Bramble Blackberry Tiramisu

Lusciously smooth blackberry mascarpone cream layered with blackberry soaked ladyfingers. This is an easy and fun twist on the classic tiramisu - perfect for blackberry lovers and seasonal foragers

Why you'll love this recipe

• A light and airy classic with a fun seasonal twist - if you're a tiramisu lover looking for new flavors, look no further! This easy blackberry version, is airy and light just like the classic, but packed full of blackberry, from the syrup to the cream!
• Silky blackberry curd - an easy recipe for a quick curd that really packs a punch of blackberries!
• Perfect to make ahead and absolutely stunning on the table - topped in gorgeous deep purple blackberry curd, this is a showstopper if ever there was one!

Equipment Notes

Tiramisu is a classic dish, that really requires very little in terms of equipment. All you'll need here are:

• 7" or 8" square pan - I used a little casserole dish, but you could use a brownie pan or other container. As long as it's safe for the fridge, you're good to go.
• Mixing bowls - you'll want two medium or large mixing bowls for this recipe. One for whipping cream and a second for mixing together the mascarpone.
• Cereal or soup bowl - a relatively small shallow bowl for dipping the ladyfingers into the syrup.
• Rubber spatula
• Electric whisk - you can use a handheld electric whisk or a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. This is for whipping the cream.
• Offset spatula

Ingredients for the Tiramisu

This recipe pulls together two of my favorite blackberry recipes into a showstopping dessert! You'll need:

• Blackberry syrup - this is a great way to use a quantity of my blackberry simple syrup.
• One quantity of my blackberry curd - you can substitute with other store bought blackberry curds, which are sometimes available from farmers markets and specialty stores. I've included the curd recipe here, to help avoid clicking back and forth, but for full tips and tricks, check out the dedicated post.
• Mascarpone cheese - this Italian soft cheese is a bit like a cream cheese and key to any tiramisu! This recipe uses one standard sized tub (8oz or 250g). Ideally let this sit out for 10-15 minutes at room temperature, to make it easier to mix smoothly.
• Vanilla extract - a touch of vanilla will add a subtle enhancement to this recipe. I also make it a point never to whip cream without vanilla!
• Salt - a pinch of salt heightens flavors.
• Heavy cream - sometimes called double cream or whipping cream. This ingredient varies quite a lot depending on where you are based. You are looking for the type of cream that you would use for making whipped cream.
• Chambord or other blackberry flavored liqueur - this is an optional extra that can be omitted if you'd prefer a wholly alcohol free dessert. Much like adding coffee liqueurs to traditional tiramisus, this gives a subtle extra dimension to the recipe when added to the syrup for the sponge fingers.
• Ladyfingers - also known as Savoiardi or sponge fingers. These are essentially light and airy oblong cakes, usually relatively dry and crisp on their own. They are perfect for soaking up syrups and liquids, which make them excellent for a dessert like tiramisu.

How to Make Blackberry Tiramisu

Honestly tiramisu is one of the easiest recipes to whip up! This blackberry tiramisu takes a little extra work if you are needing to make your curd and syrup from scratch. The results, however, are absolutely worth it!

Step 1: Begin by collecting together all of your ingredients. If you're making your own syrup and curd, you'll need to have these both ready and cooled.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the heavy cream and vanilla just until stiff peaks are formed. Avoid overbeating here or your cream will become denser than you're ideally looking for.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, blackberry curd and salt. Again, avoid overbeating as mascarpone has a tendency to become a bit grainy when overworked.

Step 4: Add your whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture and fold together to incorporate. Set this aside while you begin assembly with the ladyfingers.

Step 5: Begin dipping the ladyfingers into your syrup (mixed with liqueur if using). Dip each ladyfinger into the liquid and flip it over to ensure it gets a good soaking, without becoming mushy. Then, place the ladyfingers in your serving dish.

Step 6: Once you have formed a layer of soaked ladyfingers in your tray, spoon about half of your cream mixture on top. Spread this out into a smooth layer.

Step 7: Repeat the process of dipping ladyfingers and arranging these in your dish, on top of the cream. This will form a second soaked ladyfinger layer.

Step 8: Top off the ladyfinger layer with your remaining cream, spreading as smooth as possible.

Step 9: Cover with plastic wrap - gently pressing this directly onto the cream. This will avoid the cream developing a skin in the refrigerator. Place the tiramisu in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Step 10: Before serving, top with the remaining curd and garnish with some berries!

Top Tips

Here are my key pieces of advice for this recipe:

• Don't attempt to rush things. If you've recently made your curd or syrup, let this cool before attempting to put together the tiramisu. Warm ingredients will not mix well with the cream and everything will be come a runny mess!
• If using handheld electric beaters, you can use the same ones in your mascarpone after you've whipped your cream. There is no need to wash them off as you'll be adding the cream to the mascarpone as part of the recipe.
• Try to avoid overworking the cream and mascarpone. Overbeaten cream can quickly move from thick and smooth to stiff and solid. Similarly, the mascarpone can become a bit gritty if over mixed, which will lead to less than smooth cream layers.
• You may have some leftover syrup at the end. This makes for a great dip for spare ladyfingers. Alternatively, you could strain out any bits of cake that might have come loose and use the syrup in cocktails/mocktails.
• Placing the plastic wrap directly onto the cream when refrigerating will help ensure a smooth top layer. Chilling thoroughly will mean the wrap can be removed without significant disruption to the tiramisu (it won't all stick!). Then the curd will give a shiny final layer.

Storage Advice

This tiramisu needs to be kept chilled. There is far too much cream going on here for you to leave it out on the counter!

Once you've fully assembled it with the curd on top, you can recover the tray with plastic wrap. This time do not press the wrap to the top, as it will stick to the curd! If your tray has a lid, that would be even better.

This blackberry tiramisu will last in your fridge for about 3-4 days, so it's a great make ahead dessert option.

You can also freeze tiramisu, but be sure that your tray is safe for freezing before assembling if your intention is to freeze.

Substitution Suggestions

This recipe can work well with various substitutions.

• Different flavor all together - say you don't have blackberry curd but still want a fruity berry tiramisu. Well, let's be honest, it won't be this recipe, but you can follow the processes in this recipe with really any fruit curd. Some store bought staples like lemon curd will work well. You'd also want to change up the syrup with perhaps a limoncello. Just a note of caution - straight lemon juice is going to be super tart, so you want a bit more of a sugar syrup if you're going to try that!
• No mascarpone - mascarpone can be substituted with cream cheese or crème fraîche. Different creams can be more or less tart and tangy, but any of these will provide the right consistency and a roughly equivalent flavor.

More No Bake Showstoppers

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Pistachio Panna Cotta
• No Bake Salted Caramel Cheesecake
• Biscoff Tres Leches Cake