Mascarpone-Iced Cupcakes

This is my first foray into the flavor of mascarpone cheese, and I must say that just thinking about it now causes me to crave it. It's like cream cheese, but not - I still don't have words to accurately describe the unique taste. It makes a cool, creamy, simple icing, though, which I now am determined to rotate into my buttercream-dominated frosting usage.

Here's how you make enough to frost 12 cupcakes: scoop 4 oz. mascarpone cheese (found at any grocery store in the cheese section) into a bowl, and stir in powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency (I used 2-3 C). Add food coloring if you like. That's it!

What's more, I discovered this icing with a cake recipe from scratch that's actually good, and not difficult. Here it is, from the "Showgirl Cupcake" entry on DL's blog, with a few conversions done for you:

Butter Cake Cupcakes:

4 oz. (125 g) butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
2/3 C (125 g) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 C plus 2 T (125 g) flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
heaping 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T whole milk or cream

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
2. Beat the butter with the sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well, then mix in the vanilla.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, folding as you go.
5. Add milk. Beat well.
6. Pour mixture into cupcake papers. Bake 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes clean.
7. Frost with mascarpone icing when cool.