Tiramisu

Tiramisu means "pick me up" or "lift me up" in Italian — tirami su — a reference to the espresso and sugar content that gives the dessert its reputation as an energising treat. Its precise origin is fiercely disputed between several restaurants in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. The most widely cited origin story places it at Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso in the 1960s, where chef Roberto Linguanotto and his employer Ada Campeol allegedly created it. However, a pastry chef from Friuli claims to have made an early version even earlier. The debate has never been fully resolved.

What is undisputed is the technique: savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits — long, dry, finger-shaped sponge biscuits — are briefly dipped in strong espresso and layered with a mixture of mascarpone cheese, egg yolks and sugar. The mascarpone, a double-cream cheese from Lombardy with a fat content of 70–75%, gives the cream its extraordinary richness. A final dusting of bitter cocoa powder provides the visual finish and the slight bitterness that balances the sweetness throughout.

Tiramisu became Italy's most exported dessert through the 1980s and 1990s, appearing on Italian restaurant menus worldwide. At Cappadocia Café, it is made to the classic formula: espresso-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream, finished with a fine veil of cocoa. The flavour balance — bitter coffee, sweet cream, bittersweet cocoa — is the reason it has never gone out of fashion.