Tiramisu Cupcakes

HOW TO MAKE IT :

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Spoon the batter in the prepared cupcake tins.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
7. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.  Take the cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Espresso Mixture

1. In a large cup, mix the espresso powder, Kahlua (if you choose to use it), and sugar into the hot water.  Set aside.
2. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, using a fork, poke the tops of each cupcake a couple of times and add about 2 teaspoons of Espresso Mixture over each cupcake. Allow it to soak in.

Frosting:

1. Add butter to a large bowl and beat for about 2-3 minute until creamy.
2. Add the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of espresso (and Kalua if using) and beat until smooth.
3. Gently fold in the mascarpone cheese.
4. If the mixture is too thin, add one more cup of powdered sugar and beat with the mixer on low speed, mix just until smooth.  Don’t over mix the mascarpone cheese or it could become too thin.
5. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
6. Sprinkle the tops with some cocoa powder and coffee granules if desired.
7. Chill until ready to serve.  Preferably let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to become softer, otherwise it may be too firm.

Notes

• In order to pipe frosting for all 20 cupcakes, I doubled the amount of frosting that I made. I used the 1B Piping tip by Kowanii, it’s very similar to the Wilton 1B tip.  I omitted the Kahlua and they were delicious.
• Swap out the mascarone cheese for cream cheese if desired!
• Recipe adapted from Centsless Deals

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 404Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 1gSugar: 41gProtein: 4g