Listen. I have a new favorite cocktail. I know I’m late to this party, but Moscow Mules are really good and perfect for the summer months. And these Moscow Mule cupcakes, the eighth edition to my Boozy Bakes Series, are the perfect accompaniment. Bake a batch, pour yourself a nice drink, sit out on your deck, and chill. Goodness knows we all deserve some chill vibes right now.
I’ve been going strong with my Boozy Bakes Series for a while now, but I admit that I have NOT dipped into vodka cocktails at all. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the primary reason is that I… don’t understand vodka? It’s so…clear. And, like. Made from potatoes? Or something?
It’s an intimidating liquor, and when my friend Jordan popped up with a new cookbook, “How to Be a Vodka Snob,” written by Brittany Jacques, it seemed like the right opportunity to dive in.
The cookbook is super fun. It’ll meet you where you are, whether you are interested in tasting techniques and sophisticated flavor profiles, or you just want to figure out how to use the cheap flavored grocery store vodka. It walks you through the history of the liquor, which was surprisingly interesting, and then offers lots of creative cocktail ideas, including things like a blueberry muffin drink, classics like the sophisticated cosmopolitan, and this summer drink, the Moscow Mule.
It also didn’t make me feel ashamed for my lack of knowledge, which is not always true of this sort of book, especially wine books. This book is just fun and informative, and it is a great resource if you are interested in mixology!
The book is available for pre-order as of today! Check it out. (They aren’t paying me. I just liked it.)
Ginger Beer, where have you been all my life?
I’ve always really liked ginger, but I associate it with Asian salad dressings and Christmas cookies, I’ve never really thought about how it would taste in a cocktail. I also thought ginger beer was….well, beer. And that’s not my favorite thing. However, when perusing this How to Be A Vodka Snob for ideas, the Moscow Mule recipe stuck out at me. So trendy, so perfect for Pinterest photos! Plus, I have seen a bunch of my friends sipping these, so surely they are good? But that ginger beer ingredient….that seemed weird.
HOWEVER, ginger beer is not alcoholic, does not taste like beer, and is honestly sooooo delicious. I was so pleasantly surprised by the powerful flavor of this beverage that I er…accidentally…drained the one that I had opened to use in my buttercream, and then had to open a second one. Sorry, not sorry. The sharp ginger bite will open your sinuses, put a pep in your step, and make you feel ALIVE this summer. Don’t substitute ginger ale, that stuff is not strong enough. You want it to taste like GINGER. Along with vodka and lime juice, ginger beer is the primary flavor in this delicious cocktail.
The other identifying feature of a moscow mule: those cute little copper mugs. I knew I had to have some of those mugs to 1) taste this cocktail before (and during… and after) baking, and 2) because I wanted them for my little blog photo shoot. However, I didn’t want to buy any, so I asked a neighbor, and they DELIVERED. They not only had the copper mule mugs, they had three sizes, as pictured above. Who could ever drink a gallon-sized mule and live to tell the tale?
I have now purchased some. Oops. This blog seems to be costing me quite a lot of money, to be honest. 😂
Moscow Mule Cupcakes: the elements.
These cupcakes were surprisingly difficult to get right. I really wanted to highlight that sharp ginger flavor, but that was a little tricky…ginger flavor tends to cook out quickly, and lime can be very overwhelming, so it took me a few tries.
I started out by just putting ginger in the cupcake itself and leaning into a lime frosting, but that was pretty unbalanced, so I wound up including quite a bit of ginger in the buttercream as well, making a ginger lime buttercream. Don’t worry, the ginger is aromatic and delightful, and you can dump in teaspoons without fear!
I also wanted to incorporate the copper mug somehow, so I used some little metallic copper cupcake liners. I’m pretty extra, it’s fine.
The vodka flavor was a little harder to nail down, but I did put a little in the buttercream and in the Moscow Mule cupcakes themselves. If you are all about that alcohol burn, you could also brush some on your cooling cupcakes!
Summer baking preview!
As we turn into the summer months, I am excited to keep going with my Boozy Bakes series, and I am also working up a new project. I want to present homemade (improved) versions of prepackaged snacks. For example, zebra cakes, nutter butters…. you get the idea. Let me know if you can think of a brilliant name for this, because I am FAILING. Lunchbox remix? Hostess homemade? (That sounds like copyright trouble to me.). Something about cellophane? I’m not clever enough for this kind of thing.
I’ve also been taking some summer commissions, and I’m pumped. I’m doing an animal-themed birthday cake for a little girl, which will be fun. I’ve also heard rumors of a commission for a unicorn/cat/rainbow cake. Honestly, I’ve been preparing my whole life for that one. Cats for everyone!
Do you live in Indianapolis and are interested in commissioning some treats from me for the summer? Drop me an email at kellylikestobake@gmail.com to inquire about pricing.
Other Boozy Bakes to check out that would be great for summer:
Caramel Appletini Cupcakes! (Weird but good. Trust me.)
The best Moscow Mule Cupcakes!
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
cupcakes30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
- For the cupcakes:
One stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup ginger beer (NOT ginger ale.)
2 T vodka
1/2 tsp salt
- For the ginger lime buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3 t ground ginger
zest of one lime
1/4 C ginger beer
2 T vodka
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and prepare a 12 cup cupcake tin with liners and cooking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for four minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl occasionally.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl occasionally. Add the sour cream and salt, mixing well. Add half of the flour, the ginger, and the baking powder, mix until just combined. Add the ginger beer and vodka and the remaining flour, mix until just combined.
- Scoop into the cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Make your buttercream. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat your butter thoroughly, at least five minutes. Add the powdered sugar in two batches, beating very well after each addition. Add remaining ingredients, and beat until light and fluffy. Smear it on your cupcakes with a knife, or put in a piping bag and pipe on your cupcakes in a swirl. Garnish with lime segments if desired, pour yourself a Moscow mule, and enjoy!
We love ginger beer! Found it when we visited New Zealand, and found it then in the states. Ginger ale – step aside you wimpy drink!!! There are different levels of ginger in each brand, I think the one we liked best came from Whole Foods(?) in Wisconsin. It had sludge on the bottom! (And it even comes in diet!!)
So, I’ve gotta try these because of the GB 🙂
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