The Ultimate Tiramisu Recipe

Fit your standing mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the 3 large egg yolks on low speed until they're just combined.

Add the 1 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt, then increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the mixture turns a pale yellow and thickens slightly. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice with a rubber spatula to catch any unmixed sugar.

In a separate bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the 1 cup heavy cream on medium speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until it becomes frothy. Increase the speed to high and continue beating for another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the cream holds stiff peaks.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about one-third of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it. Then, carefully fold in the remaining whipped cream until no white streaks are visible and the mixture is uniformly combined. Set the finished mascarpone cream aside.

Take half of the 7 ounces of ladyfingers, working one at a time. Quickly drop each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture, roll it once, and immediately remove it, transferring it to an 8 by 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. It's important not to submerge the ladyfingers; the entire process for each cookie should take no longer than 2 to 3 seconds, just enough for them to absorb some liquid without becoming soggy.

Arrange these soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in the baking dish, breaking or trimming them as needed to create a neat, even base.

Place 1 tablespoon of bittersweet chocolate (cocoa powder) in a fine-mesh strainer and dust it evenly over the mascarpone layer, making sure the cream is fully covered.

Repeat the process of dipping and arranging the remaining ladyfingers over the cocoa layer. Then, spread the remaining mascarpone mixture over these new ladyfingers and dust with the remaining 1 tablespoon of bittersweet chocolate.