Blackberry Mojito Almond Cakes

Mojitos are a fantastic summer cocktail, with refreshing mint, zesty lime, rum and a splash of effervescent soda. They’re always a crowd-pleaser and it’s easy to put a twist on the basic recipe by adding some fresh berries to the glass and muddling them alongside the mint. These Blackberry Mojito Almond Cakes are inspired by the refreshing cocktail, made with mint, lime, fresh blackberries and a splash of rum!

The cakes are individually sized desserts that are baked in a muffin pan. They start with an almond cake batter that gives them a moist, dense crumb that really supports the fresh berries well. The batter includes fresh lime zest and both peppermint and vanilla extracts. You need to use a light hand with the peppermint extract to ensure that it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors, so measure it carefully! Once the batter is mixed thoroughly, it is divided into individual muffin cups and blackberries are arranged on top. Adding the blackberries last gives the cakes a beautiful finished look.

Even though these aren’t your average cupcakes, I do recommend using cupcake/muffin liners before filling the pans to prevent the cakes from sticking. If you have wrappers in purple or green, you can leave them on to serve, otherwise you can peel the wrappers off easily before serving. The cakes can be served as-is or alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

These little cakes are good for all ages, as there is only a very small amount of rum in the mix and the alcohol will evaporate during baking just as it does with vanilla extract. If you prefer to omit the rum, however, you can simply leave it out! The cakes are ready to eat as soon as they have cooled down to room temperature and they will keep for a day or two in an airtight container.

Blackberry Mojito Almond Cakes
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tbsp dark rum
1 tbsp lime zest
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup almond meal
1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat salt, vanilla, peppermint extract, dark rum and lime zest, then beat in the eggs. Add in all purpose flour, baking soda and almond meal and mix at low speed until the batter comes together.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Press 3-4 blackberries gently into each muffin cup.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake is golden around the outer edge and set in the center. A toothpick inserted into the cake should come out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cake can be served warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8.

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