Piña Colada Cupcake

Do you need a tropical cupcake escape from the winter?  Or are you just looking for a summer fun cupcake with the fresh taste of down south?  Either way, this cupcake won't disappoint!  To make this cupcake cocktail you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Pineapple Juice (replace the amount water it calls for)
• Store bought White Icing
• 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Rum (you can use more or less...it's up to you)
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• Garnish Ideas: Mini Straw, Drink Umbrella or Green Lime Icing

On to the recipe...

Step 1: For the most part, follow the direction of your White Cake Mix - preheat your oven and add in your eggs and oil, but replace the water with Pineapple Juice.  I know the cake mix tells you to only use the egg white, but there really is no need to take the extra effort to separate the eggs.  Just throw all three eggs in; yolks and whites!

Step 2: Mix all the ingredients together until the batter is smooth.  Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on package. Once done, cool completely before icing 

Step 3: It's time to add some tropical kick to your icing. Mix together your vanilla icing, butter and Coconut Rum on high until smooth. Give it a taste and if it's too buttery for your liking or needs to be thickened, add some icing sugar.  Or, more importantly, if it's not coconutty enough for you, add more Coconut Rum!  Once you're happy with the taste and consistency it's time to ice your cupcakes! .

Step 4: Layer on as much or as little of your icing as you'd like using your preferred icing method.  To garnish your cupcake you can cut a straw down to size, top it with a drink umbrella OR, you can do what I did and top it with a little green coloured lime icing.  I happened to have some left over from my Cosmo Cupcake, but you could easily take a 1/2 a cup of your icing (before you add the Coconut Rum) and add some lime juice and zest plus some green gel food colouring. And you're done!

Happy Faking!

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Mojito Cupcake

This cupcake requires no muddling, only mixing. It's tangy flavour with a minty finish is a great after dinner dessert or patio palate pleaser...in other words, it's pretty fancy and fun.  If you choose to garnish with fresh mint, like I did, don't garnish the night before as it will wilt....not that I'm speaking from experience.  For this cupcake you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• 1 Cup of Soda Water infused with Fresh Mint (replace most of the water your recipe calls for)
• 2 Limes (Zest and Juice)
  
• Store bought Vanilla Icing
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Limenade Drink Powder
  
• Fresh Mint

And now the recipe...

Step 1: Before you do this recipe, you should infuse your Soda Water with some Fresh Mint.  I did mine over night, but as long as it sits for a few hours, you should be fine.  Now on to the actual mixing directions...

Step 2: Kind of follow the direction of your White Cake Mix. You'll want to preheat your oven  and add the eggs and oil, but hold the water.  Zest two of your limes and add them to you batter.  Squeeze both limes into a measuring cup and top it off with your Mint Infused Soda Water until you reach the amount of water you're suppose to add.

Step 3: Mix together the batter and spoon into your cupcake liners. Place in oven and bake as directed on package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 4: Time to whip together the tangy mojito icing.  Mix together your vanilla icing, butter and Limenade Drink Powder on high until smooth.  Give it a taste and if it's too buttery for your taste, add some icing sugar.  Once you're happy with the taste, layer it onto you cupcake. To garnish, I used fresh mint.  But as I mentioned above, don't garnish the night before because your mint will wilt.

Happy Faking!

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