I have come to an important conclusion— that the only difference between me being a good baker or a bad one is my own level of commitment. How can anyone improve their skills without practice? Trial and error are an important part of the process, and I’ve seen plenty of that. Every once in a while, though, I land in the success column with both feet. Those are the good baking days!
These cupcakes, which draw their inspiration from the Mint Julep, official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, turned out so ridiculously good last year that my friend, Linda, practically demanded that I make them again this year. What makes these cupcakes so delicious— besides the obvious fact that, duh, they’re cupcakes— is that real Kentucky bourbon is added to both the cupcake batter and the icing. They are boozy, but not overly so. The sweet buttercream with accents of mint offsets any harshness that one might expect from the bourbon.
Kentucky Derby is an occasion that we enjoy for the theme as much (or more) than the horse race itself. It’s a rare event that gives me an excuse to wear a fancy hat, and I will try again this year to get my husband to put on a bow tie (we’ll see). My table will be filled with plenty of fancy finger foods, because it’s helpful to have one hand free to hold a mint julep or one of my other fun cocktails. When it comes to the mint julep cupcake— well, it’s another opportunity for me to have my cake— and drink it, too!
Let’s Get Cooking!
If there’s one bit of advice I would offer for successful baking— to myself as well as anyone else— it would be to plan ahead, measure everything out and line things up before starting a recipe. Having my ingredients at the proper temperature is important as well, both for easy mixing and having a reliable baking time. For these cupcakes, the butter and eggs should be near room temperature, and the flour should be measured following the fluff, sprinkle, level method. Measure out the bourbon, too, so that you aren’t trying to guess the amount straight from the bottle. I used my cocktail measuring cup, which worked perfectly.
The cupcakes are definitely more substantial than a box mix cupcake, which makes a great base for piling on the sweet, minty buttercream. The batter includes both cane and brown sugar, which emphasizes those warm, caramel-like notes in the bourbon. I followed a typical method of creaming together the butter and sugar, then adding eggs and bourbon (in place of vanilla), and finally alternating additions of the flour mixture and milk. They baked up beautifully, and I cooled them completely before icing them.
This was my first time making buttercream, and I’m not sure if it was beginners luck or what, but it turned out so much better than I expected. I used salted butter rather than unsalted, because a touch of salt emphasizes whatever other flavors are around it, including sweet ones. I mixed in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and drizzled in the bourbon and mint extract somewhere in between the sugar additions. A little bit of heavy cream helped me achieve the right consistency, so that the icing would still have enough structure to hold its shape when piped onto the cupcakes.
Silver foil liners, a pinch of green sanding sugar and fresh mint sprigs put the perfect finishing touches on these delightful Kentucky Derby treats.
Mint Julep Cupcakes
These pretty cupcakes have bourbon in both the batter and the minty buttercream icing, making them a perfect finish to any Kentucky Derby party.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup bottled-in-bond bourbon
- 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F, with oven rack in center position. Line a standard cupcake tin with paper liners inside foil liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Using a stand mixer (with beater blade attachment) or electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until fully blended and somewhat fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stream in bourbon and beat until fully blended.
- Add flour mixture, a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Beat after each addition, but only until blended.
- Divide batter among prepared cups; each cup will be approximately 3/4 full. Bake for about 18 minutes, until cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool in the cupcake pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 to 4-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
- 2 tbsp. Bottled-in-bond bourbon
- 1 tsp. pure mint extract
- Up to 1/4 cup heavy cream, as needed to loosen the frosting Fresh mint leaves and green sanding sugar, for garnishing
Directions
- Using a stand mixer (fitted with whisk) or an electric hand mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Drizzle in bourbon before the final addition of sugar.
- Beat in mint extract and enough heavy cream to loosen the icing to desired consistency. Transfer icing to a piping bag and refrigerate until shortly before you will be ready to serve the cupcakes. Pipe onto cupcakes with a flower tip. Sprinkle each with a pinch of green sanding sugar (if desired) and garnish each cupcake with a sprig of fresh mint.
Comfort du Jour 