Meet your new obsession: tiramisu cupcakes. They are made with a soft espresso cupcake soaked in coffee, and topped with mascarpone cream.
Tiramisu cupcakes are a delicious twist on the classic Italian dessert. These cupcakes combine the flavors of coffee, cocoa, and creamy mascarpone cheese.
The cupcake base is a moist vanilla and espresso cupcake. The frosting is a light and airy mascarpone mixture. Each cupcake is then dusted with cocoa powder, mimicking the traditional tiramisu layering.
These cupcakes are perfect for those who love the rich and indulgent flavors of tiramisu but prefer a portable and portion-controlled dessert option.
For more cupcake recipes, check out my orange cupcakes, banana pudding cupcakes, strawberry filled cupcakes, carrot cake cupcakes, pumpkin cupcakes, and red velvet cupcakes.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- Texture- these cupcakes have a soft and moist texture the goes perfectly with the coffee soak and creamy mascarpone frosting. Every bite is a dream.
- Tiramisu flavor- these have the exact flavors of tiramisu: vanilla cupcake soaked in coffee to mimics the ladyfingers in the tiramisu, mascarpone cream as in tiramisu with a generous dust of cocoa powder.
- Mascarpone cream- this easy mascarpone cream is made with only 4 simple ingredients and is made with no eggs, so theres no need to temper any eggs, super simple and delicious.
- Coffee soaked cupcakes- these cupcakes are soaked in a delicious coffee and coffee liqueur for those who like the added liqueur which creates moist and extremely tender cupcakes.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the cupcakes
Butter- Use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work, no margarine or coconut oil. Margarine has an undesirable taste and can ruin the flavor of this dessert.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Baking powder – to allow the cupcakes to rise. Ensure that your baking powder is not expired.
Granulated sugar– I like to use granulated sugar, the most common sugar used in baking.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use vanilla bean extract or pure vanilla extract for better flavor!
Buttermilk- gives the cupcake extra moisture. You can make your buttermilk if you don’t have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Sour cream- use either sour cream or Greek yogurt. Both will work great.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the mascarpone cream and assembly
Mascarpone cheese- is the most important ingredient, make sure that you put your mascarpone cheese at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before starting to make the recipe.
Heavy cream- make sure that your heavy cream is cold. Cold heavy cream whips better and quicker.
Powder sugar- You don’t have to buy powdered sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Dutch-process cocoa powder– we like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for this because we want the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
Preheat an oven to 350f (180c) and prep a cupcake pan with liners.
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until creamy and well combined.
Add the sour cream, eggs, and coffee, and mix until creamy and well combined.
Add ½ of the flour, baking powder, and ½ of the buttermilk. Mix until almost combined.
Add the rest of the flour and the buttermilk and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour showing.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill out the cupcake ⅔ full (do not overfill) and bake in a 180 (350f) preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely (don’t frost warm cupcakes)
Make the mascarpone cream
Into a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form. (don't overbeat the mixture so you don't create butter)
Add the mascarpone cheese (which is at room temperature) and mix it lightly into the whipped cream using a spatula until a creamy mixture forms.
Brush the top of each cupcake with the espresso for extra soft and extra flavorful cupcakes.
Use round piping tips to pipe the mascarpone cream on each cupcake.
Dust with cocoa powder and serve!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Use cupcake liners to prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the pan, making them easier to remove and creating a more professional appearance.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don't overmix the batter. Once you've added the dry ingredients, mix just until they're incorporated. Overmixing can lead to tough, dense cupcakes.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the cupcake batter into the muffin tin liners to ensure each cupcake is uniform in size and bakes evenly.
- Don't overbake the cupcakes. Keep an eye on the cupcakes as they bake and remove them from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them with buttercream frosting. This will prevent the frosting from melting and sliding off the cupcakes.
Faq's
Yes. If you don’t consume caffeine, you can use decaf coffee for this, Make a strong decaf coffee to soak the cupcakes, and decaf coffee powder for the cupcake batter.
Yes! Follow the recipe as written and bake them for about 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
Mascarpone cream is an Italian cream cheese that can typically be found in the cheese section of most major grocery stores.
It may be located near other specialty cheeses or Italian ingredients. Some stores also carry it in the dairy aisle alongside other creams and spreads.
Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert made with ladyfingers soaked in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, and dusted with cocoa powder.
These tiramisu cupcakes can be made with or without alcohol. If you don’t consume alcohol simply skip the Kahlua liqueur in this recipe.
Storing
These cupcakes will last up to 4 days in the fridge (dairy needs to be stored in the fridge). Cover them with plastic wrap or foil to prevent them from drying out.
Freezing
Freeze with the frosting- Place the frosted cupcakes on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for about 1-2 hours until the frosting is firm.
Once firm, wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Label the container with the date and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw by letting them sit at room temperature for about 1-2 hours before serving.
Freezing without the frosting- allow the cupcakes to cool completely after baking. Once cooled, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for about 1 hour to set.
Then, wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
Making ahead instructions
You can make these cupcakes 1-2 days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge so they won't dry out.
Or, you can make the cupcakes ahead of time freeze them according to the freezing instructions, and thaw them before serving.
Substitutions
Dairy-free- It’s easy to make these cupcakes dairy-free. Simply replace the butter with vegan butter. Also, swap the heavy cream with vegan heavy cream and the mascarpone cream with vegan mascarpone cream.
Gluten-free- you can swap the flour with gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free. I never tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work.
Eggless- if you don't consume eggs, you can make egg-free vanilla cupcakes, and follow the rest of the steps in the recipe as written.
Decaf- if you don't consume coffee, make these cupcakes with decaf espresso powder.
Variations
Chocolate tiramisu cupcakes- use my favorite recipe for chocolate cupcakes and follow the rest of the instructions as written for a chocolate base for these!
Lemon tiramisu cupcakes- use the same recipe for the lemon mascarpone cream as in my lemon tiramisu recipe. Skip the coffee soak, and soak the cupcakes with lemon syrup instead.
Strawberry tiramisu cupcakes- use the same strawberry mascarpone cream as in our strawberry tiramisu recipe. Skip the coffee soak and sprinkle ground freeze-dried strawberries on top of the frosting.
Serving Tips
Chocolate shavings- top the finished cupcakes with chocolate shavings for a delicious touch of chocolate flavor.
Ladyfingers- top each cupcake with a ladyfinger cut in half to mimic the tiramisu look.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls- best glass mixing bowls.
- Whisk set- my favorite copper whisk set.
- Cupcakes tins- my favorite Wilton cupcake tins.
- Electric hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
More tiramisu recipes
Strawberry Tiramisu- This strawberry tiramisu is made with a delicious and creamy mascarpone strawberry filling, soft ladyfingers, and topped with fresh strawberries.
Tiramisu Cake- This tiramisu cake is made with genoise cake soaked with espresso filled with mascarpone cream, and topped with cocoa powder.
Tiramisu Cookies- These tiramisu cookies are made with soft and chewy coffee cookies topped with creamy mascarpone cream, and topped with cocoa powder.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Tiramisu Cupcakes w/ Mascarpone Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- ½ cup Butter room temp, unsalted
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup Sour cream
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Espresso powder
- 1 ⅔ cups Flour
- 1 ⅓ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ cup Buttermilk
For the mascarpone cream
- 15.8 oz Mascarpone cheese room temp
- 2 cups Heavy cream cold
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
For the assembly
- Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350f (180c) and prep a cupcake pan with liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until creamy and well combined.
- Add the sour cream, eggs, and coffee, and mix until creamy and well combined.
- Add ½ of the flour, baking powder, and ½ of the buttermilk. Mix until almost combined.
- Add the rest of the flour and the buttermilk and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour showing.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill out the cupcake ⅔ full (do not overfill) and bake in a 180 (350f) preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely (don’t frost warm cupcakes)
Make the mascarpone cream
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form. (don't overbeat the mixture so you don't create butter)
- Add the mascarpone cheese (which is at room temperature) and mix it lightly into the whipped cream using a spatula until a creamy mixture forms.
- Brush the top of each cupcake with the espresso for extra soft and extra flavorful cupcakes.
- Use round piping tips to pipe the mascarpone cream on each cupcake.
- Dust with cocoa powder and serve!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Use cupcake liners to prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the pan, making them easier to remove and creating a more professional appearance.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don't overmix the batter. Once you've added the dry ingredients, mix just until they're incorporated. Overmixing can lead to tough, dense cupcakes.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the cupcake batter into the muffin tin liners to ensure each cupcake is uniform in size and bakes evenly.
- Don't overbake the cupcakes. Keep an eye on the cupcakes as they bake and remove them from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them with buttercream frosting. This will prevent the frosting from melting and sliding off the cupcakes.
Jenna
They disappeared in a day because of how good they were!