Raspberry Mojito Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp. dark rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine vanilla, buttermilk and rum. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Sift all dry ingredients. Combine dry ingredients, rum mixture, and creamed mixture. This batter is quite dense, and will take about 20 - 30 mins to bake through.

While cupcakes are baking prepare the mojito filling.

Filling:

1 cup sugar
1 pint raspberries
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup rum
2 tbsp lime juice

Muddle sugar, raspberries, mint, and lime juice. let stand. Prepare Frosting.

Mojito Buttercream Frosting

3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup butter
4 tablespoons whipping cream ( or buttermilk for a slightly tangy flavor)
1 tsp raspberry extract
1 tsp mint extract
1 tablespoon lime juice

Mix all ingredients until incorporated, add more confectioner's sugar if frosting is too runny.

Putting together cupcakes:

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, cut small plug out of cake, trim down until it's more of a lid, fill to the brim with mojito mix, and replace lid. Raspberry mixture will sink into cake, so don't be worried if it seems too full at first.

Frost with buttercream frosting.

I like to decorate them pretty simply with a halved raspberry and a fresh mint leaf.

kitchen ninja out.