The Ultimate Decaf Tiramisu

The Ultimate Decaf Tiramisu

If you love coffee, chances are you love tiramisu. But have you ever paused mid-forkful in the evening and wondered whether that coffee hit might come back to haunt you at bedtime? For anyone who’s been there, we set out to create the Ultimate Decaf Tiramisu.

The Ultimate Decaf Tiramisu keeps everything we love about the classic - richness, depth, and a proper coffee hit - while swapping in freshly brewed specialty decaf and dialling back the sugar. The result is lighter, calmer, and balances the sweetness of the sugar, sherry and mascarpone with the pleasant bitterness of the coffee and cocoa.

What makes it the ULTIMATE

We think these three things make our Tiramisu Recipe 'The Ultimate'.

Fresh, properly brewed decaf
Instant coffee, weak filter coffee or even coffee flavoured booze is where most tiramisus fall down. The coffee component needs to be a strong brew of freshly roasted specialty decaf.

Half the sugar
Classic tiramisu recipes are often cloying. Halving the sugar lets the coffee, cocoa, and dairy speak more clearly and makes the dessert feel indulgent rather than heavy.

Time
The dessert needs an overnight in the fridge to settle, soften, and come together. Like most good coffee things, patience pays off.

Ingredients

Serves 6–8

  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 40g caster sugar (half the usual amount)
  • 500g mascarpone
  • 2 tbsp / 30mL/ a good glug sherry (we use Pedro Ximenez Dulce)
  • 2 tbsp / 30mL/ a good glug dark rum (we use Ron Zacapa Guatamalan Rum)
  • 120 ml strong, freshly brewed decaf coffee
  • 24 savoiardi (ladyfinger) biscuits
  • Cocoa powder, for dusting

The Coffee 

If you don’t have an espresso machine, that’s absolutely fine. What matters is strength and freshness. 

Our recommendation: AeroPress (Espresso Style)

We use a strong aeropress brew in this recipe, and our DECAF COLOMBIA El Vergel - A medium roast Sugarcane EA process decaf. Sugarcane EA process decafs have enhanced sweetness and body - perfect to deliver the coffee hit required for a tiramisu.

We used the following inverted aeropress recipe:

  • 20 g fine-medium ground decaf (approximately 12 clicks on the Comandante)
  • 80 ml water just off the boil
  • Stir, Steep for 60 seconds, carefully flip, then press slowly

Using the finer grind and high coffee to water ratio makes this brew an approximation of an espresso. Use two of these brews to get the 120mL coffee required.

Alternatively, three double shots of espresso from your local cafe will work!

The Tiramisu

1. Whisk yolks and sugar, then mascarpone. Whisk the 4 egg yolks with the sugar until pale and voluminous, ideally using an electric mixer. Then add the mascarpone a little at a time until smooth and lump-free.

2. Whisk the egg whites. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

3. Fold gently. Fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture using a large metal spoon, keeping as much air as possible.

4. Make the Coffee/Booze mix. Pour the coffee and the alcohol into a shallow dish. Mix.

5. Soak the biscuits and layer. Dip each biscuit briefly until pale coffee-coloured - soaked but not soggy. Arrange a layer of biscuits in a shallow dish. Spoon over one third of the mascarpone mixture and dust lightly with cocoa. Repeat twice, finishing with mascarpone and cocoa.

6. Admire. Review the finished product and look forward to tomorrow!

7. Rest. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy It!

We think decaf belongs in Tiramisu, and this is our perfect recipe honed over years of iterations. With great decaf coffee, less sugar, and time, you get a coffee dessert that’s rich, balanced and sure to have you sleeping soundly.

If you try it, we’d love to know how it turns out – especially if you’ve given it a go with one of our decaf coffees!

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