Mojito Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
We had another food-themed day at work, and this time it was Mexican food. Being half Mexican, it took us 0.0025 seconds to think of two dozen savory Mexican dishes to make and bring. But we wanted to bring a dessert. Since other people were already bringing Mexican wedding cookies and arroz con leche (rice pudding), and since we had already made delicious Dulce de Leche Bars for another occasion, we decided on Mojito Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting. It was a good choice, because they were terrific!
Yes, these cupcakes do contain a little alcohol (rum, in the cake and the glaze), but it’s very little and just gives it flavor. You could probably substitute rum with something else, or just leave it out entirely.
Mojito Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
For the cake:
Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place paper cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin tin, and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon of rum (we used Captain Morgan’s Spice Rum) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or with a stand mixer, mix together 1 cup of room-temperature butter and 2 cups of sugar. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, and add 4 large eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix well. Add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix for another minute. Add another third of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the remainder of the buttermilk mixture, and mix for another minute until combined. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix for a minute until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is incorporated.
Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way with batter. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes, then test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, they’re done. If not, bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before poking holes in them with a skewer or toothpick. Spoon the rum syrup (recipe below) over the warm cupcakes and let them soak it up. Let them cool completely before frosting (recipe also below).
For the rum syrup:
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of butter over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. When the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat. Carefully add 1/4 cup of rum and mix until incorporated. Add the zest of 1 lime and 3 sprigs of fresh mint, and let the syrup infuse for 5 minutes before spooning over the cupcakes. Let the syrup cool on the cupcakes completely before frosting.
For the frosting: In a large bowl with a hand mixer, blend together 8 ounces of cream cheese, 2 cups of confectioners sugar, 1 Tablespoon of lime juice and a couple of drops of green food coloring (if desired). Mix until well blended. Smooth on cooled cupcakes.
This looks delicious and very creative! I love the vibrant color of the frosting! I’d love to sink my teeth in them!
Your cupcakes look so cute with all the swirls on top. Sounds like a delicious combination.
Those look AMAZING!!
Oh it looks marvelous, must be so delicious. ;o)
I love the piping! So cute.
These cupcakes really look great!! The only time of year that I bake cupcakes is Valentine’s Day. I make these Be My Valentine Cupcakes for my special someone! These would be perfect for my niece’s birthday. Thanks for sharing!
I made these last night but the frosting was too thin and would not peak like yours….what did I do wrong?
Mika: Hmm … I’m not sure! Did you use more than 1 tablespoon of lime juice? If so, that could have made it more loose. Next time, try refrigerating the frosting for about 30 minutes before putting it on the cupcakes, and also be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them; otherwise, it might be runny. I hope that helps!
amazing site, some of informations are worthwhile and so well written.
Tried out this recipe and they are super yummy but I have a couple of questions. My cupcakes fell after I took them out of the oven. How do I prevent this? I had a lot of glaze left over. I poured a spoonful over each. How much should I be using? I can’t get over how delicious the cake is. Thank you for sharing.
Hi these mojito cupcakes look a-maz-ing. I wish to do some for my friend, she likes her cocktail with a vodka base, do u think i could use vodka as a substitute to rum?
Trying these out but because I am doing a Cuban themed dinner, Mojitos are Cuban (rum is Cuban) not Mexican at all (tequila is Mexican) .