Mojito Cake with Rim-Infused Whipped Cream and Lime Zest
Servings
10– 12 people
Servings
10– 12 people
Ingredients
For the cake
For the lime-mint syrup
For the whipped cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
  3. Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla, lime zest, rum extract, and lime juice. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Add the milk and stir until smooth.
  4. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake springs back at a touch and starts to slightly pull away from the sides. Remove from the oven and set the pans on a rack to cool. After 10 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on the rack.
  5. While the cakes are cooling, make the syrup. Heat the water and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until all of the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the mint leaves, cover, and set aside for 10 minutes to steep. After 10 minutes, strain out the mint leaves and stir in the lime juice. Set aside.
  6. To make the whipped cream, place either a large metal mixing bowl or the metal bowl of a stand mixer in the refrigerator until well chilled. Pour the cold cream into the chilled bowl and begin beating it, using either an electric hand mixer or the whip attachment of the stand mixer. When the cream has partially thickened, sprinkle in the powdered sugar and continue beating. When the whipped cream holds stiff peaks, stir in the rum.
  7. If your cakes are very domed, use a slicing knife to trim the tops of the cakes so they are flat. Using a pastry brush, liberally brush the top of each cake with the syrup. Place the first cake on a plate, bottom side up, and spoon half the whipped cream onto the center. Using an offset or regular spatula, push the whipped cream out toward the edges of the cake, without going all the way to the edge. The weight of the second layer will push it the rest of the way. Center the second layer on top of the first, bottom side down, and press down gently to push the whipped cream out slightly. Top with the remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with the lime zest. Either serve or chill immediately.