Why Are People Making Tiramisu in Bathtubs and Bikes?

Finding your car console filled with layers of creamy, espresso-infused tiramisu sounds like something out of a dream. (And if you’re telling me that I could enjoy tiramisu instead of gas station coffee and a bag of chips on my next road trip, that would indeed be a dream come true.)

Despite how outlandish and silly this prospect may sound, I can assure you that someone has already done it. In a viral video on Instagram, which has since racked up over 42 million views, one user showcases the tiramisu that’s sitting inside the console of her car. There is no bowl or baking dish involved; it is directly layered into the space typically used for holding pens, keys, tissues, and an extra lip balm for emergencies.

This isn’t the only account online that’s posted footage featuring tiramisu inside a car console, and it’s far from the only unusual location where I’ve seen a batch of tiramisu appear on my social media feeds. It seems that this Italian dessert is taking over the internet as content creators leverage its ability to be layered into almost any concave vessel imaginable.

According to my social media feeds, tiramisu has been made and served not only in car consoles but also in a wheelbarrow, a Citi bike basket, a toilet bowl, a bathtub, a sink, and the bed of a truck. Many of these clips come from two specific creators, Horea Radu (@stolen.recipes.13) and Juliette (@itsmejuliette), but judging by my tiramisu timeline, they appear to be following two earlier trendsetters. 

In January, the pistachio spread brand Pistakio shared a video featuring one of its founders carrying a pistachio-flavored tiramisu, designed inside a clear glass purse to showcase every layer, through airport security and onto a plane. (The popularity of this reel has since inspired a number of other tiramisu purses too.)

In 2023, Manchester restaurant Onda Pasta Bar (@ondapastabar) shared a clip of its tiramisu drawer, which quickly went viral. When Ramy Solimon (@ramysoli) shared his own version of refrigerator drawer tiramisu a year later, it reached over 65 million views.

The point of these unusual clips becomes apparent when you consider why numerous Instagram and TikTok accounts have opted to engage in the tiramisu-anywhere trend repeatedly. The shock value of incorporating this dessert into unexpected locations is a reaction they can capitalize on to achieve viral status.

Radu has posted at least 20 different videos of tiramisu in unusual locations, and many of these clips have garnered millions of views. The surprising visual of seeing a familiar dessert in a wheelbarrow is, apparently, enough to catch people’s attention while they’re doomscrolling.

Unlike cake or pie, tiramisu is much easier to mold into various shapes and sizes. It typically consists of alternating layers of ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso and sweetened mascarpone cream, topped with a dusting of espresso powder for an elegant finish.

These bitter, sweet, and creamy layers are malleable and don’t require any special equipment, molds, or additional baking when they’re assembled in a vessel. (By contrast, crafting a pie crust that fits the shape of your car console would be quite challenging, and you wouldn’t be able to bake any filling you put inside.)

Does this mean you should try to make tiramisu in one of your shoes, the basket of your next Citi Bike, or a sink? No, please don’t. Since this Italian dessert often contains raw egg in the mascarpone cream mixture, it would not be safe to consume if left at room temperature for more than two hours. 

Besides, cleaning sugar and dairy out of a car console thoroughly enough to ensure they don’t leave sticky residue and food particles behind sounds like my personal worst nightmare. But consider this a reminder that if you don’t have a beautiful glass bowl for your next batch of tiramisu, you could make it in a bundt pan, ceramic baking dish, casserole dish, or even a metal pot if absolutely necessary.