mini mojito cake_______________________________A fun-sized two layer cake for those who don't want the commitment of a traditionally giant confection! Lime and mint-infused cake with an ombre of white chocolate buttercreams.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
white chocolate rum buttercream
- 4 oz good quality white chocolate
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
- 2 tbsp rum
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp canned full-fat coconut milk (or heavy cream)
- 1/2 tsp vegetable-based green food coloring
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 6-inch cake pans, or one 9-inch cake pan, generously with butter or oil.
- Measure out 1/4 cup sugar into a small bowl. Sift in lime zest and chopped mint until evenly distributed.
- With a stand or hand mixer, cream butter, lime sugar, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in egg, then egg yolk, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In two turns, alternate flour mixture and buttermilk into sugar mixture, beating until just incorporate between each. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until the center is just set and a toothpick removes with just a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the perimeter to loosen the cakes and turn onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- When ready to frost, make the buttercreams! Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth and melted. Let cool 10 minutes. You can also do this part in the last few minutes of the cakes' cooling process.
- Whip together melted white chocolate, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and rum until smooth. Add 1-2 tsp coconut milk at a time if the buttercream seems too stiff.
- Separate about 1/3 of the buttercream into another bowl. Fold in lime juice and food coloring. I went for a pale green hue but you can go darker if you'd like!
- Level the cake layers if necessary. Set one on a cake stand or flat plate. Smear about 1/3 cup of the white frosting atop that layer. Stack second layer. Frost a thin coat of white frosting around the whole cake. Set in the fridge for about 10 minutes - this is your crumb layer. Frost about 2/3 of the way down the cake with the white frosting. Brush the remaining 1/3 of the cake with the lime-infused green frosting. It doesn't have to be perfect! Just have fun with it. With any remaining buttercream, pipe some swirls on top or whatever other designs you prefer.