Mojito Cake (Pound cake)

This Mojito Cake (Pound cake) recipe is the easiest, most festive cake you can make for your adult friends and family. Lime, mint and of course rum can be found in this beautifully aromatic, sweet and tangy Boozy cake. The Mojito cake recipe can be made without rum too, you will still get a delicious and full of flavour Lime & Mint Pound cake, sort of a virgin Mojito!

This Mojito Pound cake recipe is following the classic lemon drizzle cake; moist vanilla sponge cake with aromatic lime zest, drizzled with a super delicious lime, mint and rum syrup and decorated with crunchy white chocolate that has again lime zest and mint in it for a festive look and more complex texture and flavour. Amazing harmony of sweet and tangy flavours can be found in this Mojito Pound cake, and it´s super quick and easy to make. I have a feeling this will be your favourite Boozy cake recipe!

My Top 5 Baking Tips for home bakers

1. Read the recipe carefully including my tips and recommendations on how to avoid and fix typical issues during baking Mojito Pound cake recipe
2. Avoid using substitutes and changing the recipe unless you are aware of how to fully reformulate the recipe in order to keep the balance in texture as well as flavour. Reducing sugar, replacing egg, using ingredients not on the right temperature etc. will all have an impact on your baking
3. For consistent, happy baking experience always measure your ingredients with the help of a Digital scale. Cup measurement is provided as an indicative figure only and might be used for less complex and large batch recipes however it is not an appropriate method for more delicate, complex pastries
4. Did you know that most home ovens can significantly under or oven run? Also, oven temperature hugely drops when opening the oven door therefore it is recommended to always pre-heat the oven above the required baking temperature.
5. Temperature is so important when it comes to baking and accurate oven temperature is key, can make or break any recipe. Make sure you invest into an inexpensive Digital oven thermometer to avoid under baked, burnt, sad looking desserts

Some important notes regarding the INGREDIENTS of this Mojito Cake recipe

For the loaf cake

1. Butter: Use always unsalted as you want to be in control of the quantity of the salt. I am using 82% fat content butter in all my recipes. In this Mojito cake recipe butter needs to be at room temperature which technically means soft enough to be able to cream but not too soft or runny so avoid last minute microwaving
2. Sugar: I am using a mix of white and brown sugar, feel free to use white only if brown is not easily accessible for you. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article in here
3. Egg: Room temperature as always
4. Flour: Pastry flour works very well here with low protein content resulting in delicate, tender texture on your Mojito cake. AP flour or even self raising can be used too. If you want to be a Pro when it comes to deciding what type of flour to use in your baking, please read my article in here
5. Salt: Essential ingredient in all dessert recipes, its main function is to balance the sweetness of the cakes
6. Baking powder: If you are using self raising flour, then no baking powder is needed
7. Zest of lime: Using lemon or lime zest is my favourite flavouring to spice up my recipes, it makes the desserts wonderfully flavourful and aromatic, an absolutely must for making this Mojito Pound cake. Make sure you use organic lime (or one which has no chemicals on the skin) and only grate the green part of the skin, but not the white
8. Vanilla (optional): Please please avoid using artificial vanilla. There are several great brands for fine, pure vanilla, I use Nielsen massey which I love and really recommend. I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract which has lovely vanilla bits in there too

For the mojito syrup

1. Lime juice: Simply squeeze the juice out of the limes you previously took the zest off. Lime brings wonderful tangy flavours to this Mojito Pound cake
2. Granulated sugar: White granulated sugar is completely fine for this recipe, when you heat the syrup makes sure sugar fully dissolves and the mixture thicken slightly into a syrup consistency
3. Mint: You will need 6-10 mint leaves to flavour the syrup, the more the better but depends on your personal preference
4. Rum: For this Mojito Pound Cake recipe you will definitely need some good rum or make the syrup without rum if alcohol is a concern. I am using dark rum I bough in Cuba, feel free to use any good quality rum you have at home. The rum will need to be added to the syrup after cooking so the alcohol stays in there. I recommend using minimum 1 tablespoon but you can really go wild with it and use 3-5 tablespoons if you prefer more like a rum cake type of taste

For the white chocolate glaze

1. Chocolate: In this recipe I am using Callebaut White chocolate (callets), this  is a high-quality chocolate (yet affordable) that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than the average supermarket chocolate. Use the best quality chocolate you can access
2. Oil: vegetable oil works well here
3. Lime zest, Mint leaves (optional): I am using extra lime zest and mint leaves in this glaze that leaves a lovely green "spots" in the chocolate glaze providing extra flavour as well as visual element

My top 3 tips regarding the TECHNIQUE of making this delicious Mojito Pound cake

1. How to make moist Pound cake

This is my go to Pound cake recipe that I use for lemon drizzle cake or any pound cake really, you can use with any glaze at any season. It is very moist with velvety crumb and extremely delicious! Initially it is equal amount of sugar, butter, flour and egg however I usually reduce the sugar slightly especially when the Loaf is glazed, like this Mojito Pound cake.

• Grease your loaf tin, mine is 10x20cm, adjust the recipe according to the size of your tin or it might overflow/will stay tiny
• Baking temp will be 175 C / 347 F but preheat oven +20C / 68F as oven temp will drops when you open the door and place the baking tins in
• Use Digital oven thermometer to understand your real oven temp
• Ingredients must be all measures with a Digital scale
• All ingredients must be on room temperature, they won´t properly emulsify if eg. butter too cold, the batter might even break
• Cream room temp butter and sugar with an Electric hand mixer for 5 minutes until creamy and pale
• Add in egg, one at a time, mix with a hand whisk after each addition
• Fold vanilla bean paste in
• Sift in dry ingredients: flour and salt
• Fold mixture with a rubber spatula just until fully combined, do not over mix
• Fold in lime zest
• Pour batter into your prepared tin
• On top of the cake apply a very thin butter line - this will help the Loaf cake to open up instead of breaking in a random way
• Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean
• Once loaf is baked, prick the top with a toothpick or skewer and pour the warm syrup over, this is the drizzle stage. The syrup will sink in. Let the cake cool in the tin.

TIP: The cake can be made either in Loaf tin or even in a Bundt tin or Cake tin. Make sure you adjust the quantity to the size of tin you have.

2. How to make the syrup for the Mojito cake

Similarly to the lemon drizzle cake, the syrup is what makes this Mojito Pound cake wonderfully flavourful, sweet & tangy and super aromatic! Making this mojito syrup literally takes less than 5 minutes and could not be easier!

Boil sugar, lime juice and the mint leaves for 3-5 minutes until syrup slightly thickens. Once the mixture gets syrupy, remove from stove and pour rum in. What important is that you use the syrup immediately: pour warm syrup of the warm cake, then syrup will sink in. Make sure you prick the cake all over on the top, it will help the syrup to sink in. You have to let the cake cool in the tin as the cake is very fragile while it is still warm and wet from the syrup. It will stabilize as it cools.

Note regarding rum: Make sure you use a nice, delicious rum otherwise it will just ruin your cake. You can use as much rum as you wish, I recommend min. 1 tablespoon however you can use up to 3-5 tablespoons if you desire to make it more like a rum cake.

Note regarding the amount of syrup: The amount of syrup in this recipe makes the loaf cake moist but not extra juicy. Feel free to double the amount of syrup if want an extra juicy cake. If you decide to make more syrup than it is stated in the recipe, I recommend that you pour half of the syrup over the cake then wait a minute or two and you can pour the rest of the syrup over once the previous syrup already sank in.

3. How to make the chocolate glaze

Now fist of all if you are feeling lazy, let me tell you that this Mojito Cake is totally delicious even without the chocolate glaze. Glazing is part of decoration, part of a new texture so I recommend to try it but if you don´t feel like it, it is totally fine too.

Glazing any Loaf cake or Bundt cake is all about the finding the right (temperature) moment to pour chocolate glaze over the cake. Make sure that your cake is cold (5C fridge temp) so the glaze can quickly set instead of running it through. Glaze must be not too thin and not too thick, about 27C is the ideal temperature for white chocolate.

• Place finely chopped chocolate into a bowl (or use  Callebaut White chocolate (callets)) melt in microwave stirring every 30 seconds 
• When chocolate is melted (temp reached about 45C) mix in oil, heat the mixture up again to 45C
• Optional: Stir in zest of 1 lime. If using mint leaves, hand blend it with chocolate at this point for a few seconds
• Cool the chocolate glaze down to about 27C by stirring
• Pour chocolate glaze (27C) over the chilled cake (5C), pop it back to the fridge for a minute, the glaze will set quickly

Possible mistakes:

Glaze run through the cake without properly covering the cake - either cake was to warm (not fridge temp) or glaze was too hot therefore runny

Glaze is too thick and set it a "wrinkled" way - either cake was too cold or more likely that the glaze was too cold (thick) therefore it sets too quickly

Some more Pound cake recipe ideas for your to try

Poached Pear Pound cake - Cinnamon and orange zest infused poached pears in a simply yet super delicious loaf cake that is packed with vanilla and cardamon. The ultimate, easy fall recipe you need: Poached pear pound cake! Recipe in here

Marble Loaf cake - My "Better than Starbucks Marble Pound cake" consists of fluffy and delicious swirl of Vanilla and Chocolate cake covered with a 3 ingredients crunchy chocolate hazelnut glaze! Recipe in here

Cranberry Orange Bread (VIDEO) - Moist & delicious Cranberry Orange Bread recipe with Orange glaze and a wonderful festive decoration is the ultimate holiday favorite! Loaded with aromatic orange zest and tart cranberries this loaf cake can be the perfect easy breakfast or dessert during the holidays. Recipe in here

Pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting - Fluffy Pumpkin Loaf infused with aromatic Fall spices you love and frosted with an easy, 3 ingredients cream cheese icing that is very well balanced in sweetness (also made without butter!). Recipe in here

Surprise inside heart Red velvet Pound cake - This Surprise inside Red velvet loaf cake is the ultimate Valentine´s day cake you can surprise your loved one this year! An easy red velvet pound cake with mild chocolate flavour, melt in your mouth buttery crumb and exceptionally silky creamy cheese frosting. And! A hidden heart in each slice, how beautiful is that? Recipe in here

Lemon meringue Pound cake - Super most and delicious Lemon meringue loaf cake recipe with a Lemon drizzle cake base and an extra layer of silky meringue on top for a fun look and more complex texture and flavour. Amazing harmony of sweet and tangy flavors can be found in this homemade citrusy Pound cake, you will love it! Recipe in here

Surprise inside Bunny Carrot Pound cake - This Surprise inside Easter carrot cake is the ultimate Easter cake with a hidden bunny in each slice! Incredible moist loaf cake packed with spices and walnut. The ultra creamy cream cheese frosting is adding a lovely freshness to the loaf balancing its sweetness. Recipe in here

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