Since instructables has put up a contest for Italian food I couldn't help but make something. I was going to make plain Tiramisu but as this is a contest I wanted to turn it on it's head and instead make Tiramisu Cupcakes. Please enjoy!

Step 1: Ingredients

Now there would be a photo here with the Ingredients all nicely displayed but since it was 82 degrees out and my friends house does not have air conditioning the heat overtook me and I forgot to take a picture. So use your imaginations and imagine I took the best ingredient photo you have ever seen.

For the cupcakes:
1-3/4 cups cake flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp. milk
1 vanilla bean
6 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces
5 large whole eggs plus 4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cup sugar

Step 2:

Take your vanilla been and cut it length wise down the center. With your knife scrap both sides of the seeds from the pod and put them in a small sauce pan along with the pod. Add the 6 tbsp. of milk to the saucepan.
Heat over medium-high heat and whisk just until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the 6 tbsp of unsalted butter cut into pieces and whisk until it is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes and then remove the vanilla bean pod and discard it.

Step 3:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with hand held mixer, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Whisk lightly to blend.
Set the bowl over a bowl of hot water, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes.
Return the bowl to the mixer base and whisk on high speed until the mixture is a pale yellow and fluffy. You will know it is done when you lift the beater and the mixture is able to hold a ribbon or soft peak.

Step 4:

In a medium bowl combine the cake flour, baking powder, salt and blend together.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in three additions.
Stir 3/4 cup of the batter into the milk mixture to thicken it and then fold the milk mixture into the batter just till it is evenly incorporated.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and begin to line your cupcake pans with paper liners. Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling them about three-quarters full and put in the oven to bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans half way through, till they are light golden in color. Transfer the pans to wire racks or on a towel and let them cool before removing them.

Step 5: Ingredients for the Soaking Syrup

1/2 cup freshly brewed coffee or espresso
3 tbsp. Kahlua or for non-alcoholic a mocha drink
6 tbsp. sugar

Step 6:

To make the soaking syrup combine the hot coffee, espresso, or heated espresso drink, Kahlua or mocha type beverage, and the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved
Place your warm cupcakes out on your table under a cloth and using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the cupcakes with the soaking liquid. Repeat till the soaking liquid is used up.

Step 7: Ingredients for the Frosting

1-1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Step 8:

To make the frosting, add the heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
Transfer to a separate bowl and put in the fridge til you are ready to use it.
In the mixer bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese and confectioners sugar. Beat with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Fold about a third of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture with a spatula to lighten, Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until evenly incorporated.
Fill a pipping bag or even a plastic sandwich bag with the tip cut off and pipe your frosting onto your cupcakes.
Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder to finish.