Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with about 16-17 cupcake liners (this recipe yields 16-17 cupcakes - I got 16 cupcakes). Set aside.

Step 2

Cupcakes: In a small bowl, stir coffee and espresso powder to combine. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla* and stir to combine. Alternately add dry ingredients, coffee, dry ingredients, buttermilk, and dry ingredients to the batter and mix on medium-low speed just until combined. Spoon batter into the liners and fill about 2/3 – 3/4 full that your cupcakes don't sink or spill over the sides. Watch the 1-minute video for better understanding. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick centered in the middle comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature before frosting.

Step 3

Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat mascarpone until creamy. Sift in powdered sugar and mix until combined and sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla* and coffee and stir until incorporated. Stir in heavy cream and mix until creamy. If the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar little by little (up to ½ cup). If it is too firm, add 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream to lighten it up. When adding more powdered sugar, you may want to add a pinch of salt to cut down the sweetness.

Step 4

Pipe or spread frosting on top of cooled cupcakes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.