Rumchata Cupcakes Recipe
These RumChata Cupcakes with liqueur-infused cupcake batter and buttercream frosting are moist and fluffy with an irresistible cinnamon flavor. Once frosted, these boozy dessert cupcakes are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar for extra flare and texture!
You’ll Love This RumChata Dessert
RumChata Cupcakes are loaded with sweet and creamy cinnamon flavor thanks to being infused with this delicious liquor. They’re a delightful RumChata dessert idea for any party or special celebration.
These RumChata liqueur cupcakes are super simple to make and are made with mostly pantry-staple ingredients. This boozy dessert comes together with minimal effort while presenting as a gourmet treat that no one will be able to pass up!
Related: Alcohol-Infused Cupcakes
The cinnamon flavor of the creamy liqueur (which tastes like Horchata mixed with spiced rum – YUM!) is carried through by the sprinkling of cinnamon sugar over the tops of the assembled cupcake batter, and again over the freshly piped buttercream frosting. Layering the flavors makes them absolutely crave-worthy!
Adding RumChata liqueur to these cupcakes not only adds incredible flavor, but instantly transforms them into adult-friendly treats that are fun to share with your friends. While most of the alcohol is baked off in the cupcakes, the frosting also includes the liqueur which you can easily omit when offering these to kids.
RumChata-infused cupcakes are a fun dessert to make for anyone turning 21, to celebrate other adult birthdays, or just for a fun family gathering.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- unsalted butter, softened
- sugar
- vanilla
- eggs
- RumChata
- salt
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- flour
Sugar Topping
Frosting
- unsalted butter, softened
- salt
- vanilla
- RumChata
- powdered sugar
Most of the ingredients are pretty straight-forward but you may need to make a special trip to pick up a bottle of RumChata. It’s such a unique flavor, there really is no substitute. A small bottle is around $20 or you can pick up a mini-bar sized bottle for around $2 each
An underrated step in your preparation for making the best-tasting cupcakes come down to allowing ingredients, such as eggs and butter to first soften at room temperature. It significantly improves the texture of both the cupcakes and the frosting.
If you need to, you can easily make the RumChata cupcakes and the frosting a day or two ahead of time, ready for you to assemble your boozy cupcakes in minutes!
Be sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list.
How to Make RumChata Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and add cupcake liners to the muffin tins. Set aside.
Step 1
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add in the egg, RumChata liqueur, and vanilla. Mix again until combined.
Step 2
Mix in the cinnamon, salt, baking powder and flour. Stop the machine to scrape the sides down and then mix again.
Step 3
Divide the batter equally between the lined cupcake tins. Fill each about ⅔ full.
Step 4
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl for the cinnamon sugar topping. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar over the cupcake batter before putting the pan into the oven.
Step 5
Bake the Rumchata cupcakes for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned and the center is set. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
To Make RumChata Frosting
Step 1
Combine the butter, vanilla, salt, RumChata liqueur, and about half of the powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer over a low speed.
Step 2
Add in the remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until combined. Add a splash more Rumchata at a time if needed, especially if the frosting mixture still appears dry and crumbly.
Step 3
Increase the speed to medium and whip the mixture for another minute until the frosting appears smooth and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Step 4
Pipe a large mound of frosting on each cooled cupcake.
Step 5
Add a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar over the tops of the cupcakes to serve.
If you love churros, you will also love these RumChata Cupcakes!
TIPS
- A small ice cream scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup are useful tools to help you divide the cupcake batter equally.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake tins with batter as the cupcakes. ⅔ full is perfect to allow the rise in the cupcakes without them spilling over.
- You can test whether the cupcakes are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. The toothpick should return clean or with fine crumbs. Wet batter clinging to the toothpick means that you need to bake the cupcakes for about 5 minutes longer.
- Make sure to allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them or the frosting will melt slightly.
Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfrosted RumChata cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for no longer than a day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
While there is some debate about this online, generally, the longer the cupcakes bake, the less alcohol remains. For the average baking time of cupcakes (between 15-20 minutes), about 35% of alcohol is believed to remain behind in the baked cupcake. And keep in mind that the amount you use is spread over the entire batch (essentially 6 ounces split into 18 cupcakes).
The frosting, however, is not cooked. So if you are nervous about who you are serving to, you can leave it out of the frosting. But again, the liquor is spread throughout the full recipe so not super boozy.
That is highly unlikely! While there is alcohol in these cupcakes, there isn’t enough for you to get drunk. You’d have to eat quite a few cupcakes before feeling the effects of the liqueur. Always use your best judgment.
I like to let the cupcakes cool in the cupcake tins for 5-10 minutes. After that, they are removed and allowed to cool completely on a wire rack in preparation for being decorated with frosting. Don’t let the cupcakes sit in the cupcake tins for too long as the bottoms can turn soggy from the trapped steam.
Other Boozy Cupcake Recipes
RumChata Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup Rumchata
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups flour
For the Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 Tablespoons Rumchata
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your muffin tins by placing cupcake liners, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar. Cream until smooth.
- Add in the egg, Rumchata and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Add in the cinnamon, salt, baking powder and flour. Mix thoroughly – stopping the machine to scrape the sides often and mixing again.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup, divide the batter equally among the lined cupcake tins and fill until about ⅔ full.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle about a half teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mix over the cupcake batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned and the center is set. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
- For the frosting – in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter, vanilla, salt, Rumchata and about half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined.
- Add in the remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until combined. Add a splash more Rumchata at a time if needed if the mix still looks dry and crumbly.
- Bump up the speed to medium and whip for an additional minute, until the frosting is smooth and fluffy looking.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe a large mound of frosting on each cupcake.
- Sprinkle liberally with the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Notes
- A small ice cream scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup are useful tools to help you divide the cupcake batter equally.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake tins with batter as the cupcakes. ⅔ full is perfect to allow the rise in the cupcakes without them spilling over.
- You can test whether the cupcakes are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. The toothpick should return clean or with fine crumbs. Wet batter clinging to the toothpick means that you need to bake the cupcakes for about 5 minutes longer.
- Make sure to allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them or the frosting will melt slightly.