I love walking inside the supermarket. Do you think that's strange? It doesn't matter which supermarket it was or how many times I've been there but I always feel excited like a little girl in a toy store. When I was in Netherlands, I saw this Tiramisu dessert in a cup at C1000 supermarket. From then on, I was hooked. Everytime we go to there, I'd always get a box of 2 and stuff my face each day with a cup. Luckily, my boyfriend liked the other Limoncello flavor so I had the Tiramisu ALL TO MYSELF. They were so good, every pound I gained was totally worth it!
I've never been a big fan of any liqueur and I hate the taste of any alcoholic drink but there's just something so addictive about Tiramisu. The blend of coffee with just a small amount of coffee liqueur soaked in a sponge cake topped with whipped cream with just a slight hint of cream cheese dusted with grated chocolate or cocoa powder sends me to heaven. I have a confession. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never ever tried mascarpone cheese. Traditional tiramisu recipes use mascarpone but since a small imported tub here is insanely expensive at 500 pesos (about 11-12 dollars or so), one has to look for more practical options.
I stumbled upon this recipe at Chef Chloe. Though her recipes are vegan, you'd never tell from the taste and look of it. I've used her recipes many times and if you follow the measurements and directions carefully, they're pretty much fail-proof too.
She made an unusual twist to the classic Tiramisu and added a little surprise to the cupcakes. RASPBERRY. What? A bit weird huh? I know! But this girl knows her stuff, trust me. This was one of her winning cupcakes on Cupcake Wars. Pairing Tiramisu with raspberry is really taking it to the next level. In a tropical island like Cebu, fresh and frozen raspberries are next to impossible to get your hands on so I just dusted mine plain with unsweetened cocoa powder. These cupcakes are nothing short of amazing and perfect! Perfectly moist cake soaked with coffee liqueur, filled with sweet raspberry jam and grated dark chocolate, topped with fluffy, light frosting that melts in your mouth with a little hint of cocoa...is that enough deliciousness for you?
What are you waiting for? MAKE. THESE. NOW.
RASPBERRY TIRAMISU CUPCAKES
recipe adapted from Chef Chloe
Dry
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
Wet
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Coffee Soak
1/3 + 1 tbsp strong brewed coffee
1.5 - 2 tbsp Kahlua or any coffee liqueur
1/4 cup sugar
Filling
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam (more or less)
1/4 cup grated dark chocolate (more or less)
Whipped Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup heavy cream, chilled overnight
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
To make the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350.
Line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl to get rid of the lumps. Set aside. In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together until well combined. Add the dry ingredients. Using a hand whisk, stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter between the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting.
To make the Coffee Soak
Whisk together the brewed coffee, coffee liqueur and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
To make the frosting
Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold it in. Very gently fold in the remaining whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture. Chill the frosting while you fill the cupcakes.
To assemble
Cut a circular cone out the top of each cupcake. Remove the cut out part (the cone) from the cupcake and cut off the pointy edge, leaving only a flat circular top. Generously spoon in the filling in layers: 1 tsp of the coffee soak, followed by the raspberry jam and lastly, the grated dark chocolate. Seal the filling by putting the flat circular part back on top of the cupcake. Pipe the whipped frosting on to the cupcakes and dust with cocoa powder.
Here's an inside peek. The photo is a little blurry (oops!) but the cupcake is still so freaking awesome!
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