Grapefruit Tiramisu

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 202kcal

Author: Marvellina

A refreshing twist on classic tiramisu made with grapefruit juice, citrus zest, and rich mascarpone filling. Bright, creamy, and perfect for making ahead.

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US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

30 pieces lady fingers (savoiardi) homemade or store-bought

Filling:

72 g egg yolks from 4 large-size eggs
50 g sugar
⅛ tsp salt
Zest from 2 grapefruits
224 g mascarpone cheese make sure it's cold
240 g heavy cream with at least 30% fat and make sure it's cold

For soaking:

150 g grapefruit juice from 2 large grapefuits

For dusting: (optional)

Unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

Things to prepare before assembling:

You can make this in a 8 x 8 inch dish or two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
Wash the grapefruits well and pat dry. Zest the grapefruits but take care not to zest too deeply into the skin because it can make the zest even more bitter
After zesting, cut the grapefruit in half and then use a citrus juicer or reamer to juice them. Remove seeds if any and transfer into a shallow bowl for easier dipping

Prepare the filling:

Place egg yolks and sugar in a heat-proof bowl that can sit on top of a pot filled with simmering water (like a water bath). Make sure the water is only simmering and not boiling. The water shouldn't be touching the bottom of the bowl
I use a hand mixer to whip the egg yolks and sugar. You can use a whisk and manually do this too, but let me warn you, it will take a long time. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar over high speed until the mixture is pale, light, and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through to make sure everything is well combined and keep the heat to the lowest so we don't cook the egg yolks
Remove from the waterbath and keep mixing for another 5 minutes to cool it down before adding the mascarpone
Add the mascarpone, pinch of salt, and the zest. Whip until the two are combined, thick, and creamy
Add the cold heavy cream and beat until the mixture is stiff and can hold its shape. When you turn the bowl, it shouldn't drip. BUT, take care not to overbeat because heavy cream can turn grainy if you overbeat it

Assembling:

Some lady finger biscuits may not fit perfectly into your pan and you can use a sharp knife to cut them into shape to fit the pan.
Take one biscuit and dip it into the grapefruit juice on both sides. This should take less than 1 second. The biscuit can turn mushy quickly if you dip for too long
Arrange the biscuit on the pan and continue with the rest to cover the base of the pan
Spread half of the mascarpone filling on top of the biscuit. Smooth it with a small offset spatula
Repeat with the second layering of lady finger biscuits on top of the mascarpone filling
Spread the rest of the filling on top to cover. Smooth with a small offset spatula again

Chill overnight:

Cover with a cling wrap, touching the filling directly to prevent it from forming a "skin". Keep this in the fridge for at least 4 hours or best overnight to let the filling set and the biscuits to soften like a sponge cake texture
Don't dust with cocoa powder yet until when you are ready to serve it

Serving:

Dust with a thin layer of unsweetened cocoa powder on top of the mascarpone. I skip this and serve it with fresh grapefruits. Use a large spoon or pie server to cut out a portion and serve

Storing:

Keep it covered and store it in the fridge for 3 days. You can also freeze them, but the texture of the biscuits may change a bit, though still delicious.

Nutrition