Tiramisù. Seriously? With the amount of butter, mascarpone and cream in a serving, these cupcakes are most likely to weigh you down, and make you want to take a nap. That was my thought when I first made these cupcakes two years ago for my brother's birthday. He worships tiramisù (I was a bit nervous). But then I saw his beatific smile when he took his first bite and realised that after all, they really lift you up.



Tirami giù cupcakes
(mess-free alternative to the renowned Italian dessert)

Savoiardi cupcakes 
(they are slightly dry and are supposed to be as they need to be soaked in syrup, I imagine you could use the same recipe to make "baba au rhum" cupcakes, just sayin')

30 mL milk
30g butter
85 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg + 1 yolk (pretty pretty please try and buy eggs from happy hens)
75 g sugar

Preheat oven to 180° C.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter until dissolved. Set apart.
In a bowl, whisk the egg + yolk and the sugar until foamy, fold in the flour, baking powder and salt, then the milk and butter mixture.  Mix until well combined. Divide batter equally into cupcakes moulds. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

Sirop de punchage (soaking syrup)

40 mL strong coffee
22 g sugar
15 mL Marsala (or rum, rum is very fine)

Brew 40 mL of strong coffee, add the wine and sugar until dissolved. Pock holes into each cupcakes and brush them with the syrup so they can absorb it.

Mascarpone frosting

125 mL cream, whipped
125 g mascarpone
25 g powdered sugar
cocoa powder

Beat mascarpone until smooth. Add whipped cream and sugar and beat for another minute.
Generously dollop frosting onto cupcakes. Keep in the refrigerator and dust the cupcakes with cocoa powder right before serving.