100-Hour Tiramisu (Is It Worth the Wait?)
I’ve already put myself through the emotional and logistical journey of a 150-hour chocolate cake, so naturally the next sensible step was… a 100-hour tiramisu.
Because once you’ve committed to ageing desserts like a fine cheese, there’s no going back.
The video above shows the full process, but the short version is this: I took a classic tiramisu, ignored most of the traditional rules, stretched it over several days, and somehow ended up with something outrageously creamy, rich, and dangerously easy to keep “just checking” in the fridge.
This isn’t an authentic Italian tiramisu. And that’s kind of the point.
This Is Not a Traditional Tiramisu (On Purpose)
A proper tiramisu is elegant, restrained, and politely rested overnight.
This one is… not that.
The inspiration for this came from Alvin Zhou’s original multi-day tiramisu, which you can watch here on YouTube if you want to see the version that sent me down this particular rabbit hole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-z6imVeNF8
Instead of shop-bought mascarpone, I made my own using cream and lemon.
Instead of individual ladyfingers, I baked one giant sponge and treated it like a structural component.
And instead of just coffee and cocoa, I added a Marsala caramel, which immediately disqualifies it from any Italian approval board.
But here’s the thing — it’s still very much tiramisu-flavoured. Coffee, cocoa, cream, and that unmistakable richness are all there. It’s just been… engineered a bit.
The Mascarpone Bit (And Why It Works)
Making mascarpone at home sounds far more stressful than it actually is. All that’s happening is hot cream meeting acid at just the right temperature so it thickens instead of splitting.
Heating the cream to around 88°C is the sweet spot. Any cooler and nothing happens. Any hotter and you’re halfway to cottage cheese. Add lemon juice, strain it overnight, and you end up with something thick, rich, and slightly tangy — perfect for balancing all the sugar later on.
It also feels very satisfying, like you’ve accidentally wandered into cheesemaking without committing fully.
The Sponge That Pretends It’s a Biscuit
Instead of using individual ladyfingers, I made a light sponge by whisking egg whites and yolks separately, then folding them together with flour. That gives you a very airy cake that behaves exactly how you want once coffee gets involved.
Leaving it overnight (or at least for a good few hours) lets it dry out slightly, which means it soaks up the coffee without collapsing into chaos. Think French toast logic — slightly stale is actually better.
The Cream Filling (Where Everything Comes Together)
This is where the texture really matters.
Whisking egg yolks with sugar first does a few important things. It dissolves the sugar properly, lightens the yolks, and gives the whole mixture structure before anything heavier goes in. A tiny pinch of salt might seem odd in a dessert, but it sharpens the sweetness and makes everything taste more “finished”.
Once the mascarpone and whipped cream go in, you end up with something halfway between mousse and cheesecake filling. Rich, but not heavy. Dangerous, basically.
About the “100 Hours” Bit
Traditionally, tiramisu only needs an overnight rest, and that’s absolutely enough for the flavours to come together. The longer rest here is more about the idea of ageing, patience, and seeing how much flavour you can coax out of the same ingredients.
Does it improve after a couple of days? Yes.
Does it still taste incredible after one night? Also yes.
So don’t let the number scare you off. But be brave as it really does improve, like a finely aged spaghetti bolognese!
The Butter Toffee Crunch (Optional but Fun)
Right at the end, I added a simple butter caramel, smashed into little crunchy nuggets and sprinkled on top. It’s not British toffee, it’s not American almond brittle — it’s basically caramel glass with attitude.
Totally optional. Completely unnecessary. But it does add a very satisfying crunch against all that cream.
Final Thoughts
This whole thing felt like a natural follow-up to my 150-hour chocolate cake experiment, which you can find here if you missed it: https://barrylewis.net/recipe/https-barrylewis-net-recipe-150-hour-chocolate-cake/
Once you’ve committed to recipes measured in days rather than minutes, your perception of “normal dessert behaviour” shifts quite dramatically.
This tiramisu is rich without being cloying, soft without being sloppy, and somehow manages to feel both indulgent and balanced.
If you’re going to spend time on a dessert, you may as well lean into it properly.
You can watch the full process in the video above, or here on YouTube if you prefer.
Just… maybe clear some fridge space first.