Let’s talk about some things I love.
I love chocolate. I love booze. I love warm spices. Most of all I love to bake my friends Birthday presents. So while I’m on the topic of things I love, I also love Joy the Baker‘s blog/podcast/personality and I want to tell you about Enjoy! It’s Joy the Baker’s subscription based gift service. It’s awesome, you are just going to have to trust me on this one. You sign up for a small fee and then she sends you surprise gifts via mail every 3 months.
The last gift I received was some pretty amazing stuff from King Arthur Flour and a recipe from Joy for Deep Dark Mocha Cupcakes. I drooled, and I wanted to make the cupcakes right away but I stopped myself. I just wanted a special occasion to use the products and the recipe I was given – a reason to make a special cupcake. Reason found – April Birthday Meltdown. Was everyone born in April? Seriously, explain yourselves breeding people of the world.
Back to the cupcake recipe, it’s Joy’s, not mine. The changes I have made, were minimal, I veganized the cake itself because dairy-milk hasn’t often lived in this house and I did make a different icing all together(which is not vegan) because rum has often lived in this house.
Boozy Dark Mocha Cupcakes with Rum Spice Butter Cream
adapted from Joy the Baker’s Deep Dark Mocha Cupcakes
cupcakes
- 1 cup plus 2 tbs all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup double-dutch cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp instant espresso
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of plain almond milk
- 1 tbs of dark rum
rum spice butter cream
- 1/2 cup of salted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 rounded tsp of grated fresh ginger
- 2 tbs dark rum
- 3 cups of icing sugar
Method
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Prepare a cupcake tin with liners.
In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients with a whisk or sift together. In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and mix by hand until completely combined.
Spoon a few tablespoons of batter into each cup. Try to distribute batter as evenly as possible.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes depending on your oven but I felt mine were done in 20 minutes. You can check by inserting a toothpick into the centre and if it comes out clean, they are done! Leave the little cakes in the tins for another 10 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled you may frost your cupcakes.
To make the icing, add softened butter, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl and beat with a hand mixer.
Add in a cup of icing sugar, beat until smooth. Add rum, and one cup of sugar and beat again. Finally add the last cup of sugar and beat until smooth. If you want a thinner icing you can add a teaspoon or so of hot water. A little liquid goes a long way when making frosting.
Frost cupcakes, cover with chocolate sprinkles, give to someone special, repeat.
V-Spot 