Chocolate Tiramisu Cupcakes

Chocolate Tiramisu Cupcakes are the stunning two-in-one dessert that combines everything you love about a classic Italian tiramisu. The espresso, the mascarpone, the dusting of cocoa with the irresistible individual serving format of a cupcake.

Love More Recipes? Try My Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes or this Raspberry Cupcakes next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The coffee-chocolate combination in every single bite is pure Italian café perfection.
• Individual portions — elegant enough for dinner parties, easy enough for a Tuesday night treat.
• That mascarpone cream filling takes these from a great cupcake to an unforgettable one.
• Beautiful enough to photograph — the cocoa-dusted top with an espresso bean is genuinely stunning.
• Make the day before — the flavors meld overnight into something even more incredible.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot brewed coffee (strong-brewed coffee amplifies the chocolate flavor — decaf works if you prefer)

For the Mascarpone Tiramisu Filling:

• 1 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature (do not substitute cream cheese — mascarpone has a lighter, more delicate flavor that is essential to the tiramisu taste)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, optional (Kahlúa is the classic choice — substitute 1 teaspoon espresso powder mixed with 1 teaspoon water for alcohol-free)

For Topping:

• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
• Chocolate shavings, optional
• Whole espresso beans for garnish, optional

Why These Ingredients Work

Hot brewed coffee in the cupcake batter serves a double purpose — it blooms the cocoa powder for maximum chocolate intensity and it provides the espresso note that connects the cupcake to its tiramisu inspiration. The chocolate flavor in the finished cupcake is noticeably deeper and more complex than batter made with water.

Mascarpone cheese is what makes this recipe authentically tiramisu. Its texture is richer, smoother, and more delicate than cream cheese, and its flavor is subtly sweet and milky rather than tangy. Cream cheese produces a good filling but mascarpone produces a transcendent one — this is one substitution worth refusing to make.

Coffee liqueur in the mascarpone filling brings the tiramisu concept full circle — it adds a boozy espresso warmth that echoes the traditional ladyfinger-soaking step of real tiramisu and gives the filling a grown-up complexity. Skip it if serving to children and substitute espresso powder instead.

Tools Needed

• 12-cup muffin pan
• Cupcake liners
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Large and medium mixing bowls
• Wire cooling rack
• Small sharp knife or cupcake corer
• Piping bag or spoon for filling
• Fine mesh sieve for dusting cocoa

How To Make Chocolate Tiramisu Cupcakes

Step 1: Preheat and Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Bring your egg and milk to room temperature — this takes about 20 minutes and makes a meaningful difference in how the batter comes together and how evenly the cupcakes bake.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until completely uniform. Break up any cocoa lumps — an even dry mixture produces an evenly flavored cupcake from edge to center.

Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth and fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — stop as soon as no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.

Step 4: Add the Coffee

Slowly pour in the hot brewed coffee and stir gently until the batter is smooth. It will be quite thin and pourable — that is perfectly correct. The hot coffee blooms the cocoa and produces the moist, deeply flavored cupcakes that make this recipe so special.

Step 5: Bake and Cool Completely

Fill each liner about two-thirds full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. These must be completely cool before you core and fill them — warm cupcakes will liquefy the mascarpone filling.

Step 6: Make the Mascarpone Filling

Beat the room-temperature mascarpone, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and coffee liqueur if using in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Taste it — it should be lightly sweet, gently coffee-flavored, and taste like the best tiramisu cream you have ever had. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up before filling.

Step 7: Core and Fill the Cupcakes

Use a small sharp knife or cupcake corer to cut a cone-shaped pocket in the center of each completely cooled cupcake. Go about two-thirds of the way down — deep enough for a generous filling without punching through the bottom. Discard or snack on the little cake plugs. Spoon or pipe the mascarpone filling into each pocket until it reaches the top.

Step 8: Dust and Decorate

Use a fine mesh sieve to dust a generous, even layer of unsweetened cocoa powder over the top of each filled cupcake. Press an espresso bean into the center or scatter a few chocolate shavings across the top.

You Must Know

The cupcakes must be completely, fully cool before you fill them. Even slightly warm cake will melt the delicate mascarpone filling instantly and you will end up with a soggy, sunken mess. One hour on a wire rack is the minimum — overnight is even better.

Do not substitute cream cheese for mascarpone. Cream cheese has a pronounced tanginess and a denser texture that makes the filling taste more like a cream cheese frosting than a tiramisu cream. The mascarpone is specifically what makes these taste authentically Italian — it is worth finding.

Refrigerate the finished cupcakes for at least one hour before serving. This is not optional — the cold firms the mascarpone into a creamy, sliceable filling and the flavors deepen and meld together into something much more complex and satisfying than freshly filled room-temperature cupcakes.

Pro Tips & Mistakes to Avoid

• Cool cupcakes completely before coring and filling — this is the single most important step in the recipe.
• Use room temperature mascarpone — cold mascarpone is stiff and difficult to mix into a smooth filling without lumps.
• Do not overfill the cupcake liner — two-thirds full produces a flat, even top that is easy to core and fill.
• Refrigerate after filling for at least 1 hour — the cold sets the mascarpone and deepens the flavors significantly.
• Dust with cocoa right before serving for the freshest, most dramatic visual impact.

Flavor Variations

Vanilla Tiramisu Cupcakes: Use a vanilla cupcake base instead of chocolate and fill with the same mascarpone cream. Brush the top with a coffee-vanilla syrup before dusting with cocoa for a lighter, more delicate tiramisu experience.

Chocolate Raspberry Tiramisu: Add a teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam to the bottom of each cupcake core before adding the mascarpone filling. The bright tartness of raspberry against the coffee-cream filling is an exceptional combination.

Hazelnut Tiramisu: Stir a tablespoon of Nutella into the mascarpone filling for a chocolate-hazelnut tiramisu that tastes like a Ferrero Rocher in cupcake form. Top with chopped hazelnuts in addition to the cocoa dusting.

Decaf Friendly Version: Use decaf espresso in the cupcake batter and skip the coffee liqueur in the filling — replace it with a teaspoon of espresso powder mixed with water. All the tiramisu flavor, none of the caffeine.

Make-Ahead & Freeze Instructions

These cupcakes are actually better made the day before serving. Bake, fill, and refrigerate overnight — the mascarpone cream firms up beautifully and the flavors have time to meld into a deeper, more complex tiramisu flavor. Dust with cocoa powder the morning of your event.

Baked but unfilled cupcakes freeze well for up to two months. Thaw overnight at room temperature, then fill and decorate fresh. Do not freeze filled cupcakes — the mascarpone filling loses its creamy texture when frozen and thawed.

Serving Suggestions

Serve on a tiered dessert stand with a light dusting of cocoa powder across the entire display and a few whole espresso beans scattered around the base. The visual combination of the dark chocolate cupcakes, white filling, and cocoa-dusted tops is genuinely stunning.

Pair with a shot of espresso or a strong cappuccino — the combination of the coffee in the cupcake and the fresh espresso creates the complete Italian café experience at home and is absolutely perfect for a dinner party dessert course.

For a complete tiramisu-themed dessert table, serve alongside a classic tiramisu in a trifle dish, some amaretti cookies, and a bottle of Kahlúa for guests to drizzle an additional splash over their cupcake if they choose.

How to Store

• Refrigerator: Store filled and frosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The flavor improves on day 2.
• Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours — the mascarpone filling requires refrigeration.
• Freezer: Freeze unfilled, unfrosted baked cupcakes for up to 2 months. Fill fresh after thawing.

Allergy Info

• Contains: Gluten (flour), Dairy (mascarpone, milk), Eggs
• Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 certified GF all-purpose flour blend — texture is very close to the original
• Dairy-free: Substitute mascarpone with cashew cream cheese blended smooth — not identical but a workable alternative
• Alcohol-free: Skip the coffee liqueur entirely or replace with 1 teaspoon espresso powder mixed with 1 teaspoon water

FAQs

Can I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone?

You can, but the filling will taste like a cream cheese frosting rather than authentic tiramisu cream. Mascarpone has a lighter, richer, more delicate flavor that is essential to the Italian pastry experience this recipe is going for.

How deep should I core the cupcakes?

About two-thirds of the way down — deep enough to hold a generous amount of filling but not so deep that you punch through the bottom. A cupcake corer tool makes this perfectly consistent every time.

Can I make these without coffee?

Yes — substitute hot water for the coffee in the batter and skip the liqueur in the filling. The chocolate flavor will be slightly less complex but the cupcakes are still excellent and completely kid-friendly.

Why do they need to be refrigerated before serving?

The mascarpone filling sets as it chills and develops a firmer, creamier texture that stays in the cupcake core rather than oozing out. The cold also deepens the coffee and chocolate flavors significantly — refrigeration is what makes these truly taste like tiramisu.

Can I make mini versions of these?

Absolutely — use a mini muffin pan and reduce the baking time to 10 to 13 minutes. Use a small melon baller or the back of a round tip to core the tiny centers. Mini tiramisu cupcakes make an elegant two-bite party dessert.

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