tiramisu

American  

[tir-uh-mee-soo, ‑mee-soo] / ˌtɪr əˈmi su, ‑miˈsu /

Or tiramisù

noun

1. an Italian dessert with coffee and liquor-soaked layers of sponge cake alternating with mascarpone cheese and chocolate.

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tiramisu British  

/ ˌtiːrəmiːˈsuː /

noun

1. an Italian dessert made with sponge soaked in coffee and Marsala, topped with soft cheese and powdered chocolate

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Etymology

Origin of tiramisu

< Italian tiramisù, equivalent to tira pick + mi me + sù up

Explanation

Tiramisu is a creamy, indulgent Italian dessert flavored with coffee and cocoa powder. If you're making lasagna for your friends, you might want to serve tiramisu for dessert. A good tiramisu is impressive, but it's a no-bake dessert that's not difficult to make. Ladyfinger cookies are soaked in coffee (and sometimes rum or liqueur), then layered with a sweet cream made from mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder is sprinkled on top. The name is from the Italian phrase tirami su, literally "pick me up," and the dish was probably invented in the 1960s.

Example Sentences

To top it all off, they offer online ordering/delivery of their cakes, and an option for a "mystery slice" which led me to try a new favorite, their Chocolate Tiramisu king cake.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2022

Android 10 was Quince Tart Now that we know that Google has settled on Tiramisu as a codename, we can’t help but turn our attention to Android 14’s tricker U-based options.

From The Verge • Feb. 11, 2022

Restaurateur Ado Campeol, dubbed "the father of Tiramisu" by Italian media, has died aged 93.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2021

Finals day fittingly had an Italian flavour -- orders of dessert Tiramisu saw an uplift in many countries, while pizza outsold burgers, according to Just Eat Takeaway.

From Reuters • Jul. 13, 2021

An impossibility at Dupont Circle’s Al Tiramisu, where the service feels refreshing for being, well, so darn old-school.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2016