mojito | The CSI Project

Hi everyone! I'm Amanda, from Ninth Street Notions. Once again, I'm glad to be here at CSI to share one of my favorite things - baking and then eating. Sometimes it's hard to want to bake during summertime. It's hot, so who wants a big heavy cake weighing them down? With that in mind, I created this light and refreshing Mojito Cake, based on the classic drink. This cake leaves out traditional frosting, which helps it to be lighter. It also has an absolutely amazing lime curd. I've soaked my cake in rum, but that is optional. Leave it out if you'd prefer a non-alcoholic version. It's still tasty. First, gather your ingredients: 1 white cake mix, or from scratch (plus necessary ingredients) 2 cups + 3 tbsp sugar 4 large eggs + 4 egg yolks 1 cup lime juice zest from 2 limes 1 1/2 sticks butter 2 cups whipping cream 1 tsp mint extract 1/4 cup rum (optional) Prepare cake mix as directed for 2 9" round pans. Let cool completely. Next, prepare the lime curd. In a heavy, medium saucepan whisk together 2 cups sugar, lime juice, lime zest, eggs, and egg yolks. Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until it reaches pudding consistency, about 10 minutes. Strain curd through fine-mesh sieve into heatproof bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd. Chill at least four hours. This recipe will make more lime curd than you need, but trust me, this is a good thing. Lime curd is the stuff dreams are made of. Eat it on everything. If using rum, pour it over the two cake layers at this point. If not, proceed to placing the bottom layer on the cake plate. My obviously got a little chunk taken out of the bottom. This doesn't happen if you use parchment paper in your pan. Prepare the whipped cream by combining the whipping cream with 3 tbsp sugar and mint extract in mixer. Beat until peaks form. I like to make mine a little on the dryer side. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the first cake layer, all the way to the edge. Spread a layer of lime curd over the whipped cream. Leave about a 1/2" border, although it's not the end of the world if some leaks to the edge. Top with second cake layer. Match the two flat sides to avoid the bit of sliding that happened to my cake. Frost entire cake with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh mint leaves or lime slices to give it a bit of color and beauty. Thanks again for letting me share my summer fresh baking project with you!