TIRAMISU CUPCAKES

yield: 18 cupcakes
prep time: 1 hour
cook time: 20 minutes
total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
For the Cupcakes:
1 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon coarse salt
cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
3 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
For the Coffee-Marsala Syrup:
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee (or espresso)
1 ounce marsala wine
cup granulated sugar
For the Mascarpone Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 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.
2. 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.

3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir cup
batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining
batter until just combined.
4. 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.
5. Make the syrup: Stir together coffee, marsala, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
6. Brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been
used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes.
7. Make 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. Use immediately.
8. To finish, Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers.
Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.