Mojito Cupcakes!

Aren't cupcakes fantastic? I mean really, a little piece of cake just for you with the perfect cake to frosting ratio. I quite, quite love them, mostly because the flavour combinations are endless, more so than actual cake! They are also so much easier to share. I mean, who really wants a half eaten cake or even just one slice of cake? Instead cupcakes are all like 'hey I made these just for you... look, tiny little whole cakes just for you!'  (it also means you eat less cake, which is good and also bad because, cake!).

Anyway, cupcakes. I like baking, alot, but I am also conscious of my health so sometimes I have to really reign in my cupcake baking (and general baking) desires otherwise we'd have a house overrun with tiny little cakes. It's a problem when I suddenly have an idea like, 'hey! I wonder how Mojito cupcakes would taste?' and then my brain is like 'you need to go make them... now!!' for like the next week or month until I have an opportunity to indulge my experimentation and share the results. However, now that Mr. Grad has a job my problems have been solved! yay! I can bake/experiment all I want and the results are always very gratefully recieved by his colleagues who all seem to have very sweet tooths. Everybody wins!

Recently, Mr. Grad passed his 6 month probation with his company so to celebrate I made cupcakes for him to share with his colleagues. My brain had been nagging me to make these mojito cupcakes for a few weeks and I'd been obsessively searching through google and pinterest for ideas and drooling over the images so it seemed totally fitting to make these cupcakes to celebrate. Everyone like Mojito's right? and cupcakes? so combined? One word... divine! All his colleagues declared them to be the best cupcakes ever which was nice to hear! Even Mr. Grad who doesn't particularly have a sweet tooth went back for seconds!

So, you totally need to make these for your next 'grown up' party or celebration or just because you need mojito cupcakes in your life, which you do, you always do!

Mojito Cupcakes makes 12

Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:

• 120ml Buttermilk
• 10g Mint Leaves
• 185g Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 115g Butter
• 150g Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• Zest and Juice of 1.5 Limes
• 2tbsp White Rum
• 1/4tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Syrup:

• 2tbsp White Rum
• 2 Sprigs Mint

For the Frosting:

• 220g Butter
• 500g Icing Sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp Lime Juice
• 3tbsp White Rum

Method: 
For the Cupcakes:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the buttermilk and mint and warm over a medium heat until it starts to steam. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to steep for 20-30 mins.
2. Strain the buttermilk through a sieve and pres through any milk solids, stir to smooth out and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 175C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4 and line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
4. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl.
5. In another bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
7. Scrape down the sides and add the lime zest, juice, vanilla extract and rum.
8. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake cases and bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

For the Syrup:

1. While the cupcakes ar baking, combine the rum and mint in a small saucepan and heat on low until warmed through.
2. Once the cupcakes have cooled, prick each one a few times with a toothpick and then brush the rum and mint syrup over each of the cupcakes, repeating until you have used it all up.
3. Set aside and leave to soak in for 30 minutes or so.

For the Frosting:

1. In the bowl of a mixer, whip the butter on highspeed for about 5 minutes until super light and fluffy.
2. Reduce the speed until low and slowly add the icing sugar, scraping down the sides as you go.
3. Add the Lime Juice and Rum and beat on high for 30 seconds until fully incorporated.
4. If the frosting is a bit runny just add more icing sugar a spoonful at a time until you get the consistency you want.
5. Beat on high for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.
6. Pipe onto the completely cooled cupcakes using your favourite tip.
7. Garnish with 1/2 lime slice and a sprig of mint.