20. Tiramisu Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
3 large whole eggs, plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
1 cup sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting
Coffee-Marsala Syrup
Mascarpone Frosting

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  Heat milk and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge.  Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes.
2. With electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar.  Set mixing bowl over pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes.  Remove bowl from heat.  With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.
3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thickened, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
5. To finish, brush tops of cupcakes evenly with Coffee-Marsala Syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used.  Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop Mascarpone Frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.