The translation for tiramisu is "carry me up," and many who taste this ethereal dessert assume the unspoken continuation must surely be "to heaven. " Tiramisu is a light composition of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a coffee-marsala mixture, then layered with mascarpone (an ultrarich Italian cream cheese) and grated chocolate. The dessert is refrigerated for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to intermingle. Although tiramisu is sometimes referred to as an Italian trifle, its texture is much lighter than that dessert.