Mojito Cakelets

These cakes came about a bit randomly. I invited a friend over for dinner, and wanted a nice dessert because baking is my thing and I have a reputation to uphold. I have also been having a lot of cocktail parties and playing DIY mixologist, so cocktails have been on the mind, as such I have a fridge full of limes, a bottle of rum, some fresh mint from a salad-making spree and a hankering for cupcakes. With booze in them, natch.
I started out with a recipe for margarita cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World, because I love their vanilla cupcake recipe and this one followed the same formula. I used dark rum instead of tequila and I added a tablespoon of fresh mint. I was most nervous about the mint because I was worried about having lots of big green bits in my cupcakes, but I chopped it quite fine, and it's sweet herbaceous flavour was a subtle and refreshingly cool complement to the stronger rum and lime notes in the cupcake. The entire cake gets topped with a simple icing sugar glaze made with the juice and zest of a lime as well as another healthy glug of dark rum.These cupcakes are super bright and refreshing. They bring to mind sunshiney days and sunny afternoons with cool breezes sitting on the porch. I have no porch but they will definitely be making there way to summer picnics in the near future.



Mojito Cakelets
makes 4 7-0z ramekin cakes
vegan
time: 1 hour

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mojito glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• finely grated zest of one lime
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• fresh mint leaves to garnish cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners or grease 4 7-0z ramekins .
2. In a large bowl, beat together lime juice and zest, soymilk, canola oil, rum, vanilla, mint and sugar. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, powder and salt. Fold dry mixture into wet mixture, whisking until no lumps remain.
3. For cupcakes: fill liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. If using ramekins: fill 3/4s of the way full and bake for 25-35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
4. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pans. let cool completely before glazing with mojito glaze.
5. To make the glaze. Stir together all ingredients until of a drizzling consistency. Spoon over tops of cakelets and let run down the sides. While still wet, garnish cupcakes with fresh mint leaves, using the glaze to adhere the leaves.

Loosely adapted from: Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World