Thai Mojito Cupcakes

You've heard of Iron Chef well this is my entry for Iron Cupcake. The secret ingredient this month is chili. I wasn't sure what I was going to make until Matt & I went out for Asian food the other night & he ordered a Thai Mojito. I took one sip of it & a lightbulb went off in my head, there's my cupcake flavor!

The cake is flavored with lime, rum, ginger, fresh mint, fresh basil & cayenne pepper. It has a nice warm at the back of the throat heat, not a hot burn your lips kind of heat. The cupcakes are really pretty flecked with the fresh herbs & lime zest.

The icing is made from lime & coconut milk. For a little decoration I made candied chili lime peel, once again using cayenne pepper.

Matt was very skeptical about how these flavors were going to work together in a cupcake. I was a little unsure about amounts since I was making it up as I went along. The finished product though was definitely a taste success. The flavors all blend together really well & the sweetness of the icing balances the heat of the cayenne. I also like the tartness of the lime with all the other flavors. I think it mimics its namesake drink quite well. Allez Cuisine!

Thai Mojito Cupcakes

6 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c + 1 T sugar
1/2 t rum
1 t lime juice
1/8 t freshly grated ginger
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c coconut milk
2 large egg whites
1/4 c loosely packed fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 c loosely packed fresh mint, finely chopped
zest of 1/2 lime

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 6 muffin tins.

Cream together the butter & 1/2 c sugar until light & fluffy. Mix in the rum, ginger & lime juice. Add the baking powder, salt, cayenne & 1/2 of the flour, mix until just combined. Mix in the coconut milk. Mix in the remaining flour until just combined.

In a small bowl beat the egg whites until foamy. With the beater still running slowly add the 1 T sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the flour mixture. Once completely incorporated, fold in the remaining egg whites. Add the mint, basil & lime zest, fold to combine.

Divide the batter equally among 6 muffin tins. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely on a rack before icing.

Makes 6 cupcakes

Lime Coconut Milk Icing

1/2 c powdered sugar
1 t lime juice
coconut milk

Stir together sugar, lime juice & 1 t coconut milk. Continue at add coconut milk 1/2 t at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Allow cupcakes to stand for about 15 - 30 minutes after icing to set.

Ices 6 cupcakes

Candied Chili Lime Peel

1/2 lime
1/3 c water
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Using a peeler or knife carefully remove only the green peel from the lime. Slice into strips.

Bring the water to a boil. Add the lime peels & boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon.

Add the sugar & cayenne to the water (you may need to add little more water if its boiled down to far). Bring back to a boil. Return the peels to the saucepan & boil until transparent.

Using tongs remove the peels to a silicone mat or other non-stick surface. Allow to dry completely.

Makes about 10 small pieces of peel depending on how good you are at removing it from the lime.