What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than a cupcake?  (Who needs beer, guacamole and salsa anyways?)  Scott and I were invited to a Cinco de Mayo party and I started thinking of what Mexican inspired dessert I could come up with that would be good for a crowd.  While beer may be the drink of choice for this holiday, I am a personal fan of the mojito.  The combination of rum, lime and mint is very refreshing and says “South of the Border” to me.  (I do realize the mojito is traditionally a Cuban drink, but lime is certainly no stranger to Mexican cuisine).  So I knew I wanted to play with the idea of an edible mojito, but in what form?  When planning for a party, I tend to fall back on the cupcake for group events.  They are already pre-portioned, don’t require a plate or utensils and are easy to eat.  So I knew what I wanted to create, the next step was actually figuring out how to do so.

To make these cupcakes, I doctored up a box cake mix (yes, I admit it – one of my darkest secrets – I use box cakes from time to time).   In place of water, I used rum and lime juice and then added lime zest to the batter as well.  To complete the cupcake and the flavor of a mojito, I pureed fresh mint with dark rum and added that to my favorite buttercream.  When combined, the cupcake has all the classic flavors of a mojito: lime, mint, rum and sugar… (this one just has a little more sugar than the drink).  So hopefully these refreshing cupcakes can add a fun twist to your Cinco de Mayo party, or simply any summer time gathering.

Recipe: Mojito Cupcakes