These Tiramisu Cupcakes are the perfect bite-sized version of your favorite Italian dessert! With a moist coffee-soaked cake and creamy mascarpone frosting, they’re a delightful treat for any occasion.

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Tiramisu Cupcakes are a mini version of the classic Italian dessert, with a light coffee-soaked cake and creamy mascarpone frosting. A true treat for tiramisu lovers!
Made with a vanilla cupcake base soaked in coffee, topped with a creamy mascarpone whipped cream frosting, and finished with a dusting of cocoa for the perfect touch.
These cupcakes are perfect for any occasion: birthdays, get-togethers, or festive meals. Easy to make, they’ll impress everyone with their delicious and creamy flavor!
Craving for more Tiramisu-inspired desserts? Give these a try: Tiramisu cake or this Tiramisu latte.
Ingredients You Need
You will need these ingredients to make these tiramisu-inspired cupcakes:
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, to give your cupcakes a rich, smooth texture.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is perfect for this recipe, providing sweetness and structure to the batter.
- Egg white: You can use large egg whites for a lighter texture, but egg yolks can also be used if preferred for a richer taste.
- Vanilla and salt: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor, while a pinch of salt enhances the sweetness and balances the flavors.
- Flour: Use cake flour for a light, tender crumb in your cupcakes.
- Baking powder: Essential for helping the cupcakes rise and become fluffy.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk gives the cupcakes a soft, moist texture and helps balance the flavors.
- Mascarpone frosting : mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder to add depth of flavor to the frosting.
- Espresso: Strong espresso or coffee adds the signature coffee flavor that pairs perfectly with the tiramisu-inspired cupcakes.

How to Make Tiramisu Cupcakes
Here’s a quick visual guide. Don’t forget, the full instructions with exact ingredients are below!
Place softened butter and granulated sugar in a bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and continue beating for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light and white.


Sift the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt) and gradually add them alternately with the buttermilk, mixing until the batter is smooth and well combined.


Preheat the oven to 165°C (325°F) and prepare a cupcake pan with paper liners. Pour the cupcake batter into the liners, filling them about ⅔ full.
Bake the cupcake batter in the oven for about 20 minutes without opening the oven door, until they are golden and cooked through.
Allow the vanilla cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.


In a medium bowl, place all the frosting ingredients: cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whisk with an electric mixer until the frosting is smooth and firm.
Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Soak the cupcakes with cooled coffee, then pipe a layer of mascarpone frosting on top, finishing with a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder.


Tips for this recipe

Variations & Substitutions
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I hope you loved this tiramisu cupcake recipe! Feel free to rate it and leave a comment to let me know what you think. Happy baking!
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Tiramisu Cupcakes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
Description
Delicious tiramisu cupcakes with a soft coffee-soaked base, mascarpone whipped cream topping, and a dusting of cocoa powder (makes 12 cupcakes).
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 100 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 120 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites – at room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) cake flour
- 20 g (2 tbsp) cornstarch
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Mascarpone Frosting
- 200 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) cold mascarpone
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) heavy cream, cold
- 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder for decoration
- Cool espresso coffee for soaking
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, place the softened butter and granulated sugar, then beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla extract, and beat again for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt) and buttermilk, mixing gently with a spatula until smooth.
- Fill the paper liners about ⅔ full with the batter.
- Bake for about 17-20 minutes without opening the oven door, until the cupcakes are puffed, golden, and cooked through (check by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake – it should come out clean).
- Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.
Mascarpone Frosting
- Place all the ingredients (cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract) in a bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the frosting is firm.
- Transfer the mascarpone frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a round tip.
Assembly
- Prepare your espresso and let it cool completely, then soak each cupcake with the coffee.
- Decorate the tops of the cupcakes by piping swirls of mascarpone frosting.
- Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour and enjoy!
Notes
Conservation: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Tips:
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners, about ⅔ full to prevent overflowing.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk with a little vinegar or lemon juice.
- For a stronger coffee flavor, add a bit of instant coffee to the frosting.
- Check the cupcakes with a toothpick: it should come out clean when they’re done.
- Use a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements, and make sure your ingredients are at room temperature for the best results.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: cupcakes
- Cuisine: American
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