Description
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 cocoa in an elegant individual cupcake. These are the cupcakes that earn genuine gasps at the table.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes:
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- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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- 1 cup granulated sugar
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- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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- 1 teaspoon baking powder
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- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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- 1/2 teaspoon salt
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- 1 large egg, room temperature
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- 1/2 cup whole milk
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- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
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- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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- 1 cup hot brewed coffee (strong-brewed coffee amplifies the chocolate flavor — decaf works if you prefer)
For the Mascarpone Tiramisu Filling:
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- 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)
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- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
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- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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- 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:
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- Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
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- Chocolate shavings, optional
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- Whole espresso beans for garnish, optional
Instructions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Notes
Cupcakes must be completely cool before filling — warm cake melts the mascarpone instantly.
Do not substitute cream cheese for mascarpone — the flavor and texture are completely different. Mascarpone is essential. Amelia’s Secret: After filling, brush the top of each cupcake lightly with cold strong espresso before dusting with cocoa.
This is the tiramisu ladyfinger technique applied to cupcake form and deepens the coffee flavor dramatically.
Make these the day before — the mascarpone sets firmer overnight and the flavors meld into something even more spectacular.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cupcakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian-American