Cupcake month kick-off

Several people I know are celebrating birthdays in May, and I have already been thinking about what I would be making for each of them.

In a word, cupcakes...looks like I'll be cranking out several varieties this month.

Tonight I'm headed to a party and was searching for the perfect dessert to bring along. One of my blog followers recently suggested that I make tiramisu and I was happy to oblige. I found this recipe for tiramisu cupcakes, which I thought was a nice take on the classic Italian cake.

The cupcake version is ideal since it's individually portioned, and the presentation is more appealing than using a sheet or loaf pan. My insatiable need for more housewares forced me into purchasing one of those cupcake carriers (they are great, BTW), so now these bad boys are even more portable.

Tiramisu Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart

For the cupcakes:

• 1-1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
• 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

For the coffee-marsala syrup:

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee (or espresso)
• 1 ounce marsala wine
• 1/4 cup sugar

For the mascarpone frosting:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Make the coffee-marsala syrup:
Stir together coffee, marsala, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

Make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 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.

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.

Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

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. 

Make the mascarpone 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.

To finish, pierce tops of cupcakes with fork and brush evenly with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.