Ingredients
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
125g golden caster sugar
1 level tbsp instant espresso granules dissolved in 2 tsp boiling water
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the frosting
500g mascarpone
250g golden icing sugar, sieved
2 tbsp Marsala wine
To decorate
Cocoa powder, to dust
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sieve the flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until pale and creamy. The mixture should double in volume and will take a few minutes. Once whisked, fold half the flour into the mixture.
Mix the coffee into the butter and pour half into the mixture. Add the remaining flour, then the rest of the coffee and butter and gradually fold in.
Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for 25 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, whisk the mascarpone with the icing sugar then add the Marsala. Pipe on top of each cupcake and give a generous dusting of cocoa powder.