1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F (160°C). Line two cupcake pans* with paper liners. Add milk to a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod and add the seeds and the scraped pod to the saucepan as well. Heat up over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge of the saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the butter and mix until melted. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard (or rinse and save for another use). Sift the flour and combine with baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a large heatproof bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and the sugar. Whisk lightly to blend. Set the bowl on a pot with an inch or two of simmering water and heat up the mixture, whisking occasionally, until everything is warm, and the sugar has dissolved completely – takes about 5-6 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and whisk on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in two or three batches. Stir about 3/4 cup of the batter into the milk to thicken it, then fold the milk mixture into the batter. Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden. I recommend baking all cupcakes at once. The air inside the batter will disappear if you let it stand too long. Let the cupcakes cool down inside the pans for a moment, then remove and let cool down on a wire rack.

4. For the soaking sauce, combine the hot espresso, Kahlúa (or Amaretto) and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely. Place a baking sheet or some paper underneath the cupcakes to catch dripping liquid, then brush the soaking sauce onto the (still a bit warm) cupcakes. Repeat several times until all the sauce is used up. If you are having problems with the cupcakes absorbing the liquid, you can poke them several times with a toothpick – that will help. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

5. For the frosting, add the heavy cream to a bowl and mix until stiff peaks form. In a second bowl, combine the mascarpone and confectioners‘ sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy – takes about 2 minutes. Fold about a third of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture with a spatula, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until evenly incorporated.

6. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round (not too big) tip. Pipe small drops of frosting on top of each cupcake for the typical Tiramisu look. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, dust the cupcakes with unsweetened cocoa powder.