Chocolate tiramisu is everything a classic tiramisu should be: rich and creamy with coffee notes, but with the addition of rich dark chocolate. If you’ve had this classic Italian dessert, you already know that the only chocolate comes from the unsweetened cocoa that’s dusted on top just before serving.

Every year I travel to Treviso, Italy, to judge the entries in the Tiramisu World Cup.

In addition to the classic recipe, there is the creative category, where contestants can go a bit wild with their tiramisu recipes! From pistachio, orange, and mint tiramisu to hazelnut and chocolate, there are usually hundreds of interesting tiramisu entries.

Chocolate is the natural accompaniment to coffee, so why not?

Developing the recipe

When experimenting with this recipe, I knew it could go horribly wrong with anything other than dark chocolate. Tiramisu, by nature, is not an overly sweet dessert. The ingredients: egg yolks, mascarpone, and espresso are meant to share the stage, and not be overpowered by the others. While alcohol is not used in a classic tiramisu, I opted for coffee liqueur to highlight both the chocolate and the espresso.

Choose a dark chocolate for this recipe and avoid milk chocolate, which will be too sweet. I also opted to make this tiramisu in a round form, almost like a tiramisu cake!.

This is also the way it’s made at Le Beccherie, home of the original recipe in Treviso. It also makes a nice presentation for a birthday party or special event.

Ingredients for this easy chocolate tiramisu recipe

The original recipe uses raw eggs, and while it’s easy to get pasteurized egg yolks in Italy, I’ve never seen them in the US. I always like to pasteurize the yolks and sugar to be on the safe side. If you have access to farm-fresh or pasteurized eggs and trust your source, feel free to skip that step. Use the leftover egg whites for Meringues or Omelets. Skip the semi-sweet chocolate and opt for a high-quality dark chocolate, like Guittard 63% Dark Chocolate or Scharffen Berger 70%. Omit the coffee liqueur for young children or those who are sensitive to alcohol.

Mascarpone cheese
Egg yolks
Lady finger biscuits
Espresso or strong coffee
72% dark chocolate chips chunks
Sugar
Kahlua or Tia Maria
Cocoa powder
Chocolate shavings

How to make chocolate tiramisu

Pull the eggs and mascarpone out about an hour to bring them to room temperature. Make the espresso, and allow it to cool. Use an 8 or 9″ Springform Pan or 8″ square serving dish. Tiramisu needs to set for several hours before serving.

Separate the yolks from the whites. Save the whites for another recipe. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until thick.

Place a medium bowl over a saucepan or a double boiler, and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar constantly over the heat, until the egg mixture reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F. using a Thermometer. Remove from heat.

Melt chocolate in an oven safe dish on low in 30 second intervals just until chocolate is melted. Allow to cool slightly.
Fold the warm chocolate into the egg mixture, whisking to incorporate.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Gently fold the mascarpone into the eggs using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Place the cooled espresso in a shallow bowl and add Kahlua.
Dip each lady finger quickly in the coffee mixture. Don’t soak the biscuits. Just a quick 3-second dip on both sides of the lady fingers.
Line the bottom of the spring form pan with lady fingers, cutting them to fit if necessary.

Using an offset spatula, spread half of the mascarpone filling over the lady fingers in an even layer.

Repeat with a second layer of dipped lady fingers and the remainder of the mascarpone mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing carefully onto the top of the tiramisu. Chill for a minimum of four hours or overnight.

Just before unmolding tiramisu, top the mascarpone layer with a dusting of cocoa powder. Don’t overdo the cocoa powder!

Finish with shaved chocolate. Serves 12.
Tiramisu will last for 2-3 days covered well or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tips and suggestions

Do not add the cocoa powder until just before serving, as it will sink into the mascarpone cream mixture and will make the tiramisu bitter.
Don’t overdo the cocoa dusting. No one wants to choke on too much cocoa powder!
Don’t be tempted to use cream cheese, as it is not a substitute for mascarpone, especially since mascarpone is available in all major grocery stores!

More tiramisu recipes

Here’s the recipe for classic Italian Tiramisu

This Hazelnut Tiramisu with Frangelico is a nutty twist on the classic dessert!

If you’re a chocolate lover, you might like:

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Use up the leftover egg whites and make Chocolate Meringue Cookies.

German Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Guinness Stout Chocolate Pudding Cakes