Tiramisu cupcakes

  After making Mascarpone cheese, I didn't want to make this winner dessert right away.  I took some time to go through what I wanted.   With guests at home and my kid waiting to get pampered, I could not have settled less for the cupcake.  Yes, super soft and moist coffee cupcakes paired with Mascarpone cheese icing, with a hint of coffee on top.  I got this super-soft sponge recipe from Natasha's Kitchen. With coffee flavour infused, they were great even when had straight away from the refrigerator.

So, what's this Tiramisu?  What makes them so special and so romantic?  Tiramisu meaning 'pick me up' or 'lift me up', is a popular Coffee-based Italian dessert.  It is assembled with ladyfinger -(a sponge cake in a shape of a finger) dipped in coffee syrup and arranged with a layer of mascarpone cheese and whipped eggs, topped with cocoa.  It's this beautiful combination of coffee, cocoa, and cream that can light up the romance in the air.  <3  <3

So, let me hope that you agree with  the same and bake them for ur better half's ;)  ;)

Coffee cupcakes

Preparation time:  15 minutes
Baking time:  12 minutes
Yields: 9 medium cupcakes

We will need the following ingredients. 

• 3/4 cup All purpose flour
• 11/2 tsp cornflour
• 3/4 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Egg
• 1/3 cup castor sugar
• 1 tsp instant coffee powder (I used Bru)
• 1 tsp boiling water
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degree celsius

Add first ingredients to a dry vessel, sieve them once, keep aside.  This is our dry mixture.

To make coffee cupcakes, crack one egg in a dry vessel.  Beat them on high speed with an electric beater for 15-20 seconds.  

Now, add sugar and beat again for 30 seconds.

Mix coffee powder with water, add this paste along with oil and beat for a minute.

Finally, add in our dry ingredients along with buttermilk in an alternating batch.  Fold using the spatula.

Fill them halfway with each cupcake and let them bake for about 12 minutes

Cool them on the  wire rack.  

Mascarpone cheese icing

You will be needing the following ingredients

• 1/2 cup of Mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup of Whipping cream - (I used Milkymist cream)
• 1/4 cup icing sugar

Refrigerate the bowl and electric blades for about 5 to 6 hours before whipping.

In the refrigerated bowl, add whipping cream. If you are staying in places with a hot room temperature, I will advise you to use the bowl under a bigger bowl filled with ice cubes.   This will be done to create a cool temperature that will help the cream to whip up beautifully.

Beat them on moderate speed for a minute, till soft peak comes.  

The given below pic shows soft peaks.  They will not hold shape for more than a second and will fall off.

Add in icing sugar and beat till stiff peak appears. This will take 20-30 seconds.    The peak formed then, won't fall off easily.

Now, add mascarpone cheese (which is blended to get uniform texture) and fold them very lightly into the cream.  

See how fluffy this frosting is, now pipe a dollop of these into cooled cupcakes.  

Finish these with a hint of coffee/cocoa powder.

Happy Baking folks !!