Rum Punch Cupcakes

These are the second of the Signature Cocktail Cupcakes I made for my parents’ 60th Birthday party.

Let me be real. I had two COMPLETE FAILURE attempts at different frostings… like throw down the sink terrible. One attempt was me trying to use fat free half and half instead of whipping cream to make whipped cream (that doesn’t work. It’ll just end up in you mixing milk for 30 minutes before you throw it away.)

THEN I tried to make my favorite buttercream frosting and just add in the extras I was supposed to add in from the failed whipped cream like pineapple and rum and lime juice. But the pineapple was way too liquidy. I had to throw in 2 cups extra of powdered sugar… then I tasted it and it was so sweet it almost made me sick.

Finally I did what I should have done ALL ALONG and just adapted my go-to-I-should-never-attempt-to-stray-again-because-we-saw-what-happened Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

To me, these cupcakes seemed like moist vanilla cupcakes with a tropical hint. You could barely taste the rum, so I think if I were to make them again I would brush extra rum on after brushing on the rum glaze. I’ll add that in the recipe as an option.

Rum Punch Cupcakes w/ Rum Glaze and Tropical Buttercream

Cupcakes and glaze from Annie’s Eats (originally adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz); Frosting adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients for cupcakes:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup canned coconut milk
• 3 tbsp. dark or spiced rum

Directions for Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill 2 cupcake pans with 24 paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat butter in a large bowl. Add in sugar and beat on medium high for about 5 minutes or until fluffy.
4. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in egg yolks one at a time, fully incorporating after each one.
5. Add in vanilla and beat briefly. Pour coconut milk and rum into a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, pour in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until almost incorporated. Add in about 1/2 of the milk/ rum mixture.  Add in another 1/3 of the flour, then the rest of the milk. End with the remaining portion of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
6. Use 1/3 c. or 1/4 c. measuring scoop and scoop batter into liners. Batter is very thick so be cautious.
7. Bake on 350 degrees for about 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean or with few dry crumbs.
8. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes then transfer to wire rack set over foil or wax paper.
9. Meanwhile make glaze.

Rum Glaze

Ingredients for the rum glaze:

• 6 tbsp. canned coconut milk
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• ¼ cup dark rum
• extra rum to brush over cupcake afterwards (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat sugar and coconut milk in small saucepan on low. Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves.
2. Turn the heat off and remove saucepan from stove. Stir in rum.
3. Poke holes in each cupcake and brush or pour rum glaze generously over cupcakes. Brush extra rum over glaze if desired.

Tropical Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 10 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk

Directions:

1. Beat butter well. Sift in powdered sugar and beat in very well. Stream in pineapple juice, coconut milk and rum and beat for minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
3. Top with a festive umbrella if desired:)