Tiramisu Cupcakes Recipe

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Tiramisu Cupcakes is a modern twist on the classic Italian dessert. Easy to make and delicious, these cupcakes are the perfect addition to any celebration but are also a great afternoon pick-me-up, as the word tiramisu literally translates to.

You know how much I love cupcakes – I have so many cupcake recipes on my site, like my colorful rainbow cupcakes and my delicious Bischoff cupcakes with buttercream.

Given that Tiramisu has been one of my favorite desserts since forever (I remember flicking through the dessert menu at restaurants to see if they had it before even deciding on what I wanted to eat for dinner!), I had to create a cupcake version of the classic recipe. There is something about the combination of mascarpone, coffee, and cake that is too hard to resist!

This simple vanilla sponge cupcake soaked in coffee and liqueur, topped with delicious mascarpone frosting, is not just light and fluffy but also rich and complex in flavor.

Ingredients //

Below is for 12 regular-sized cupcakes. The ingredients come in three parts –

Tiramisu Cupcakes

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup milk

Coffee Soak

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of coffee liquor
• 1/3 cup hot water

Tiramisu Frosting

• 1 cup Heavy cream
• 1 cup Mascarpone cheese
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons of Instant Clearjel
• 2 tablespoons of coffee liquor
• Unsweetened cocoa powder

Step-by-step instructions //

Don’t be fooled by the large number of ingredients, this recipe is actually quite easy to make.

First of all. Let’s start with the cupcakes:

Step 1:

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Step 2:

Add eggs and vanilla.

Step 3:

Add the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing until just combined.

Step 4:

Add the milk and whisk further.

Step 5:

Finish with a spatula until smooth.

Step 6:

Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups and bake from 17 to 22 minutes in a pre-heated 350°F oven. Top should be firm and inside soft.

Step 7:

Leave aside to cool.

Now that you have finished the cupcakes. You can then turn to the soak:

Step 8:

Mix the sugar, espresso powder, and coffee liqueur with the hot water until dissolved.

Step 9:

Poke the tops of each cupcake with a fork and brush over the soak to allow it to soak in.

After the soak. Finally we move to the frosting:

Step 10:

Mix the icing sugar and Instant ClearJel.

Step 11:

Whisk the heavy cream, Mascarpone, coffee liquor, icing sugar and Instant ClearJel mixture in a medium bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Step 12:

Pipe the frosting onto cupcakes and dust the unsweetened cocoa as decoration.

How to Plan Ahead //

I like my tiramisu cupcakes fresh as I find that the taste is better, but if you are pressed on time, you can always make the cupcakes ahead of time and store them in the fridge. I recommend baking the cupcakes and soaking them the day before, and adding the tiramisu frosting before serving. The flavors of tiramisu will be perfectly wrapped in a velvety cupcake.

Tips, Tricks and Substitutions //

• Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Remember, even if they feel cool to the touch, the core could still be hot, which could affect the frosting.
• Make sure that the mascarpone is at room temperature, as it will make it easy to fold.
• Do not overfill the cupcake tin to avoid overflowing and odd-shaped cupcakes. I recommend filling the cupcake tin up to ¾.
• If coffee is not your thing, substitute the coffee liqueur for a rum, amaretto liqueur, or Baileys Irish cream. It won’t taste like a traditional tiramisu anymore but it could make a nice twist.
• If you have young children and want to avoid alcohol and coffee, avoid adding any liqueur and substitute the espresso powder for a decaffeinated one.
• Mascarpone can be substituted with cream cheese. Make sure to choose full-fat cream cheese as mascarpone has a much higher fat content. 
• You could use instant coffee instead of espresso powder but bear in mind that the flavor is generally milder. 
• Vegans can also indulge in a tiramisu cupcake or two by swapping whole milk for plant-based milk and the unsalted butter for a plant-based option. Regarding the eggs, my trick is to replace each egg with two tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of oil.

More Dessert Recipes //

Easy Tiramisu

Tiramisu Cups

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Biscoff Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream