Yield: 6 mojito cupcakes // Total Time: 40 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.
These mojito cupcakes are light, fluffy, and super flavorful. Vanilla lime cupcakes are brushed with rum and topped with a mojito cream cheese glaze. Plus, as usual, they are small batch so you’ll end up with 6 perfect little cupcakes!
Small batch mojito cupcakes recipe tips
Weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!
Get more lime flavor out of your lime zest
We only use lime zest, no juice, in the cupcake batter. In order to impart more flavor into the cupcakes we will rub the lime zest with the sugar. Doing so releases essential oils from the zest, and in turn releases more flavor into the cupcakes!
Mix the batter carefully
It is super important to not overmix the cupcake batter. Overmixing the batter leads to more gluten development which will make the cupcakes super tough and chewy. Only mix just until the last bit of flour is incorporated.
Room temperature ingredients
It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. If you have ever had your batter look curdled, it is most likely due to the ingredients separating from being at different temperatures. Take out the egg and buttermilk at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe.
Keep a close eye on the mojito cupcakes while baking
Cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. Start checking at 15 minutes with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out wet, check them again in 2 minutes and so on until only a few moist crumbs stick to the toothpick.
A little garnish hack
If you want to serve these with mint and lime on top, you might end up frustrated because the lime and mint do not want to cooperate and stand up. I simply placed a toothpick behind the lime and the mint leaf so that they would have something to stand on. Just be sure to warn people before they go to take a bite!
Ingredients and substitutions
Cake flour: gives the cupcakes structure. We will use cake flour because it is lower in protein, which means softer, more tender cupcakes! If all you have is all purpose flour, use 80g of all purpose flour and 10g of cornstarch for a quick substitution.
Baking powder: helps the cupcakes rise.
Salt: helps balance and bring out the sweetness of the cupcakes.
Unsalted butter: tenderizes the cupcakes. We will use butter in the cupcakes and in the cream cheese frosting. If you only have salted butter, just leave out the extra salt in both the cupcakes and the frosting.
Vegetable oil: tenderizes the cupcakes.
Granulated sugar: sweetens the cupcakes and helps lock in moisture for a softer cupcake.
Key limes: for flavor! You can use regular limes as well, you will only need zest in the recipe. I chose key limes because they are smaller so they make for a cute garnish!
Egg: binds the batter together, adds moisture, and helps with leavening.
Buttermilk: adds moisture to the batter.
White rum: for brushing on the cupcakes and for flavoring the cream cheese frosting. You can’t have a mojito without some rum!
Cream cheese: for the frosting.
Powdered sugar: for sweetening the frosting and thickening it.
Mint extract: for flavoring the frosting.
How to make mojito cupcakes
1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk together the dry ingredients and set them aside.
2. Mix the lime zest and sugar. In a small mixing bowl, rub together the lime zest and sugar with your fingers. Then, whisk in the butter and oil.
3. Whisk in the egg. Whisk in the egg until it is well combined with the batter.
4. Alternate the wet and dry ingredients. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, followed by all of the buttermilk, and the remaining flour mixture.
5. Bake. Bake the cupcakes at 350°F / 175°C until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean. Poke holes in the tops of each cupcakes using a clean toothpick, and brush the tops of each of them with rum.
6. Make the mojito cream cheese frosting. Cream together the frosting ingredients until you get a smooth and creamy mixture.
7. Frost, serve and enjoy! Once the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, frost them with the mojito cream cheese frosting, garnish if desired, serve, and enjoy!
Small batch mojito cupcakes Q & A
Can I double this recipe?
Of course! It obviously won’t be small batch anymore, but small batch isn’t always what we need! Simply double all the ingredients in this recipe to make 12 delicious mojito cupcakes. However, if you plan on doubling the ingredients I would even more strongly recommend using a kitchen scale for the best results.
Can I make these mojito cupcakes non-alcoholic?
Certainly! Omitting the rum will leave you with light and refreshing mint lime cupcakes.
How to store small batch mojito cupcakes
Because they are frosted with cream cheese, these cupcakes do need to be stored in the fridge and should not be at room temperature for more than 2 hours. I recommend waiting to frost them until you are ready to eat!
Why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!
A note on oven temperature
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
Tools and Ingredients
Muffin pan: I absolutely love USA pan products because of their great quality. This is their muffin pan.
Cookie scoops: I have gone through a lot of cookie scoops in my baking journey, and these ones have lasted me the longest without breaking. Plus they are dishwasher safe! I love using cookie scoops to get an even amount of batter in to each muffin tin.
Kitchen scale: This is the kitchen scale I use every time I bake, I love it!
For a full list of tools, equipment and ingredients that I use and love, you can check out this page here.
Did you make these small batch mojito cupcakes?
If you made these small batch mojito cupcakes I would love to see them and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Small Batch Mojito Cupcakes
Ingredients
Mojito Cupcakes
- 90 g cake flour (¾ c.)
- ¾ tsp. baking powder
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 80 g granulated sugar (¼ c. + 2 ½ tbsp.)
- zest of 2 key limes
- 40 g unsalted butter (3 tbsp.)
- 18 g vegetable oil (1 ½ tbsp.)
- 1 egg
- 75 g buttermilk (⅓ c.)
- 2 tbsp. white rum for glazing
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 40 g cream cheese room temperature (3 tbsp.)
- 20 g unsalted butter room temperature (1 ½ tbsp.)
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- zest of 1 key lime
- 120 g powdered sugar (1 c.)
- 1 tbsp. white rum
- ⅛ tsp. mint extract
Instructions
Mojito Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a muffin tin with 6 parchment liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt to remove any lumps.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the sugar and lime zest. Use your fingers to rub together the sugar and limes until fully combined and the mixture seems wet.
- Melt the butter and add it to the sugar, along with the oil. Whisk until well combined.
- Whisk in the egg until very well combined.
- Alternate whisking in the flour and buttermilk. Whisk in ½ of the flour mixture, then whisk in all of the buttermilk. Whisk in the other ½ of the flour mixture until just combined.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the six liners. Bake for 16-18 min., or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Use a toothpick to poke many small holes into the top of each cupcake. Use a pastry brush to brush rum over each of the cupcakes. Set aside to cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, salt, and zest until light and fluffy (~2 min.)
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar in multiple additions until all of it has been combined.
- Add in the rum and mint extract and beat for an additional minute. Store in the fridge until ready to frost the cupcakes.
- Once the cupcakes have completely cooled to room temperature, transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost each cupcake. Top with lime slices and fresh mint if desired. Serve and enjoy!