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Everyone I work with all have a big sweet tooth. I decided to try something new and I came across my Martha Stewart cupcake cookbook. I found the tiramisu cupcakes. As I read through the recipe everything sounded great and then I got to the step to which it is instructed to brush the top of the cupcake with the marsala syrup for 30 minutes. I don’t have the patience to watch cupcake soak up syrup so I figured I could speed up the process a bit. I also don’t always have coffee left over so Starbucks via packets come in handy for single serving uses. Vanilla beans can also be pricy so I substitute 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead.

Aha Moments: 

using a toothpick or skewer to poke holes into the cupcakes

RECIPE

Cupcake

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
• 3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• Mascarpone Frosting
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Marsala Syrup

• 1 oz marsala wine
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 instant coffee packet (I used starbucks via)
• ¼ cup sugar

Mascarpone Frosting

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners. Take out mascarpone cheese to give it enough time to come to room temperature.
2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Heat milk and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Let milk cool. Add in butter and stir until melted, and let stand 15 minutes.
   

   The secret yummy milk

4. Now using a bowl that can be used as a double boiler combine eggs, yolk and sugar. Mix well. From my experience with a double boiler the steam can be very hot and I used some aluminum foil folded over the pot to let steam escape away from you. Be sure the boiling water is not touching the bowl. Stir the mixture which it thickens and sugar is completely dissolved.
   

   Stir constantly so that it does not curdle

5. Using an electric mixer whisk egg mixture on high until fluffy and mixture holds a ribbon texture for a few seconds.
   

   Make sure to holds a slight ribbon form

6. Gently fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches. You don’t want to stir this or the batter will go flat and give you dense cupcakes instead of fluffy ones. Take ½ cup of the batter and stir it into the milk mixture. Then transfer the milk mixture to the batter again folding it in until combined. Do not over mix.
   

   1/3 flour mixture first

   

   Then milk mixture

7. Using an ice cream scooper filling each cupcake 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.
   

   No measure scooping

8. Once cupcakes have cooled take a toothpick and poke about 5 holes into each cupcake. I did mine in the dice patterned so that it would go evenly through the cupcake.
   

   Poke away

9. Combine all ingredients for the marsala syrup and making sure the sugar has dissolved.
10. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the cupcake with marsala syrup. This should take about 3 passes and only take 5 minutes.
11. Now for the mascarpone frosting. Whip heavy cream on high speed until you get stiff peaks. Transfer whipped cream to another bowl. Using the same mixing bowl combine sugar and mascarpone cheese on low speed. Carefully fold mixture into whipped cream as to not deflate the mixture.
12. Top cupcakes with frosting and a light dusting of cocoa powder. Chill cupcakes for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
    

    Cupcake goodness

13. Enjoy!