I realize this is the third Tiramisu recipe that I am posting on the blog, but what can I say, I am big lover of this dessert. There’s something about the delicious pairing of moist syrup soaked ladyfingers and silky delicate cream. My favourite is by far the traditional version, with coffee, Marsala wine and sprinkled cocoa. But a very nice variation, to me, is the strawberry topped tiramisu.

The great thing about Tiramisu is that it’s a breeze to make. There’s really no downside to it, except maybe for the fact that it’s so delicious you’ll surely go for seconds. For this particular recipe, I added lemon and orange zest for a little bit of flavour; I figured it would be a nice addition since I skipped the alcohol in the syrup, as we were having kids over for dinner as well. The trick to get this recipe right is to get the ladyfingers really moist, so you will need to dunk them generously in the syrup. Another trick is to allow it to set in the fridge before serving, ideally overnight.

The loose translation for Tiramisu is “pick me up” and I think one can always use a good excuse for a little pick me up. And while this dessert might lose points in a plated attractiveness competition, it gains loads for being a hot mess on a plate and it’s as delicious as it is messy, I promise. Check out the recipe below and if you decide to make it, let me know how it went.

Strawberry Tiramisu

Serves 10-12

250ml/1 cup water

250g/1 cup coconut sugar (or any kind of sugar you like)

60ml/½ cup honey

Zest from one orange

6 large free-range eggs, separated, at room temperature

150g/1 cup sugar (any kind you like)

250g/9oz mascarpone

250ml/9oz whipping cream (full-fat, made from milk)

Zest from one lemon

36-40 Savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers)

First make the syrup. In a small saucepan, place water, coconut sugar and honey and bring to a simmer, mixing until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add orange zest and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a shallow dish.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a handheld one, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the mascarpone and mix until well combined. Place in a big bowl. Thoroughly clean the mixer bowl and whip the cream until soft peaks form. With a metal spoon, fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone, egg and sugar mixture. Clean the mixer bowl again and whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold lightly into the mascarpone, cream and egg mixture. Add the lemon zest and mix with a spatula until combined. Spoon a third of the mascarpone, egg and cream mixture into a large dish of about 23cm x 33cm (9in x 13in). Dip half of the ladyfingers into the syrup, then lay them on top of the mascarpone and cream mixture in the dish. Place a layer of sliced strawberries on top. Spoon over another third of the mascarpone and cream mixture, followed by another layer of ladyfingers. Spoon over the final layer of mascarpone and cream. With the remaining sliced strawberries, start working from the center to the outside and position the slices around the dish until you have a flower-like pattern. Alternately, decorate with the strawberry slices as you like. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.