I ♥ cake - Tiramisu cupcakes

I came up with this recipe recently, as I was trying to find a solution to the raw egg issue in a classic tiramisu. I had promised Agent T (whose bun has finally finished baking and is now breastfeeding) that I would make her a tiramisu, but even the best organic egg these days is not going to be safe to eat raw by a nursing mum... So I rearranged all the goodness of classic tiramisu ingredients and flavours into these cuppies. Delicious with a cup of espresso on the side :)

Tiramisu cupcakes (makes about 18)

For the cupcakes:

1 ^2/3 cups cake flour (not the self-rising type), sifted

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder

8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

For the sauce:

1 cup strong coffee

4tbsp whisky

4tbsp caster sugar

For the frosting:

500gr mascarpone

2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1tbsp vanilla sugar (or a few drops vanilla extract)

Dark chocolate shavings to decorate

·                     Preheat the oven at 175°C.

·                     Place cupcake papers in muffin tins or cupcake trays.

·                     In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso/coffee powder.

·                     Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

·                     Add the eggs, one at a time.

·                     Mix in the vanilla extract.

·                     Mix in the dry ingredients in 3 steps, alternating with the buttermilk.

·                     Fill the cupcake papers up to 2/3 of their height and bake for 18-20mn.

·                     Prepare the sauce: dissolve the sugar in the warm coffee and stir in the whisky.

·                     Cut off a small cap on each cupcake and carefully spoon the sauce inside the cake, a spoonful at a time, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding more (gently squeeze the top of the cupcake to see if liquid seeps back up, to judge how much more you should add). Replace the cap on each cupcake.

·                     Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla sugar (or extract) into the mascarpone, place into a piping bag with a 1M star tip, and refrigerate for a couple of hours before using.

·                     Pipe the frosting over the cupcakes and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.