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If I could only have one cupcake for the rest of my life, it would definitely be this one. This is my favorite recipe I have ever made. It took me forever, but I have finally created the perfect spiced rum cupcake!! I’ve always been a huge fan of rum cake, but what do I do with a whole leftover cake, you know? So… cupcakes!! I added some more spice than you would a traditional rum cake and it makes all the difference.
What makes these Spiced Rum Cupcakes so incredible?
Spiced Rum: Of course! I like using Bacardi spiced rum. I’ve also used Captain Morgan spiced rum, but found that it’s a little too sweet for my taste. The cupcakes will turn out great with any spiced rum, but I prefer the dark, intense rum flavor that Bacardi gives off. Spiced rum gets mixed into the batter, the frosting, AND brushed on top of the cupcakes for that extra boozy feel.
Spices: More spices? Yes please!! Warm notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice give this boozy cupcake a cozy feel.
Egg whites only: I learned this one from Sally’s Baking Addiction in her Vanilla cupcake recipe. Using only egg whites instead of the yolks gives cakes a lighter, fluffier texture. I like to keep these cupcakes particularly light to compliment all the spices and allow for more flavor.
Brown butter: This brown butter frosting is the essential ingredient that ties this whole cupcake together. This recipe is very similar to the brown butter icing I use in my Maple Pecan Scones!
Sour cream: I have made hundreds of cupcakes throughout my time as a baker and I can confidently tell you sour cream is the key to getting a super fluffy, moist cupcake! I use sour cream in every single cake recipe besides chocolate. You can read more about my chocolate cupcake method in these Irish Coffee Cupcakes!
How do you make them?
For this recipe, I use Rose Levy Beranbaum’s 2-step mixing method. You can read more about this in her book The Cake Bible. Highly recommend!!
- Mix all the dry ingredients together. This is essential so that you don’t get random chunks of baking powder or salt in your cupcakes.
- Add in the butter. We love butter. Adding butter in with flour helps break down some of the proteins in the flour and prevents it from developing a tough gluten structure during the mixing process. In other words, mixing your butter and flour creates that delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture!
- Mix your wet ingredients. Much like mixing the dry ingredients separately, you’ll want to mix your wet ingredients together first to avoid getting any chunks of egg in the final batter.
- Mix it all together and bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes. Easy!
FAQs
How can I tell when my cupcakes are done?
You can test your cupcakes two ways. First, you can test them by poking a toothpick down the center. Your toothpick should come out clean or with a couple crumbs. If there is batter on your toothpick, place the cupcakes back in the oven for 2 minutes at a time until the toothpick comes out clean.
Second, you can gently press your finger on the top of the cupcake. If it springs back, the cupcake is ready. If your finger leaves a dent then the cupcakes need another couple minutes.
How can I make them extra boozy?
These cupcakes call for spiced rum in the batter, frosting, AND drizzled over the cupcakes. I usually use ¼ tsp of rum to pour over top, but you can increase this to ½ tsp to make some extra boozy cupcakes! I wouldn’t recommend going much higher than that though because the alcohol will overpower all the other flavors if you use too much.
Tips for success
Weigh your ingredients!! I cannot stress this enough! Weighing your ingredients is the only way to ensure you get the perfect cupcakes every time. Measuring cups can throw off your ingredients by 15-20g. This is the food scale I use and it only cost me $15 on Amazon. I highly recommend purchasing one! You can read more about how to properly weigh your ingredients here.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature! Have you ever tried to mix cold butter into cake batter? It’s impossible. You want to make sure ALL your ingredients are brought up to room temperature before you even start these cupcakes. This includes your eggs, butter, sour cream, and milk.
Preheat your oven for at least 20 minutes before you’re going to bake the cupcakes. Putting the cupcakes in the oven before it is properly heated can result in your cupcakes baking unevenly and getting crispy on the outside but raw in the middle. Using the proper temperature also allows your cupcakes to get the perfect rise every time.
Make ahead/store
You can make the actual cupcakes (without the frosting) up to two days in advance. Just make sure you wrap them tightly. You can also make the frosting ahead of time and leave it at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge covered for up to 1 week. When the cupcakes are fully frosted, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days.
More recipes you’ll love
Deliciously Boozy Gin and Tonic Cupcakes
Cinnamon Oat Scones with Brown Butter Icing
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Spiced Rum Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 200 g Cake Flour 1.5 Cups
- 100 g Granulated sugar 1/2 cup
- 100 g Brown sugar 1/2 cup – 1.5 tsp
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- Pinch Allspice
- Pinch Ground ginger
- 113 g Unsalted butter, softened 1 stick
- 123 g Sour cream 1/2 cup
- 60 ml Spiced rum 1/4 cup
- 60 ml Whole milk 1/4 cup
- 3 Egg whites
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Brown Butter Frosting
- 340 g Powdered sugar 2 3/4 cup
- 75 g Butter, browned 1/3 cup
- 75 g Butter, softened 1/3 cup
- 2 Tbs Spiced rum
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- Pinch Nutmeg
Instructions
- If you’re making the frosting, brown 75g of butter. Set aside to cool. This takes a while so I like to do it before I even start my cupcakes. Check out how to brown butter if you need help with this step!
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 cupcake pans with 15 cupcake liners in total.
- In your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Slice your butter into 8 or so slices and add butter to the flour mixture one slice at a time. Beat until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand.
- In a separate bowl, combine egg whites, rum, milk, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix with a fork or whisk until there are no more big chunks of egg whites and sour cream.
- Slowly add in the wet ingredients to your bowl containing the flour mixture. Mix everything until just combined.
- Fill the cupcakes about 2/3rds of the way full. Bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes. Test that the cupcakes are done by gently pressing the top. If it springs back, the cupcakes are ready. If it leaves a dent, bake them for another 2 minutes at a time.
- Once completely baked, set the cupcakes aside to cool completely. When you’re ready to frost them use a fork to poke holes in each cupcake. Then, pour ¼ tsp of spiced rum over each cupcake.
For The Brown Butter Frosting
- If you haven’t already, brown 75g of butter and set aside to cool completely. This will take about 30 minutes.
- Take the other 75g of softened butter and beat on a medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Add brown butter into the mixing bowl when it’s completely cool. Mix the two butters together. It will look a little lumpy at first, but it will correct itself later.
- Add in vanilla, 2 tbs of rum, and half the powdered sugar. Mix until almost combined.
- Keep adding the rest of the powdered sugar until you get your desired consistency. If you want to thin out the frosting, you can add more rum or milk 1 tsp at a time.
- Frost and enjoy!
