Something Sweet: Mini Tiramisu Cupcakes

I recently made these for a friend’s birthday and earned rave reviews.  Though more time consuming than your average cupcake, the delicious flavor makes it worthwhile!  The recipe as written will generate approximately 40 mini cupcakes.

 

Ingredients:

1 package of french vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients needed to bake the cake (e.g. eggs, oil or butter)

Espresso

Confectioners’ sugar

Kahlua

2 (8oz.) Containers mascarpone cheese – I used coffee flavored

1 (8oz.) Container lite cool whip

2 Squares dark chocolate (60-70%)

Unsweetened cocoa powder

Ground cinnamon

Mascarpone Layer (can be made the night before): Mix cool whip, both containers of mascarpone cheese, 3 tbsp. kahlua, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1 square of finely grated dark chocolate.  Stir until blended thoroughly.  Store in refrigerator until needed.

Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare cake mix as directed.  Stir in one tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon.  Pour cake batter into a pyrex measuring cup and fill mini foil muffin/cupcake wrappers 3/4 of the way up.  It’s important to use the foil ones because they will hold any excess liquid from the espresso/kahlua mix later.  Try to bake between 12-15 cupcakes at a time for 20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean in the center.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

Espresso: Prepare espresso – you’ll want around 1/2 a cup brewed.  Once finished, pour into a small bowl and add 2 tsp. confectioners’ sugar and 2 tsp. kahlua to taste.  Allow to cool completely.

Coring Out the Cupcakes: Once cupcakes are completely cooled, use a paring knife to cut a dime-sized hole in the center of the cupcake.  Do not cut all the way through to the bottom of the cupcake.

Soaking the Cupcakes: Pour 1/4 tsp. espresso mix into bottom of each hole.  Once through all of the cupcakes, add another two or three 1/4 tsps. to evenly coat the bottom and sides of the hole.  I found it easier to coat if you pick up and turn the cupcake.  Allow to sit for dry to 30 minutes.

Frosting: Using a pasty bag, or this easy decorating squeeze containers from Crate & Barrel (click here), first fill the cupcake hole and decorate the top of the cupcake.  Top with additional finely grated dark chocolate shavings.

Store in refrigerator until serving time.  Enjoy!

For more of my recipes, click here.