The BEST Tiramisu Cupcakes for any occasion! Made with fluffy vanilla cupcakes that are soaked in a melt-in-your-mouth coffee syrup and topped off with a creamy mascarpone cheese icing. There is nothing like these cupcakes for a next-level dessert that’s impressive and delicious!
There are a few things you should know about these Tiramisu Cupcakes:
- Sweet, delicious, fluffy, and basically just perfect. These Tiramisu Cupcakes are such a favorite!
- They are easier to make than you think.
- Can be made in advance and iced before serving.
- They may be the best cupcakes EVER. Soooo good!
You will love how delicious these Tiramisu Cupcakes are!
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Ingredients
There are 3 main components for making Tiramisu Cupcakes: the vanilla cupcakes, the espresso soak, and the mascarpone icing. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe!
1. Vanilla Cupcakes
The vanilla cupcakes for this recipe are truly the best ever! Fluffy and delicious, you’ll only need simple ingredients. All-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, butter, eggs, sugar (granulated and brown sugar), vanilla, and milk!
TIP: Don’t over-fill the cupcake liners with the cupcake batter! This would result in muffin tops that make it tough to get them out of the pan. Fill them about 2/3 to 3/4 full!
2. Espresso Soak
The espresso soak is made of espresso powder, sugar, hot water, and coffee liqueur. For the espresso powder, you can also use instant coffee. However, espresso is much stronger and preferred! Kahlua is a great option for the coffee liqueur, but there are many other options that work great in this recipe as well.
Note: This alcohol-free coffee liqueur essence is a great alternative to coffee liqueur!
3. Mascarpone Icing
One of the best parts of these cupcakes is the icing! Made with heavy whipping cream, mascarpone cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and coffee liqueur (optional), this icing is easy to make.
While mascarpone cheese is best in this icing recipe, you can also use cream cheese (room temperature) if necessary!
How to Make Tiramisu Cupcakes
Making Tiramisu Cupcakes is actually pretty easy! Here’s a quick rundown for how to whip them up:
- Mix the cupcake batter in a large bowl.
- Bake the cupcakes.
- While the cupcakes cool, quickly mix up the soak.
- Poke holes in the cupcakes and smooth the soak over each cupcake.
- Use an electric beater to mix the icing recipe.
- Spoon or pipe over each cupcake.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder and/or chopped baking chocolate over each cupcake and enjoy!
TIP: Make sure to poke SEVERAL holes in these cupcakes in order to get the soak throughout the cupcake!
Making the Best Mascarpone Icing
If you are looking for an icing that holds up a little bit stronger for piping the cupcakes, then it may be best to leave out the coffee liqueur (as this makes it a bit more runny). Otherwise, you can always just spoon a little bit of the icing on top of each cupcake!
Shortcuts to Save Time
- Use boxed vanilla cake mix for the cupcakes.
- Top with pre-made cream cheese icing.
- Or make the soaked cupcakes in advance, refrigerate, and add icing the next day!
How to Store Tiramisu Cupcakes
These cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator! It’s best to wait and add the icing right before you serve them. However, they are still delicious even if you add the icing the day before!
More Desserts You’ll Love
- Best Ever Snickers Brownies
- Lemon Turmeric Cake
- Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
- Apple Fritter Cake
- Maple Whiskey Pudding Cake
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The BEST Tiramisu Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cups butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup milk
Espresso Soak
- 2 Tablespoons espresso powder or instant coffee
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/3 cup coffee liqueur
Mascarpone Icing
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese chilled
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon coffee liqueur optional
Topping
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder optional
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped baking chocolate optional
Instructions
Making The Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
- Use a stand mixer or electric beater to cream the butter.
- Mix in the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Add in one egg at a time, beating until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla.
- Slowly pour in the flour mixture and milk, alternating until mixed.
- Spoon the batter into a lined cupcake pan, making sure to only fill each cupcake 2/3-3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
The Espresso Soak
- Combine the espresso powder and sugar.
- Add hot water and mix until the powder and sugar dissolve.
- Add in the coffee liqueur and mix.
- Poke several holes into the cupcakes using a fork or toothpick.
- Slowly spoon the espresso soak over each cupcake, allowing it to soak in and repeating with leftover soak (about 2 Tablespoons for each cupcake).
Making The Icing
- Use an electric beater to whisk the heavy cream until peaks form (about 5 minutes).
- Add in the mascarpone cheese and mix until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla and coffee liqueur (optional), mix.
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar.
- Spoon or pipe the icing over each cupcake.
- Add a dusting of cocoa powder and/or finely chopped chocolate and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes 16-18 medium cupcakes.
- Make sure to poke SEVERAL holes in these cupcakes in order to get the soak throughout the cupcake!
- For an icing that holds up a little bit stronger for piping cupcakes, it may be best to leave out the coffee liqueur (as this makes it a bit more runny).
- Otherwise, you can always just spoon the delicious icing on to each cupcake!
I love tiramisu! What a great way to eat it. These cupcakes are delicious.
Love the flavors!! These cupcakes are soo good!
I’m OBSESSED. These cupcakes are so good! Thank you for sharing!
These tiramisu cupcakes look so delicious! I’m making them for a Valentine’s treat tonight!
My family are tiramisu aficionados and we all agree that these tiramisu cupcakes are right up there with our favorite tiramisu from Catania, Italy. This will definitely be a repeat for us!
Great idea to put tiramisu in cupcake form. Can’t wait to make these!
I made these for my partner and he loved them, he couldn’t get enough of them LoL
These will be getting made again very soon 🙂
Tiramisu is one of my most favorite desserts, this cupcake is perfect!
Wow , tiramisu in a cup cake delicious
Such a great idea! I love this flavour combination and how you’ve made such tasty looking cupcakes. Thanks for this fun recipe!
These cupcakes are wonderful!
Loved these cupcakes! They had the perfect tiramisu flavor and were so moist and fluffy.
Oh yes please! Tiramisu dessert is always so delicious! I love your presentation of these cupcakes, so pretty! Will have to give this recipe a try!
These are both adorable and delicious! Who doesn’t love tiramisu, right? I cannot wait to try them!
This tiramisu cupcakes recipe is amazing! It’s perfect for all kinds of celebrations, but we’re definitely going to make these “just because” quite often now!
Oh my these tiramisu cupcakes are divine! Full of all my favorite flavors of tiramisu but in cupcake form!
We love tiramisu but I am just lazy to make it every time. This cupcake though is a game changer. It is so delicious and has the flavors spot on without much hassle.
These tiramisu cupcakes are now at the top of my to-make list. Here in Italy we eat a lot of tiramisu but I just love the idea of incorporating the flavours in cupcakes. Such a great idea.
These tiramisu cupcakes look absolutely stunning! I love that your recipe allows me to serve tiramisu in handheld form. This is a dinner party conversation-starting dessert. Genius!
Look delicious
Tiramisu is my so fine favorite dessert. I think this is such a great and easier way to make them then the cake. They are so good. This is definitely a must try for people that love Tiramisu. Great recipe. Thank you for sharing. I will for sure be making these again