Tiramisu Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream

The goal was a dozen cupcakes to Heather for her birthday.  I had the perfect cupcakes too, tiramisu cupcakes with mascarpone cream topping. They are delicious with a good coffee flavor and a light creamy topping.  The perfect cupcake for my coffee loving friend.
I made the cupcakes the night before, cooled them, soaked them and put them in a Tupperware for the night.  The next morning I made the mascarpone cream and topped them with the cream the chocolate shavings.  They were beautiful with the delicious cream topping and all on the tray in cute flower papers.
 I set them on the second shelf so Tucker, the cookie thief and counter surfer, wouldn't get to them.  I went upstairs to get ready for work.  I wasn't upstairs 5 minutes and I heard a loud crash.  I was sure the whole platter of cupcakes was on the floor.  Running downstairs and screaming at the top of my lungs (I know, nice way to wake your husband up), I found only the telephone had hit the floor.   I also found two of the flower paper liners from the cupcakes on the floor.  He got two.  So I put the last 10 cupcakes in the car, with the car door closed, in the closed garage, with that door closed, and I locked the car (o.k. I really didn't, I don't think Tucker can open the car door yet). 
I went and got ready, now running a little behind, so I rushed to the car (I forgot my lunch) and hurried to work.  Well, I set the tray on top of a sweater I keep in the car and the first corner I went around (yes, I was going a little fast) the tray slid off the sweater to the end of the seat, sending cupcakes rolling everywhere.  Luck would have it, I hit all green lights to work and didn't have the chance to straighten the cupcakes until I got into the parking lot.  I walked around to the back of the car to assess the damage.  One cupcakes was completely smeared on the tissue box and the seat, the rest were saveable.  I was down to 9 cupcakes for Heather's birthday (at this point I am hearing Count from Sesame Street counting backwards "9 chocolate cupcakes ha, ha, ha...).  I cleaned up the tray as best as possible, wiped up the seat (I wonder if anyone saw me licking the mascarpone cream off the tissue box?) and headed inside to deliver them to the birthday girl.  I guess 9 is better than none, but boy was that a hard delivery.

Tiramisu Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream
 adapted from Cupcakes Galore, Gail Wagman


1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup very strong coffee (I used hot water and expresso powder)
1 tablespoon Marsala or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar, divided
pinch of salt
extra Marsala for soaking cupcakes, optional

Mascarpone cream
2 egg yolks
3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon Kahlua, optional
1 cup mascarpone
Kahlua for drizzling
Grated chocolate for decoration


Preheat oven to 350 ºF.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
Beat egg yolks with cooled coffee and Marsala until very thick and creamy.  Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating continually.  Set aside.
Beat egg whites with salt until they start to form moist peaks and gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.  Continue beating until egg whites are stiff but not dry.  Stir 3 tablespoons of the whites into yolk mixture.  Gradually fold dry ingredients into mixture, using a whisk.  When the dry ingredients have been absorbed, gently fold in remaining whites.
Spoon batter into 12 cupcake papers, filling about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool.
When cupcakes are cool, poke tops with a fork a few times and sprinkle a tablespoon of Marsala over each cupcake.

To make mascarpone cream: beat eggs yolks with sugar until they are light and fluffy.  Beat in Kahlua, if desired.  Gradually add mascarpone, beating continually.  Pile cream on cupcakes, drizzle with Kahlua, and sprinkle with chocolate.


Tips:  If serving these to adults, and not in a school district office, pour a little Kuhlua over the top of each.  I pour some Kuhlua into a tablespoon to control the flow over the cupcake.

Sometimes I double the mascarpone cream and pipe some cream into each cupcake before I top them.  Just push the tip of the pastry bag into the cupcake and gently squeeze some cream into the cupcake, then top.  If you aren't using a pastry bag, just cup a little circle out of the top center of the cupcake and fill it with the cream.

June 11, 2012     Daylight  21 hours,  31 minutes     Current Temp.  75 ºF