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Airy cake and sweet frosting infused with rum and citrus make the most delicious mojito cupcakes. The perfect combination of drinks and dessert!
If you use Instagram at all, I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of hashtags, and specifically the “themed” hashtags for certain foods on certain days of the week. #tacotuesday .. #wafflewednesday .. #thirstythursday .. #fryday .. you get the idea. The possibilities are endless, of course!
So a few months ago, when a couple of blogging friends from The Itsy-Bitsy Kitchen and A Classic Twist started making #cupcakemondays a thing, you know I was on board right from the start. I mean, I love to eat a healthy salad and veggies and dip as much as the next gal, but I also never met a cupcake I didn’t like. 🙂
And long-time readers know I definitely never pass up a boozy dessert. What can I say? Maybe I just like the efficiency of having two courses in one? 😉
How to make mojito cupcakes
To make a mojito cupcake, no need to think too far outside the box. Take a great base cake recipe, and doll it up with all the best components of the classic cocktail – rum, lime, and mint.
I adapted this recipe from one included in Jessica Merchant’s lovely cookbook, The Pretty Dish, to play up the lime, and excise the lemon. I do adore lemon cupcakes, but wanted this to be more of a classic mojito flavor. Plus, fewer ingredients is always better in my book!
Should cream cheese be cold for frosting?
You might notice I also suggest using cold cream cheese in this – and nearly all – cream cheese frosting recipes, even though nearly every other source will propose using it at room temperature!
I find that using cold cream cheese has no real downside. It still mixes in very easily, at least with any type of electric mixer. And as a plus, it helps the finished frosting hold its shape much better, which is nice if you are going to the trouble of piping it on. Experiment and use your best judgment!
And because I’ve received quite a few questions on piping, I used a Wilton 1M open star tip to make these rosettes, just starting in the center and drawing circles outward. This tutorial is a big help!
More Cupcake Recipes
- Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes
- Easy Champagne Cupcakes (doctored cake mix!)
- Paloma Cupcakes
- Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
- One-Bowl Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Filled Lemon Cupcakes
If you try these mojito cupcakes or any other recipe on the blog, please remember to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!
Mojito Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, – at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg white
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp rum, – for brushing (optional)
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, – at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (4 oz.) cream cheese, – cold
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 tsp rum
- fresh mint leaves and lime slices, – for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Using a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg white, scrape down the sides of the bowl once, and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Add the oil, vanilla, and lime juice and zest, and continue beating for 1-2 minutes, until well-combined. Pour in the milk and beat on low speed to combine, then sprinkle the cake flour, baking powder, and salt over the batter. Mix again on low speed just until combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Take care not to over-mix.
- Fill the cupcakes liners 3/4 full. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- When cupcakes are cool, but before frosting, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops with rum, if desired.
- To make the frosting, using a stand or electric hand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese for 3-4 minutes, until creamy. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Increase the speed and beat the frosting, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until frosting is fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, lime zest and rum.
- Frost cupcakes and garnish as desired.
Notes
- Cupcakes will last for at least 2-3 days, and are ideally stored in the fridge, because of the cream cheese in the frosting.
- Recipe adapted from Jessica Merchant’s cookbook, The Pretty Dish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the best of both worlds – all the flavor and fun of a mojito, but in cake form. The perfect summer dessert!
These are crazy good! I gift these cupcakes to friends and family for anniversaries/get well soon etc gifts. Rave reviews each time. On a side note – I can never seem to find cake flour so I sub with all purpose and corn starch and it works great! I also sift the flour. They are so moist and delicious. Thank you for sharing this!
So happy to hear that, Tascha – sounds like you have some really lucky friends and family! <3 Great note about the cake flour sub! Thank you for taking the time to leave this review!
Just made these and they were a hit! I also piped the frosting on and it was surprisingly easy and pretty! Is there a good recommendation for a gluten free version for my family with a gluten allergy? Could I just sub gluten flour for the cake flour or would it be too dense? Your input is appreciated! And thank you for these delicious cupcakes 😬
Please can you use gramms etc in your future recipes for your followers in the uk?
Hi Wendy, I’m so glad to have followers in the UK! 🙂 I can definitely work on that for the future, thank you for the suggestion.
Hi i have a question do you really have to use alcohol in cupcakes or can substitute it for something else?Please answer because I’m willing to make these cupcakes asap!!!!!!
You can just leave the rum out of the cupcakes, and sub it for a bit of lime juice and/or milk in the frosting if you like. Enjoy, and please come back and let us know how they turn out for you!