Mojito Cupcakes
When people think of mojito, they think of a beautiful stretch of beach, with sun, sea and sand. Cocktails make you think of long walks on the beach, during your summer holidays. However, I wanted to take a slice of paradise (excuse the pun) and make it a part of everyday life. So I have found a way of making this lush drink into a cocktail cupcake, yet still containing the alcohol. This is an 18 year old + cupcake so little ones, look away now. Here is how you do it…
Making the Mojito cupcakes requires 3 steps.

Ingredients for making the Mojito cupcake itself

250g Unsalted butter or a low fat spread
250g Caster sugar
250g Plain flower
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 Organic free-range eggs
2 limes juiced and zested. Keep the juice and zest separate
4 fluid OZ buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

Method for the cake

Set the oven to 165 Degrees Celsius and line a muffin tray with either cupcake or muffin paper liners, depending on what size you would like your cupcakes to be. Mix the butter with the sugar and cream until pale and smooth. Then combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well and leave to one side. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure that the eggs have been well mixed in between each addition of egg. Then add the flour mix 1/3 at a time ensuring that the mixture is well mixed in-between each addition. Add the lime juice, zest, vanilla extract and the mint. Add the buttermilk in slowly and mix well for around 3-5 minutes. Then, carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake or muffin liner until they are 2/3 full, leaving ample room for the mixture to rise. The cake should take approximately 20-25 minutes to cook however I like to watch them and make sure they do not overcook and burn. Once they have turned a golden brown colour, place a skewer into the centre of the cakes and if it comes out clean, then the cakes are ready. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the metal tin. After 10 minutes, take them out of the baking tray and leave to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Second Stage:

Ingredients for the mojito syrup
Zest of one lime
A handful of Mint sprigs with the leaves
100g sugar
1 fluid OZ of water
2 Fluid OZ of Rum (any kind of rum, I like to use Bacardi or you can use Bacardi mojito)
2 tbsp of Butter
Method

Pick a small saucepan and mix the butter and sugar together on a medium heat, to melt the butter and sugar. Do not make the heat too high as this could cause the butter and sugar to burn, creating a bitter flavor that will ruin the flavor. Mix in the water once the butter and sugar have warmed and bring to the boil, make sure you stir continuously, to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan and therefore burning. Once all of the ingredients have melted into a runny and sticky liquid, take off the heat and place on a heat resistant mat (or surface that wont’ burn). Add the rum a ¼ at a time mixing well between each addition. Finally, add the zest of 1 lime and 3 sprigs of mint and leave the syrup for 5 minutes in order to draw out maximum flavor.

Take each cake and make holes in the cakes, using the skewer. Then pour the syrup over the top of each of the cakes so that the syrup can sink into the sponge. It is the same process as the lemon drizzle cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Butter Cream
Ingredients

250g full fat cream cheese (you can use Philadelphia)
60g Butter
500g Icing sugar
2 tsp rum
3 tsp lime zest to add flavor, texture and colour
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Mint sprigs to finish

Method
Mix the cream cheese with the lime juice and zest and mix well. Then add the rum and mix well again. Then, in a separate bowl mix the butter and the icing sugar together. Mix both mixtures together and dollop on top of the cakes. Place a few mint leaves on the top and there you have it, the perfect summer cupcake; The ‘Mojito’ cupcake.
If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any of the others you have seen on this blog, please feel free to send me an email to Jennifer@jenniferscakes.co.uk or leave me a comment and I will reply as soon as I can.

Good Luck x