Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: I made these cupcakes for a dear friend and coworker’s birthday this past week, in honor of a cocktail that we love to drink together. If you’ve never had one, a Dark & Stormy combines dark rum and ginger beer (or ginger ale, in a pinch), and is usually garnished with lime. I figured that these flavors would translate well into a cupcake, and through a bit of Googling, discovered that I wasn’t the first to have this idea. I went with the recipe that represented the two primary flavors with two distinct batters: one darker, with fresh ginger and molasses, and one lighter, with rum and citrus (I subbed in lime for lemon to stick with the traditional garnish). I finished the cupcakes off with cream cheese frosting – with more rum, of course – and a little more lime zest on top (the recipe called for crystallized ginger, but I’ve found that to be a little harsh for the less ginger-enthused, and the zest is more colorful anyway). I was very pleased that the cupcake really did seem to capture the cocktail. The cake stayed moist throughout, the cream cheese added richness, and all the flavors married together well. I got a lot of positive feedback from my coworkers too! You’ll find more photos of the baking process below.
The details: View the original recipe.