Tiramisu Cupcakes

Occasion

It’s a girl!!!  Unfortunately I didn’t get any close ups of these cupcakes because we were a bit distracted with the occasion… announcing the gender of our baby!  The filling in the middle was the key -- it is pink. 

Tiramisu Cupcakes
1¼ cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
3 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar

Coffee-Marsala Syrup
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed espresso
1 ounce marsala (substituted rum)
¼ cup granulated sugar

Marscapone Frosting
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

See recipe at Brown Eyed Baker for mixing instructions.  They are very important (and long!) to ensure the cupcakes are as light and airy as they are meant to be.

Changes for Next Time

• The flavor of these cupcakes was phenomenal – exactly like eating regular tiramisu.  However, the batter was best at the beginning.  The batter that had to sit for the second batch made for much harder cupcakes instead of the light and fluffy consistency they are meant to be.
• Always make “extra” of this frosting- I’m sure it will all be used.  Mascarpone is what makes tiramisu so delicious, and so a lot of frosting is a necessity.  I had to go back to the store for more mascarpone in order to triple the batch instead of just doubling it.