Mojito Cupcakes

We love the vibrant mint-lime flavours in a classic mojito cocktail, and found that the same combo works really well in a cupcake. Brushing the baked cupcakes with a mint-flavoured syrup before adding the frosting makes them super moist.

MAKES: 12 cupcakes

PREP TIME: 40 minutes

COOKING TIME: about 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

CUPCAKES

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Finely grated zest and squeezed juice of 2 limes
• 1 Tbsp very finely chopped mint leaves
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk

MINT SIMPLE SYRUP

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup firmly packed mint leaves

FROSTING

• Finely grated zest and squeezed juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp very finely chopped mint leaves
• 1 Tbsp very finely chopped mint leaves
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 to 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1 Tbsp whipping cream (35%)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 large paper liners, then set aside.
2. For the cupcakes, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Beat in the lime zest and juice, mint and vanilla extract.
5. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the buttermilk, making three additions of flour and two of buttermilk, and beginning and ending with the flour. Stir until well combined.
6. Fill the paper liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a wooden skewer inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the mint simple syrup. In a small saucepan, stir together the water, sugar and mint leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, making sure all the mint leaves are strained out of the syrup. Let the syrup cool completely.
8. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack set over parchment paper to catch any drips. Brush the top of each warm cupcake generously with the syrup. Let the cupcakes absorb the syrup, then brush generously with any remaining syrup. Let the cupcakes cool completely. (The undecorated cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.)
9. For the frosting, stir together the lime zest and juice and mint in a small bowl.
10. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Beat in the lime zest mixture until well combined.
11. Beat in the icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Beat in the cream.
12. Using an offset spatula or a piping bag, swirl the frosting on top of the cupcakes. (The decorated cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving.)

CHANGE IT UP

• To mimic the rum flavour of a mojito cocktail, replace the granulated sugar in the Mint Simple Syrup with lightly packed golden yellow sugar.