Cherries and rose are a soft, romantic pairing I keep coming back to in spring. Here, they layer into a tiramisu — fresh cherries simmered down with vanilla and rose, the ladyfingers soaked in their syrup. I love it best the next day, straight from the fridge, once the cherries have stained everything the softest pink.
I love making my own ladyfingers, and I always add a touch of sourdough discard — it gives them a little more flavor and helps them hold up to the syrup. Store-bought work well here too. The cherries are best fresh and in season, when they’re at their sweetest.
Baker’s Schedule
Day 1: Make the ladyfingers. Making them a day ahead lets them dry out, so they hold up to the soak. (They can also be baked the morning you assemble.)
Day 2: An hour or two before assembling, prepare the cherry syrup and compote and let cool to room temperature. Assemble the tiramisu.
Day 3: Serve.
Cherry Vanilla & Rose Tiramisu
Ingredients
Ladyfingers
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup (50g) sourdough discard or active sourdough (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp almond extract (optional)
½ tsp salt
2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
Powdered sugar for dusting
Cherry Syrup & Compote
1.5 lbs (560g) cherries, pitted
¾ cup (150g) sugar
1 cup (240ml) water
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp rose water
Mascarpone Cream
16 oz (450g) mascarpone
2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
½ cup cherry syrup, cooled
Assembly
24–30 homemade or store-bought ladyfingers
Instructions
Ladyfingers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a large round piping tip in a piping bag.
- Place the egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the sourdough, if using, and mix until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Clean and dry the bowl and whisk of the stand mixer well — you don’t want any egg yolks in the whites or they will not whip up light and fluffy.
- Add the egg whites to the clean bowl and beat on high until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining sugar a spoonful at a time and continue beating for 2 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Fold the egg whites into the yolks in batches until combined. Sift in the flour and arrowroot and gently fold until no dry streaks remain. Transfer the batter to the piping bag.
- Pipe the batter into 4-inch logs on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Dust generously with powdered sugar.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before assembling.
Cherry Syrup & Compote
- Place the cherries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and the vanilla bean seeds and pod in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 6–8 minutes, until the cherries have softened and released their juices.
- Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod and stir in the rose water.
- Strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently. Reserve both the cherry syrup and the cherries. Cool completely before assembling.
Mascarpone Cream
- In a stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream on medium-high until medium peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Using the same mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone until creamy. Add ½ cup of the cooled cherry syrup and mix until combined.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture in thirds until incorporated.
Assembly
- Dip the ladyfingers in the cherry syrup, one or two at a time, about 1–2 seconds per side. Arrange in an even layer along the bottom of your serving dish — an 8×8-inch square, a similar-sized baking dish, or individual ramekins or glasses.
- Spoon over half of the cherries, then spread about one-third of the mascarpone cream overtop.
- Repeat with another layer of soaked ladyfingers and the rest of the cherries. Finish with the remaining mascarpone cream, spreading gently to fully cover the fruit.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight, before serving.
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