Tiramisu Cupcakes

This weekend is Doug's birthday party!  For a theme he decided we should do a party after the movie "Big Night", with the centerpiece being the mythical Timpano .  But since the food will all be Italian Doug decided he wanted a Tiramisu cupcake.  So here is my recipe! 

I will admit I borrowed heavily from Martha Stewart on this one, but made my own Mama Ozzy modifications (mainly to simplify Martha's crazy recipe).  This is still a bit of an advanced recipe, but the result is well-worth the effort!  Buon Appetito!

Tiramisu Cupcakes
makes 24

Cake:
3 eggs plus three egg yolks room temperature (MUST be room temp!!!)
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, egg yolks and sugar.  With the whisk attachment whip the eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy.

While eggs are whipping, combine milk and butter in a glass bowl and microwave on high for one minute until butter is melted.  Add vanilla to milk.

Once the eggs are whipped, sift 1/3 of the flour over the eggs and gently fold in until no dry spots remain.  Repeat until all flour is added.

Scoop about 1 cup of the egg batter into the milk and gently mix until incorporated, then add milk mixture back to batter and fold until completely blended.  Scoop 1/4 batter into lined cupcake pans.  Bake 20 minutes.  Immediately upon removing cupcakes from oven, brush the cakes with Coffee Marsala Syrup until it is completely used.

Coffee Marsala Syrup
1/3 cup very strong coffee
1/4 sugar
1 oz (shot) of Marsala

Heat coffee and sugar in mcrowave until hot and sugar is dissolved.  Add Marsala and mix.

Mascarpone Cream
1 1/2 cups Mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

In a mixing bowl combine mascarpone and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Add cream and whip until fluffy (do not over beat or this will become nasty and grainy).

Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a small sauce pan heat cream until boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisk until smooth.

Assembly
Pierce each cupcake with a kinfe.  Pipe some mascarpone cream into the center of each cupcake using a piping bag and large round tip.

Dip the top of each cupcake in ganache.  Refrigerate one hour to set ganache.  Once ganache is set, pipe remaining mascarpone on each cupcake.  Garnish with chocolate shavings.