Tiramisu Cupcake 提拉米蘇杯子蛋糕

Believe or not, this is my first post on cupcakes. Although cupcakes have been popular for such a long time, for some reason I am not into this trend. My food critics at home have been bugging me to make cupcakes for a long time. I yielded to their requests when I saw this recipe on King Arthur's blog. It is a twist on the classic tiramisu, building on a cupcake.

I modified the recipe quite a bit and made it my own version with significantly less sugar. I call it an adult cupcake.




信不信由你，雖然杯子蛋糕流行了很久，這是我第一次正式做。雖然家中要求食這杯子蛋糕的呼聲不斷，但我一直都沒提起勁，直至最近在另一網頁見到這款由提拉米蘇演變而成的杯子蛋糕，便想一試。原食譜的糖份量超高，以下是我改良後的版本，比較適合東方人口味。

Ingredients to make 12 cupcakes 做一打蛋糕的材料:

85g unsalted butter, room temperature 無鹽牛油，室溫
105g sugar 糖
1 egg, large 大蛋
162g unbleached all-purpose flour 中筋/普通麵粉
1¼ tsp baking powder 泡打粉
114g whole milk 全脂牛奶
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 雲呢哪香油
¼ tsp salt 鹽

Coffee for soaking: 浸泡用咖啡
1 tsp instant coffee or expresso 即溶咖啡粉
½ cup hot water 熱水

Tiramisu Frosting:
112g heavy cream 重奶油/忌廉
18g powdered sugar 糖粉
57g mascarpone cheese, room temp 義大利芝士, 室溫
⅓ tsp unflavored gelatin powder 無味魚膠粉(又名吉利丁/明膠)
3-4 tbsp coffee liquor 咖啡酒
unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting 無糖谷古粉

1)  Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin or cupcake tin with paper liners.
2)  In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt).
3)  In another bowl, cream softened butter with sugar using either a handheld or stand mixer for a few minutes until creamy.
4)  Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat until incorporated.
5)  Add half the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until no dry flour is seen.
6)  Add milk and mix until the batter is smooth.
7)  Add the rest of the dry flour and mix. Stop the mixer when there is no dry flour. Do not over mix.
8)  Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, each cup about ⅔ filled.
9)  Bake for 20-25 minutes.
10) Prepare the coffee for soaking while the cupcakes are baking.
11) Let the cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes on a rack. While they are still warm, use a fork to poke some holes in each cake.

12) Soak each cake with 2-3 teaspoons of coffee. Continue to let them cool on the rack.

13) Make the frosting by whipping the mascarpone cheese by hand until it looks creamy.
14) Sprinkle gelatin into a small bowl with 2 tsp of water. Let it sit for a few minutes, then microwave it for a few seconds to dissolve.
15) Whip cold heavy cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks.
16)  Add the whipped mascarpone cheese and coffee liquor. Beat to combine.
17)  Add the dissolved gelatin with the beater on medium speed. Mix thoroughly.
18)  Put the frosting in a piping bag. Pipe on each cooled cake. Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes:
1) Gelatin is used to stabilize the frosting.
2) I do not like soggy cupcakes and therefore only used 2-3 tsp of coffee. Adjust the amount of coffee to soak the cakes to your taste. Soak the cakes while they are still warm.
3) Do not over beat the mascarpone cheese. It will turn grainy.

1)  預熱焗爐至350度。在杯子蛋糕的盤上放蛋糕紙。
2)  在一小碗內加入麵粉、鹽及泡打粉。
3)  將室溫牛油與糖用攪拌器打幾分鐘至幼滑。
4)  加入蛋及雲呢哪香油，攪勻。
5)  將一半粉類加入，攪至沒有乾粉便可。
6)  加入牛奶，攪勻。
7)  加入其餘粉類，攪拌至沒有乾粉，然後平均放入盤內，約三份二滿。入爐焗廿至廿五分鐘。
8)  準備咖啡溶液。蛋糕焗好後放架上待涼約五分鐘後，用叉在蛋糕面上刺幾下，然後用茶匙將咖啡慢慢倒入蛋糕上，約二至三茶匙。
9)  將義大利芝士攪打至滑身。
10) 在一小碗內放二茶匙水，魚膠粉灑上面，幾分鐘後放微波爐加熱溶解。
11)  重奶油加糖粉打至六成，加入咖啡酒及芝士攪勻，再加入魚膠溶液，攪勻後放入唧花袋。唧在已涼的杯子蛋糕上，再灑上谷古粉作裝飾便成。

注意事項：
1)  魚膠粉是用來穩定奶油芝士。
2)  咖啡溶液的份量可自行調教。要趁蛋糕還暖的時候倒入才容易吸收。
3)  義大利芝士只須手攪至順滑便可，攪太多會變成牛油。