Limoncello Tiramisu

This Limoncello Tiramisu is absolutely delicious, with creamy Limoncello mascarpone, lemon curd, and ladyfingers soaked in a Limoncello syrup. This is also an eggless recipe, and comes together super easily.

This twist on the classic Italian dessert swaps out the traditional coffee and cocoa for the brightness of fresh lemons and Limoncello liqueur. The result is a sweet and tangy treat that is perfect for summer picnics, dinner parties, or just a sweet indulgence on a warm afternoon.

Layers of ladyfingers dipped in a sweet and zesty Limoncello syrup, topped with fluffy and airy Limoncello Mascarpone Cream, and tangy Lemon Curd.

This is a no bake recipe, and it’s perfect for summer time, since you don’t have to turn the oven on!

How to make Limoncello Tiramisu Recipe

To make this delicious Limoncello Tiramisu, you will need a few key ingredients: mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, lemon curd, heavy cream, powdered sugar, ladyfinger cookies, granulated sugar, and Limoncello liqueur.

For the Lemon Curd, you can use store-bought or find the recipe here. This recipe makes exactly 1.5 cups of lemon curd, which is what you need for the Limoncello Tiramisu.

This is an eggless lemon tiramisu recipe, so it doesn’t take any egg yolks or egg whites, but the Lemon Curd recipe does take eggs. If you want to keep the whole recipe eggless, you can use an eggless Lemon Curd recipe, or find a vegan store-bought lemon curd.

Limoncello Syrup

First, make the Limoncello Syrup so it has a chance to cool down while you are preparing the Limoncello Mascarpone Cream.

In a small saucepan mix the lemon juice, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Once the mixture comes to a boil turn the heat off.

Add the Limoncello liqueur and mix to combine. Set it aside to cool down.

Tip: before adding the sugar and lemon to the pan, rub the sugar and lemon zest together using your hands, that will help release the lemon flavor even more!

If you choose to make this recipe without Limoncello because you can’t find any around you, or because you want to keep the recipe alcohol-free, here is how you do it. Add the same amount of water instead, but add it along with all the ingredients before you bring the syrup to a boil.

Limoncello Mascarpone Cream

To make the Limoncello Mascarpone Cream, start by beating together the mascarpone cheese, grated lemon zest, lemon juice, and Limoncello in a large bowl.

I am adding 2 tablespoons of lemon zest, but you can always add more to taste.

Use a mixer or a whisk. If using a whisk, make sure to whisk vigorously until the mixture is creamy and well-incorporated.

Add the lemon curd and mix to combine.

Scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to make sure all ingredients are combined.

Again, if you wish to substitute the Limoncello liqueur because you want to keep the recipe alcohol free, or simply because you don’t have access to the liqueur, here is how to do it. Instead of using 3 tbsp of lemon juice, use 1/3 cup of lemon juice instead, and leave the Limoncello out.

But wait, the Limoncello Mascarpone Cream isn’t ready yet. We have one more step to complete. To make the mascarpone cream super fluffy and airy, we are going to whip the heavy whipping cream with sugar until stiff peaks form, using the electric mixer.

Once the cream has firm peaks, stop whipping.

Now it’s time to fold the whipped cream with the mascarpone mixture we first made.

Add half of the whipped cream to the mascarpone and fold to incorporate. Try not to deflate the mixture too much, you want to keep it fluffy and airy.

Add the second half of the whipped cream to the bowl and fold again.

Assemble the Limoncello Tiramisu

To assemble the lemon tiramisu, let’s start by dipping savoiardi (as known as ladyfinger cookies in English) in the cooled down syrup.

Make sure the ladyfingers are evenly coated on both sides, but not too soggy. They will quickly absorb the moisture from the syrup so they don’t need to soak for a long time.

Immediately after soaking, place the ladyfingers on the bottom of the baking dish. Making sure to cover the entire surface on a single layer. If necessary, break some ladyfingers into smaller pieces to fit in any gaps.

Next, pour half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers, using an offset spatula to make sure it is spread evenly. On top of the mascarpone, pour lemon curd and spread it around with a spatula.

Repeat the layering process with another layer of moistened ladyfingers and the remaining mascarpone mixture. You might have a bit of leftover Limoncello mascarpone cream, which you can pipe around the edges of the tiramisu. If you don’t have any leftover but still wish to decorate the dish, you can use whipped cream instead.

On top of the final layer of mascarpone, add the remaining lemon curd and spread it around with a spatula.

Finally, sprinkle lemon zest on the top of the tiramisu for an added burst of flavor and a touch of color. Chill the dish in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or until the mascarpone cream has firmed up and the ladyfingers have absorbed the Limoncello.

I am using a 11×8″ pan. This recipe can also be made in a 8×8″, 9×9″ pan, or in a 9×5″ loaf pan. When making this recipe in a loaf pan, you may need to make three layers of ladyfingers and three layers of mascarpone cream instead of two, since the pan is more narrow, but also taller.

When serving, make sure to scoop all the way down to the bottom of the pan so that each bite has all the layers of deliciousness. You can also customize this recipe by adding a layer of fresh berries, or by using raspberries to decorate the top of the tiramisu for example.

Can I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone cheese?

Yes you can technically use cream cheese instead of mascarpone cheese. A few changes need to be observed. The first is the fact that the cream cheese will need to be room temperature to be whipped along with the other ingredients to make the cream.

The second is the fact that cream cheese is heavier than mascarpone, so it won’t end up having exactly the same final airy texture as the mascarpone tiramisu. To offset that, add another 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream when you are making the whipped cream, and add another tablespoon of sugar as well to make up for the extra cream.

If you like this Limoncello Tiramisu Recipe, you may also like these recipes:

• Lemon Cheesecake
• Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Pie
• Passionfruit Pie
• Lemon Pie
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
• Pumpkin Tiramisu

With its light and fluffy texture and the tangy punch of lemon, this Limoncello Tiramisu is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s easy to make and serves as a refreshing dessert option for any occasion. So grab a fork and enjoy!

Limoncello Tiramisu

Camila Hurst

This Limoncello Tiramisu is absolutely delicious, with creamy Limoncello mascarpone, lemon curd, and ladyfingers soaked in a Limoncello syrup.

4.91 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8 servings

Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients

  

Limoncello Syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice 78 ml
• 1/2 cup Limoncello liqueur 120 ml

Limoncello Mascarpone

• 2 cups Mascarpone cheese 452 grams
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 3 tbsp lemon juice 45 ml
• 1/4 cup Limoncello liqueur
• 1/2 cup lemon curd recipe here
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 354 ml
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar 41 grams

To assemble

• 26 ladyfinger cookies
• 1 cup lemon curd recipe here

Instructions

 

Limoncello Syrup

• Add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a small pan, stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil and the sugar melts, turn the heat off.
• Add the Limoncello liqueur to the syrup and stir. Set aside until it cools down.

Limoncello Mascarpone

• Beat the mascarpone with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Limoncello liqueur together until creamy.
• Add the lemon curd and mix to combine. Set it aside.
• Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Add half of the whipped cream to the mascarpone and fold to combine.
• Add the remaining half and fold again until a fluffy cream comes together.

To assemble

• Dunk one ladyfinger at a time in the Limoncello Syrup, and place them on the bottom of the pan. I used a 11×8" pan. Check notes below for pan size
• Top the ladyfingers with half of the Limoncello Mascarpone. Spread with an offset spatula.
• Spread half a cup of lemon curd on top of the mascarpone.
• Dunk more ladyfingers in the Limoncello Syrup and place them on top.
• Spread the remaining mascarpone on top. You might have some mascarpone leftover, save it to pipe on the borders of the dish once you are done with the layer.
• If you don’t have any mascarpone leftover, you can always top the dish with whipped cream.
• Pipe the leftover mascarpone, or whipped cream on top of the dish around the borders.
• Top the center with lemon curd. You can also sprinkle some lemon zest on top.
• Let the tiramisu sit in the fridge at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes

Lemon curd: this recipe makes exactly 1.5 cups, which is what you need for this recipe.

Pan size: I used a 11×8″ pan. You can also use a 8×8″ pan, 9×9″ pan, or a 9×5″ loaf pan. If using a loaf pan, you may consider making 3 layers of ladyfingers, and 3 layers of mascarpone instead of two. To make the recipe in a 9×13″ pan, you should double the recipe.

Limoncello: To leave the limoncello out in the recipe follow these instructions:

• Syrup– you can substitute it for water in the syrup, and add it to the pan before you bring the ingredients to a boil. 
• Mascarpone cream– Instead of using 3 tbsp of lemon juice, use 1/3 cup of lemon juice instead, and leave the limoncello out.

Lemon sugar: before adding the sugar and lemon to the saucepan to make the syrup, rub the sugar and lemon zest together using your hands, that will help release the lemon flavor even more!

Keyword lemon, tiramisu