Mandarin & Speculoos Tiramisu
The Italian classic gets a colorful twist — and some zest
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 240 minutes
That mandarin that's too flat, too small, or too bumpy for a fruit bowl gets a starring role in this reinvented tiramisu, where its juice replaces coffee and its zest perfumes the mascarpone cream. The result? A fresh, tangy dessert that's just as impressive as the traditional tiramisu — but with a citrusy twist.
Ingredients
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mango
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cream
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eggs
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caster sugar
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sponge cake
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vanilla extract
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cinnamon
Recipe steps
Prepare the soaking syrup
Squeeze the juice from 5 mandarins (you should get about 200 ml). Zest 2 mandarins and set the zest aside. Add a pinch of cinnamon. Pour into a shallow dish and let cool.
Make the mascarpone cream
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Fold in the mascarpone and vanilla extract, then half of the mandarin zest. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold them into the mixture, lifting from the bottom to keep them light and airy.
Assemble the tiramisu
Quickly dip the speculoos (2 seconds on each side) in the mandarin juice syrup. Arrange a layer in a dish or individual glasses. Spread half of the mascarpone cream on top. Repeat with a second layer of dipped speculoos, then finish with the remaining cream.
Let it rest and serve
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight). When ready to serve, peel the 6th mandarin and arrange a few segments on top. Sprinkle with the remaining zest and a pinch of cinnamon for the finishing touch.
Tips and variations
- Well-soaked speculoos without falling apart Dip the speculoos very briefly: 1 to 2 seconds is enough. If they soak too long, they’ll turn to mush. Ideally, they should still be slightly crunchy in the center right after assembly — they’ll continue to absorb moisture in the fridge.
- An even lighter cream To lighten the cream, replace one whole egg with two extra egg whites. The result is airier and less rich, perfect if you’re serving this dessert after a hearty meal.
- Chocolate-mandarin version Add 30 g of unsweetened cocoa powder to the mascarpone cream for a chocolatey twist. Dust the top with cocoa like a classic tiramisu instead of cinnamon.
- Without raw eggs Replace the raw eggs with 200 ml of whipped heavy cream folded into the sweetened mascarpone. Ideal for children or anyone sensitive to raw eggs.
Anti-waste tips
Recycle the mandarin peels. The peels from the squeezed mandarins can be dried in the oven at 80°C for 1 hour, then blended into citrus powder. This fragrant powder will add flavor to your cakes, porridges, or smoothies for weeks.
Broken speculoos are perfect here. Got crushed or crumbled speculoos at the bottom of the pack? That’s exactly what you need! Sprinkle them directly onto each layer instead of dipping them whole.
Don’t toss the leftover syrup. If you have mandarin juice left after soaking, keep it in the fridge and use it in a vinaigrette, to deglaze a pan, or to jazz up a glass of sparkling water the next morning.
