!
Hi Merilda! Aww thank you so much for trying 3 layers and giving us feedback. I see, it might be more wobbly. I felt 2 layers have too much cream (just because I’m not a huge cream fan)… but it was easier to cut and scoop out and stay stable. Thank you for sharing valuable info!
This has been added to my library of favorite desserts! Thank you for sharing; you never disappoint, Nami!
Hi Chris! Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
This was an awesome recipe! Thanks so much! I made it and family loved it!
Hi Michelle! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Wonderful! Even though it looks like a football field lawn hahah! Pardon. There are some ingredients that I will get here in the Japanese colony in São Paulo, Liberdade neighborhood. But it will only be worth it.
Hi Syd! Hahaha, a football field!! That’s a good one!! Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
Hi Nami,
Thank you very much for sharing this great recipe!
I have few questions:
1. I don’t have Marsala wine or Rum… only Kahlua… will it work for this recipe?
2. Could I add Matcha powder into the cream mixture? If yes, how much should I put in?
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Yanthi! 1) Hmm Kahlua may be too much flavor and overpower matcha. Maybe skip? 2) Sure! Start with small amount, maybe 1 tbsp? Take out small portion and make into a paste before adding matcha into the entire whipped cream. 🙂
The directions were very helpful but the matcha mixture was way too bitter (this is coming from someone who loves dark chocolate and matcha). I recommend using some milk, sugar, and a dash of vanilla to have a better tasting mixture!
Hi Kevin! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your feedback! 🙂
Hi! What can I swap eggs for? I want to make eggless matcha tiramisu.
Hi Sami! I’m sorry but I don’t have the eggless tiramisu recipe for now. Maybe one day…
Hi Nami can we substitute marsala by rum or sake?
Hi Viet! Maybe rum, or skip?
Should i use 3 egg whites if i prefer to use it over heavy cream? Would i need to increase the amount of sugar or anything?
Hi Esther! If you increase the heavy cream you have to calculate so the other ingredients get properly increased with the same ratio. 🙂
Do you have matcha lava cake recipe. Dun seem able to find in your blog. Thank you.
Hi Adeline,
Matcha Lava Cake sounds good! Unfortunately, we haven’t tested the cake yet. I will let Nami knows your interest!🙂
OMG! This may be my favorite tiramisu. And I’ve made/eaten many different type of tiramisu, because I am a tiramisu addict. LOL. I used to have a very good tiramisu recipe when I lived in Japan which I had lost. Even thought that tiramisu recipe was a traditional one with coffee and cocoa powder, this tasted very close to that recipe. I am so happy I got reunited! Thank you Nami-san! My (American) kids also love matcha flavor!
Hi Ikue!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
We couldn’t be happier to hear how much joy and excitement Nami’s recipe has brought to you! Happy Baking!☺️
I made this for my mom’s birthday! It was a success! Everyone loved it, I will definitely come back to this recipe. Only problem was with cooking the eggs, it came out fine but it took awhile and I didn’t have a double broiler so I had to use the bowl and saucepan method which was difficult. But, the result was worth it!
Hi Mihane!
We are so happy to hear the Tiramisu turned out great for your mom’s birthday, and everyone loved it!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your feedback!
How about a stick blender with the egg whip attachment rather than a hand mixer?
Hi Peter,
Sure! If you can blend the egg, it will work!
Thank you for trying this recipe.🙂
Namiko, what type of Marsala wine do you use and if using, is this recipe kid friendly?
Thanks
Hi Kristine!
Namiko uses sweet Marsala wine for this recipe.
This recipe contains a small amount of alcohol and caffeine (from green tea), so please make your own judgment if you would like to serve kids. It’s totally up to you.😉
Thank you for trying this recipe!
LOVE IT! thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
Hi Michelle,
Yay! We are so glad to hear you loved it!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!