Tiramisu Cupcakes
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Today I ring in the big 3-1. No longer am I merely 30, but I am in my 30’s. So weird, especially since I still don’t really feel too much like a grown up ;-) And as I like to do every year, I baked something new and different to celebrate with. It sort of reminds me of being a kid when you’d bring treats to school to share with the class on your birthday (did anyone else do this?). This is me bringing treats in for the class and sharing with all of you :) Since today I am en route to a Florida vacation with my Chief Culinary Consultant (woo!), I baked up my birthday treat earlier this week. Almost without fail, I always make some sort of cheesecake for my birthday (the Oreo Cheesecake and Peanut Butter-Fudge Cheesecake being my favorites), but this year I decided to try something different, and wow! So glad I did!
Next to cheesecake, tiramisu is one of my all-time favorite desserts. When I was younger, if I wasn’t going to the Olive Garden for the Andes mints, I was going for the tiramisu. I first made a homemade tiramisu a few years ago, and I was totally hooked. I don’t make it very often (it’s such a decadent/special occasion type of dessert), but when I saw these cupcakes I thought they were the perfect way to get the tiramisu flavor I love without making an entire pan. Plus, everyone loves cupcakes nowadays, right?? And now I am on an official boozy cupcake kick!
These cupcakes are absolutely, insanely delicious and really taste just like tiramisu! I was wondering how much the authentic flavor would come through, but it totally does. The vanilla bean cakes are brushed over and over, and over, with an espresso and marsala wine mixture so that it soaks through the cupcake. Then they’re topped with a mascarpone cheese frosting and dusted with cocoa powder. Happy birthday to me, for sure!
One year ago: Peanut Butter-Fudge Cheesecake
Three years ago: Caramel-Topped Flan
Four years ago: Oreo Cheesecake[/donotprint]
Tiramisu Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) cake flour, not self-rising, sifted
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) coarse salt
- ¼ cup (61 ml) 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 (200 g) granulated sugar
For the Coffee-Marsala Syrup:
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee, or espresso
- 1 ounce (28.35 ml) marsala wine
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
For the Mascarpone Frosting:
- 1 cup (238 ml) heavy cream
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla-bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard vanilla-bean pod.
- 2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.
- 3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir ½ cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.
- 4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
- 5. Make the syrup: Stir together coffee, marsala, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
- 6. Brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes.
- 7. Make frosting: With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.
- 8. To finish, Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
this recipe looks wonderful! can you please confirm that it’s written for a regular altitude? thank you very much :)
Hi Xenya, Yes, regular altitude.
I was super exited to try this recipe, but unfortunately was very disappointed after making it. I tried it twice and both times I opened the oven to sunken middles, gummy tops, and a crispy rim. At first a thought I wasn’t careful enough so I retried. After following the recipes perfectly I still came back to the same results. The taste was great, but everything else about the cake was a little sketchy. Frosting and syrup were both great.
On any other day this would have been fine. Unfortunately, I had made these cupcakes the night right before I needed them. I was making them for a very close friend’s fundraiser and not getting them right put lots of stress on me. Sorry for the negativity, but was very disappointed.
I don’t know if this message will go through…but I have to say these cupcakes are amazing! They were a hit! Thanks for sharing. :)
Hi, thanks for sharing the recipe. I just made these and they turned out like sponge cakes. Are they supposed to be that way? Thanks.
Hi Violet, Yes, that’s the correct consistency.
Hey BEB,
This was a GREAT recipe. I made it for school staff and co-workers, and everyone loved it. And so did I! Your directions were great, as always. It would have been great though to have an idea how long to whip the eggs and egg yolks with sugar before they go on the steaming water…
Thanks for the site. I trust it and use it so much!
Eli
Happy bday..:)))) and one more just want to ask is there’s any substitute for marsala wine? Thank you :)
Hi Mitch, Thank you! You could use rum if you’d like.
Man, my cupcakes didn’t rise properly. They came out hard and chewy. I think I either beat the eggs for too long, or didn’t beat them enough. :\
These Tiramisu cupcakes taste exactly like the real thing! I followed the recipe exactly except I used vanilla bean paste instead of the bean. I admit that it was a little more work than I had anticipated but was totally worth it. I have made so many cupcakes from the BEB and they ALWAYS deliver; this is my go-to site whenever I want to make something new. Michelle you actually test your recipes unlike so many books and food channel sites. I’ve made the Kentucky Derby Pie Cupcakes, Red Velvet, Limoncello, Dark chocolate w/ Sunbutter frosting, and now Tiramisu – all with great success! Thanks again for sharing this great cupcake recipe.
Hiii can i replace mascarpone with cream cheese? And what amounts should it be? In my country we dont have mascarpone
Hi Erika, I think that should work okay; I would use the same amount.
Oh my Goddess.. These look divine! Cannot wait to make these!
I love these cupcakes! It’s an ingenious idea to make cupcakes out of an amazing dessert. The only thing I will modify next time is the actual cake recipe. I totally get wanting to have a spongecake for the base, but it’s too thick to absorb all the coffee liquid (it’s not a ladyfinger!), and is dry as a result. I will bake a more moist cupcake base next time and I think it will be perfect.
Note: This recipe only yielded 13 standard-sized cupcakes for me and baking them for 20 (even 18) minutes was way too much; I would recommend checking the doneness after 14 or 15 minutes while baking only a dozen. Next time I might try closer to 300 degrees in the oven as well since maybe the custard batter is a bit more delicate. After spending all that time making the batter it’s a bummer when they come out tough and overbaked :( Absolutely delicious recipe, though, and I will certainly try it again soon!
One suggestion for these cupcakes- spray the muffin liners with cooking spray to help them release when eating. They will stick a bit otherwise. Also I found this recipe yielded 21 cupcakes. I also used more mascarpone cheese than the 8 oz because I like to have a good amount of frosting for my cupcakes.
Those looks beautiful, i always make tiramisu cake or minis for vday
Happy Birthday! These cupcakes looks really promising. I love Tiramisu :)
Oh whoops I didn’t check all the comments, I got my answer, thanks! xx
Hi Michelle! How do I do a non-alcohol version?
Btdubs I love you and your recipes so much they’re always so wonderfullllll hehehe! Please reply soon. Love! xx
Everything turned out great- except that the cake tasted strongly of eggs. Like an egg bread muffin thing of some sort…… Can anyone tell me why this happened or if this happened to anyone else?
Can I substitute the vanilla bean with vanilla extract? if yes how many tsp.?
BTW can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow for my little sister’s b-day.
thanks for the recipe.
Hi Mia, Yes, you can. Use 2.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Don’t warm it with the milk; just add it into the batter.
Can’t wait to try this recipe but Is the marsala wine sweet or dry?
Hi Karen, It is sweet.
Thank you for the recipe, the results were delicious. However, I would like to say my cakes turned out rather hard with a sort of rubbery texture instead of soft and light. Is there a reason for this?
Hello! I do not drink alcohol so is there a substitute for marsala wine??
Hi Emma, You can omit for a simple espresso flavor.
I actually made this cupcakes and well…they taste good ..but I don’t know what it is that I do that every time I try to make cupcakes from scratch after they are completely cooled ..the mass of the cupcakes gets like gummy feel alike and not spongy instead!..I don’t if I explain myself …sorry for my English though
I have made these cupcakes twice and they are “out of this world” good. Everyone loves the flavor and that they are so light to eat.
I made this for my dh birthday since he loves tiramisu so much. The cupcake was too salty, and it was hard, edible but hard.
I think my problem lies in substituting cake flour with AP and cornstarch (sadly there’s no cake flour here in Bergen) and when I mixed the flour to the egg batter. The frosting was delicious though.
Hi Michelle,
I tried the cupcake and it was really tasty. I skipped the marsala glaze though which I won’t next time I do it. By far it is the one I really enjoyed eating but my mom and aunt said it’s not that smooth, the cake itself. Does it have to do with the folding part? I don’t know really how to bake but I just try out recipes as well. This is one is really yummy though and intend to do it for my birthday which really inspired me when you did it for yours. :) I want to make it better and maybe bake it better, fingers crossed for my birthday on Saturday, Manila time. I am from the Philippines by the way. Been to PA and I loved your state :)
Warmest regards and thank you for such generosity in this site.
Espie
Wow. Wow, wow, wow! Very likely these are the best cupcakes I’ve made to date. Thanks so much for sharing, they were amazing!!
How come mine is a bit tough and texture not that smooth. :(
Wow, they are sooo delicious. Made them today for Valentine’s day, full of flavor, not too sweet, everything is just the right amount. Tank you so much for sharing the recipe. Will try more of your recipes.
Could you tell me how you piped the icing on the cupcakes! These look wonderful and I am going to attempt making them for my husband for valentines day :) Thank you!
Sorry just saw that you used 3 different sized cookies scoops, thanks!
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes? Adapted? It seems to be a cut and paste from the MS site. Down to the word “dollop” :-)
Regardless, I’m still going to make them.
Hi~ Today is my birthday and I want to make these, but I basically never have any alcohol in the house…is the Marsala wine required? All I have now is some Bailey’s left over from the holidays…
Happy Birthday, Jenn! You can omit the marsala wine and just use coffee if you’d like.
Do you use HOT coffee or COLD coffee?? it didn’t say cold so I am assuming HOT! I would love to try these cupcakes!!
Hi Jena, I think it’s best at room temperature.
For the marsala wine, I know you said sweet in the comments above, but is that the kind of marsala that you’d get from the grocery store (cooking marsala) or do I have to go to the liquor store to get it???? thanks!
Hi Stephanie, Don’t buy the cooking wine; buy the actual liquor from a liquor store.
Glad I asked!!!!!!!! Thanks!!! :)
I just tried this recipe and followed it to a T and my cupcakes sunk in the middle???? Has anyone had this and please tell me what I did wrong….I am not giving up I’m going to try again. PS I covered up the sunken middle with frosting so only I know! LOL Hubby and kids thought they were great!
I made these cupcakes the other night and the cupcake and icing where delicious, however I think im missing something with the marsala sauce, i used Marsala spice from a jar is that correct? so when i put an “ounce” in with coffee and sugar the sauce was very thick and dark and the taste was over powering. I’m wondering if i used the wrong thing (I didnt know what marsala was until i looked it up) or if its a typo. PLEASE HELP! I’d love to make them the correct way! THANKS!
Hi Brook, I apologize for any confusion; it is actually marsala wine. I have updated the recipe above so that it is more clear.
I was just wondering if I could make this without marsala
Yes, but I would substitute brewed coffee in its place.
Hi, I tried out these cupcakes today and they are absolutely delicious! Just one question, how did you pipe your icing? I ended up slathering it on with a spatula. Thanks!
Hi Sana, I didn’t pipe it; I just dolloped it as indicated in the recipe. I used three different sizes of cookie scoops to dollop the frosting on.
What kind of Marsala wine do you use in these cupcakes – sweet or dry?
Hi Lynne, Sweet.
heyy, they look very very tempting and i may make it today .
as i don’t take alcohol im not going to use marsala in the syrup, is that fine ???
thanks =)
You can leave it out, but I would substitute with brewed coffee.
what is marsala?
It’s a type of wine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsala_wine
I made this cupcake last night and it came out perfect! :D thanks a lot
Thanks for the inspiration in your great blog. I don’t usually bake, but wanted to do something special this Thanksgiving – and my family loves Tiramisu – so this was the perfect start for beginners!
I have one suggestion, however. If you want to add extra umph to your cupcakes, use a fork to poke holes into the cooled cupcakes before brushing on the coffee syrup. The coffee flavor will seep into the cakes, giving them a moist, surprise center!
Hey they look so delicious. I am new to baking so wanted to ask is cake flour in this recipe same as all purpose flour? If not can I replace it with All purpose flour?
Hi Erum, Cake flour is not the same, but you can create a substitution: For every 1 cup of cake flour called for, substitute 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
Hello Happy Belated Bday !
I made this recipe and my cake came out tough and the frosting came out a bit grainy but it was not from whipped cream. I think it came out grainy due to the mascarpone cheese. About how long did you beat the egg mixture to make it fluffy after removing from heat ? I think this is where I might have over mixed. Any Suggestions on either problems ?
Hi Liz, Eek I honestly don’t remember how long I mixed, it was so long ago. The next time I make them I will be sure to take note!