Tiramisu Cupcakes

Mascarpone frosting blankets sponge cake in the adaptation of the famous Italian dessert. This was an interesting recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Cookbook (page 38) that not only used ingredients but also techniques that I have not cooked with or attempted before. They took a significant amount of time to create. I even had Alex's friend from school, Kendra, step in to help put them together late last night. Anthony has always loved Tiramisu and I thought these cupcakes would be the perfect Father's Day sweet. Kendra and I were actually up until 11:00 p.m. finishing these off but they were a huge hit today with the main man of the household. Did I mention that Anthony won the Ugliest Tie Contest at Church? In addition to the time factor these cupcakes were rather pricey to make. The fresh vanilla beans I could only find at the Co-Op were over $10.00 for two. The Marsala wine (I had to visit two stores to locate), special cake flour, espresso coffee and Mascarpone Cheese added to the expense of these little treats. Typically cupcakes are very inexpensive however, these were just the opposite. The end result however, was a hit. You just can't put a price on culinary uniqueness on Father's Day.