The traditional dessert from Treviso made with espresso and mascarpone is tiramisu. It is built from coffee-soaked ladyfingers, called savoiardi, layered with a sweet cream of mascarpone, egg yolks, and sugar, then finished with cocoa powder.
Tiramisu is associated with northeastern Italy, especially the Veneto city of Treviso. The dessert’s name comes from the Italian tirami su, commonly translated as “pick me up” or “cheer me up,” a reference to its coffee and sugar. Modern versions became popular in restaurants during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The exact origin story is debated. Le Beccherie, a restaurant in Treviso, is widely linked with the modern dessert, and accounts credit Alba di Pillo and pastry chef Roberto Linguanotto. However, earlier egg creams, coffee desserts, and layered spoon cakes provided important culinary precedents, so claims about a single inventor should be treated cautiously.
Tiramisu is often confused with zabaglione because both may use egg yolks and sugar. Zabaglione is a warm, foamy custard traditionally made with wine, whereas tiramisu is a chilled layered dessert centered on coffee, mascarpone, and ladyfingers.