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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.
That’s 2 of my favourite things in one, cupcakes and mojito! The perfect summer dessert 🙂
Agreed on all counts, Diana – thank you so much!
I love that these are cupcakes for adults. I bet the flavours are amazing!
Thanks, Danielle! Yes to cupcakes for adults! 🙂
these look amazing! love the little limes on top too! cold cream cheese?!!! ohhhh, I’ve always tried to use room temp because I feel like if it’s cold I always get small dots of powdered sugar or whatever I’m mixing in that doesn’t incorporate & it just always turns out grainy, this doesn’t happen if you pull it straight out of the fridge? (hope that’s a yes because it would make my life easier!!!)
Yes! I always thought the same and granted, you do have to be sure to beat it maybe an extra 45-60 seconds and at medium-high speed, but when I do this it turns out well with cold cream cheese! Agreed – it makes life easier, which is so welcome!
Do you think you could use the same recipe as a full cake instead of individual cupcakes?
I’m sure that you could, I would just watch the baking time very carefully and remove as soon as a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Enjoy!
I honestly didn’t think you could improve upon a mojito, but transforming that cocktail into dessert does just that! Now what to wash it down with….
Hahaha.. choices, choices! These are the tough questions of our times! 😉
I’m thinking about making these and bringing them to work for Cinco de Mayo! However, I work at a school, and although I personally love rum and want to make these with the rum, I’m wondering if I should withhold it? Is it pretty boozy tasting? Just don’t want to get in trouble for bringing booze cupcakes to school 😅
Just my opinion, but I think the rum flavor is overall pretty light – I’d withhold if serving to the kids, but go ahead with it if sharing with teachers and staff. Just me, though! 🙂
Thanks for your quick response! I definitely will not be serving to kids 🤣 but maybe I’ll just disclose first that they have a little fun juice in them, so eat them after school!
Sounds pretty perfect to me! 🙂 Enjoy!!
I couldn’t agree more with “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” Yaass – besides – those salads and veggies need balance in the form of cupcakes – right?! And these are gorgeous! I’d eat salad for every meal if I could follow it with one or two of these!
Riiiiight?? Everyone has their own definition of balance and that is totally mine! It works, you know!? Makes me happy that someone else can relate! 🙂 Thanks so much, Shashi!
A mojito is one of my favourite summer drinks! Even better when it’s in cupcake form 😉 So glad you could join the Cupcake Monday party!
Thank you, Katherine!! It’s a great party to be at, right? 🙂
Boozy desserts are the best, aren’t they? Especially when we’re talking cupcakes! YUM These sound amazing, I LOVE lime anything and mojitos in cupcake form sound like the perfect summer treat. Can’t wait to give these a try!
They are indeed! Thanks so much, Dana! Hope you try and love them! 🙂
Yes to alcohol in cupcakes!! I love Mojitos so I think these cupcakes are AMAZING! Pinned!! Happy Cupcake Monday!
These were made for you, then! Thanks so much, girl! 🙂
Gorgeous! Love the flavors! Yay for Cupcake Mondays!
Thanks so much, Lisa!
Is it wrong to want these for breakfast? I’m thinking that since lime is a fruit it’s acceptable. . .I might be reaching. But OMG they sound so good! And also slightly dangerous :). Happy Cupcake Monday!
SO NOT WRONG, haha! 🙂 Cupcake Mondays are the best Mondays, no two ways about it!